Blake Lively slammed for 'cruel and inappropriate' joke about Gossip Girl co-star Leighton Meester
- The Serena van der Woodsen actress, 37, has been slated for her 'mean' quip
- It comes amid Blake's legal battle with her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni
- READ MORE: Justin Baldoni's awkward hug with Britney Spears resurfaces
Blake Lively is under fire after making an 'cruel and inappropriate' joke about her Gossip Girl co-star Leighton Meester in a resurfaced clip.
In a viral TikTok video taken from an undated panel discussion, the 37-year-old actress – who is currently embroiled in a bitter legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni – makes a cutting remark about Leighton being born in prison.
Sitting next to Leighton, 38, and the rest of the Gossip Girl cast, Blake declares: 'Well, some of us started in a cage.'
As she delivers the savage joke, she waves her hand in Leighton's direction.
After her quip fails to amuse the audience, Blake adds: 'Come on, it was a joke! Lord have mercy.'
Social media users were shocked by Blake's attempt at a joke and accused her of 'being mean.'
Taking to the comments, one said: 'Making a joke at someone's expense is very telling that you have low class mentality.'
'Always joking BUT in reality being mean,' another said.
Blake Lively is under fire after making a joke about her Gossip Girl co-star Leighton Meester in a resurfaced clip
Leighton was born while her mother, Constance, was incarcerated
A third added: 'She did not… that's effed up.'
A fourth continued: 'Always joking but nobody is laughing.'
'She waved her hands in Leighton's direction when saying it as well,' another observed.
Leighton was born while her mother, Constance, was incarcerated and was raised up by her grandmother until she was released in 1995.
Constance was convicted in 1985 on drug trafficking charges and served 10 years in a Texas state prison for her involvement in a drug smuggling ring that brought large quantities of marijuana to the US from Jamaica.
Blake and Leighton headlined the CW series Gossip Girl over its six-season, 121-episode run from 2007 to 2012.
The teen drama, which was created by Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz, focused on a group of wealthy teens on New York City's Upper East Side, with a gossip blogger (Kristen Bell) narrating the proceedings.
Together, Blake and Leighton played the respective roles of Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf on the series, which also featured Penn Badgley, Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford and Kelly Rutherford.
Leighton and Blake starred opposite each other in the CW series Gossip Girl
The actresses were not friends during the show's six season run
Fans were shocked by Blake's attempt at a joke in the resurfaced clip
Following the show, executive producer Joshua Safran told Vanity Fair revealed that the two actresses were not friends.
Speaking to Vanity Fair in an August 2017 article commemorating the 10th anniversary of the show, he compared the duo to their respective characters, saying: 'They were friendly, but they were not friends like Serena and Blair.'
The performers had very different personalities, he told the publication: 'Blake is very much in the moment. Blake knows what's happening.
'You talk to Blake on a very contemporary level, and she would be like, "I'm doing this thing tonight. Have you been to this restaurant?"'
Blake has accused her It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and creating a toxic work environment
Justin is suing the New York Times and has plans to countersue Blake
Leighton, in contrast, had a 'very removed and very quiet' demeanor, and that 'after her scenes were done, she would wander the stage.'
Blake has dominated headlines in recent weeks after she accused her It Ends With Us costar Justin of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment while filming the Colleen Hoover adaptation.
Justin has launched a defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, which reported Blake's first complaint, and his attorney has declared that he is also planning to countersue Blake herself.
While Justin's career has imploded, Blake - whose husband is Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds - has seen former colleagues publicly speak out in her favor.
