Weird Things About Leighton Meester & Adam Brody's Marriage

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Leighton Meester and Adam Brody are a match made in Hollywood heaven, having been together since 2013 after being introduced by a mutual friend. They tied the knot in 2014 and have since welcomed two children, successfully balancing work, marriage, and parenthood. "We're super, super lucky," Meester told E! News of their surprisingly normal relationship. "I think we recognize how lucky we are with one another." She added, "We give each other a lot of respect and time and attention and focus ... We just make it work."

Yet, despite their seemingly perfect life together, there are a few somewhat strange aspects about Meester and Brody's marriage that may surprise you, such as the whirlwind nature of their relationship or how Meester initially kept her distance during the early days of their romance (more on these later). As "The O.C." alum admitted on the "Podcrushed" show in 2023 — co-hosted by Meester's former "Gossip Girl" co-star, Penn Badgley — he was attracted to Meester from the moment he first laid eyes on her. "I think the first time I saw her is when I met her at Canter's, the deli in Los Angeles," Brody shared. "That's when I saw her, and yeah, I was smitten instantly." He continued, "And I was, you know, smitten for a long time. I didn't get to know her for many years after." Here are some weird things about Meester and Brody's marriage that make their love story truly one of a kind.

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Leighton Meester and Adam Brody met in 2007 thanks to "The O.C." and "Gossip Girl" producer Josh Schwartz. "I was on 'The O.C., and that was coming to an end, and 'Gossip Girl' was starting. Josh Schwartz produced both shows," Brody explained in a 2021 episode of the "Anna Faris Is Unqualified" podcast. He was at his usual spot in Los Angeles when he ran into Schwartz, who was there with Meester and the rest of the "Gossip Girl" cast. "I was leaving, and he introduced all of us," Brody recalled. Of Meester, he said, "And then I bumped into her, like, two or three times over the years."

It wasn't until much later that Brody and Meester's paths crossed again, this time, for a movie project. In 2011, the two were cast to play love interests in the rom-com film "The Oranges," although they didn't become an item until some time afterward. As Brody revealed in his interview with Faris, he happened to be seeing someone else during filming with Meester (People notes that he dated producer Lorene Scafaria from 2009 to 2011). He explained, "We didn't get together until about a year after that movie, when I was single." That was in 2013, when he and Meester were spotted together on a date in Venice, California, effectively confirming their romance.

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Despite being immediately smitten, Adam Brody admitted he had some reservations about Leighton Meester during the early stages of their romance. He told Anna Faris that, despite their chemistry, there was so much mystery surrounding his wife that he felt unsure whether or not he could trust her. "I was very attracted to her from jump," the "Jennifer's Body" actor stressed. "But I had no idea whether she was a good person or not." In fact, he may have misjudged her due to her role as Blair Waldorf on "Gossip Girl" early on. "Come to find out, she's literally like Joan of Arc," Brody remarked, sharing that his impression of her changed once they reconnected in 2011 and became close.

Meanwhile, in his interview on "Podcrushed" with Penn Badgley, Brody revealed that Meester was also initially reluctant to let their relationship progress into something more. "She remained elusive to me for so long. And aloof," he confessed. He added that in those early years, he was unsure of where he stood with Meester even though she secretly felt the same way about him, too. He explained it was because she knew something would happen if they allowed themselves to get too close, stating, "Not only did she not pursue that, she was perfectly willing to let that never happen."

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It took no time for Leighton Meester and Adam Brody to get hitched. The couple exchanged vows in February 2014 at a top-secret wedding in California after just one year of dating. Appearing on SiriusXM's "The Jess Cagle Show" in 2023, Brody got candid about the whirlwind nature of his relationship with Meester. "My wife and I actually got married very fast after we started dating," he acknowledged. "That's how sort of easy a decision it was for me and us." He added that the same was true about starting their own family, with Brody admitting that he'd always seen himself getting married and having kids. "It always seemed, you know, like a route I would go eventually," he stated. So "I was excited to — When it came together. When I met the right person."

Notably, Meester offered a different take on marriage when she spoke to Marie Claire in 2012, admitting that she was unsure whether she would ever take that step. Noting that she was 18 when she had her first boyfriend, the "Monte Carlo" star reflected on her past experiences. "It's nice, I guess — when you like them. But it isn't the most important thing," Meester explained (via Page Six). The actor, who previously dated Sebastian Stan and Aaron Himelstein, stressed, "I don't want to hang out with some guy I just like."

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News of Leighton Meester and Adam Brody's engagement first broke in November 2013, less than a year after the "Country Strong" actor and the "Ready or Not" star went public with their relationship. However, neither actor chose to comment on their engagement, as the two sought to maintain their privacy. In fact, it wasn't until after their wedding that fans caught a glimpse of Meester's engagement ring at the Tribeca Film Festival, which she attended with Brody in 2014. Regarding their big day, a source told E! News that the happy couple opted for a beachside ceremony surrounded by loved ones and friends. "It was a very small and intimate wedding," the insider described, adding, "It was beautiful."

Though they've kept much of their relationship under wraps, Brody did share the secret to his marriage with Meester during an interview on "Today with Hoda & Jenna" in 2024. He told the hosts, "Oh, pick someone good. Be lucky and be in love with someone who's great, and then just kind of listen to them." He also acknowledged that marriage takes sacrifice and hard work. "You have to grow together and you have to be willing to grow because you're not going to be able to stay 100 percent right where you are," Brody stressed. "But if you're with someone wonderful, I think you're on third base."

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Leighton Meester and Adam Brody became first-time parents in August 2015 when they welcomed their daughter, Arlo Day Brody. As usual, they didn't reveal the family news until photos of Meester's baby bump surfaced in May of that year, by which point the "Gossip Girl" alum was already in her third trimester of pregnancy. Speaking to Shape in 2019, Meester talked about her new role as a mother. "I feel that I am really lucky," she expressed (via Just Jared). "And yet, still, I stepped into the hardest job in the world: being a mom." In October 2020, she and Brody welcomed a new addition to their growing family with the birth of their second child — a son whose name they have not yet revealed to the public.

Over the years, the actors have kept their family life away from the spotlight, just like the two have with their relationship and marriage. In addition to valuing their privacy, the couple has learned to navigate the ups and downs of parenthood and savor every moment with their children — something Meester openly discussed with People in 2023. "It's all just so intimate and private," the star said. "It's something that I could never put into words, really." She added, "It's such an emotional journey to have children, and it certainly has made me reflect on my own upbringing and childhood."