Behind the glitter of Hollywood, there are little-known stories that reveal the harsh realities of life. In this case, this star’s childhood was marked by an unusual environment that shaped her in a unique way.
In Hollywood history, it is not uncommon to discover that some celebrities have had family members who have spent time behind bars. From small infractions to serious crimes, the lives of some stars have been marked by the experience of having a loved one in prison. Even personalities like Robert Downey Jr. or Mark Wahlberg have suffered from it in the first instance.
Imagine growing up behind bars, surrounded by barbed wire and walls, oblivious to the outside world and the lights of Hollywood that would one day illuminate your life. This well-known actress, whose family history has always been a mystery, could have experienced a very different childhood than her colleagues in the industry. Who will be this movie star who lived her first act in such an unusual setting? The speculations are served.
Leighton Meester will always be attached to her role as Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl. But unlike his character, the star of Single Parents He actually had a difficult childhood, far from all that glamor of the Upper East Side. His parents served time in federal prison for their involvement in a drug trafficking ring.
In 1983, Leighton’s mother, Constance, was arrested for smuggling shipments of marijuana from Jamaica. Constance’s sister and father, as well as Leighton’s father Douglas, were also part of the operations. After everyone was arrested, Constance’s sister escaped from prison, making her the first woman to make the US Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted list.
Was Leighton Meester really born in prison?
Despite the popular belief that Leighton was born in prison in 1986, the actress clarified in several interviews that she was born in a hospital. After her birth, her mother had to serve sixteen months in federal prison while she was admitted to a rehabilitation center for three months. After that, she lived with her grandmother until Constance’s release. She and Douglas divorced shortly after.
Speaking about her childhood in 2012, Leighton told Marie Claire that she was never as tough as the media made her out to be. “My family has a crazy history. “Probably the craziest I’ve ever heard,” she admitted. “Now I look back and see it in a nice light. It wasn’t easy, but I played outside, I went to the beach. “They were happy and fun moments,” the actress shared Weekend in Croatia.
After three years of living with her family in New York, fourteen-year-old Leighton moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams. She then made her debut as an actress in an episode ofLaw and order in 1999. In 2003, she starred in her first Hollywood film, Hangman’s Curse. She was chosen for Gossip Girlfour years later, although he initially auditioned for the role of Blake LivelySerena van der Woodsen.
The hit television show opened many doors for Leighton. He even dabbled in music and Broadway at one point. When the series ended in 2012, she went on to star in films such as dangerous company and Judge. Leighton then received a recurring role as Meredith on How I Met Your Fatherdirected by Hillary Duff.
