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Leighton Meester reveals the unexpected reason she didn't want wedding to Adam Brody

The Gossip Girl star shares two kids with The O.C. alum

Faye James
Senior Editor
May 29, 2025
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Leighton Meester and Adam Brody are Hollywood's cutest couple, having found each other on set after hailing from two of the biggest TV shows of the '00s. 

The pair, who met while filming The Oranges in 2011, are intensely private and rarely speak about their family life.

Down the aisle

Adam Brody and Leighton Meester attend FX's "Fleishman is in Trouble" New York premiere at Carnegie Hall on November 07, 2022 in New York City© Noam Galai, Getty
Leighton revealed that she didn't want an extravagant wedding

Leighton unexpectedly opened up about her marriage in a new interview with Bustle, revealing that she almost said no to tying the knot due to the spectacle of it all. 

"On sets and in life, I've been able to wear a fancy dress and hit a mark and say lines, and I didn't want it to feel like that," she told the publication. "I wanted it to feel intimate and private."

She got just that when she married Adam in an intimate ceremony in California in 2014, and the couple have still not divulged any details about their special day.

Adam Brody and Leighton Meester attend the 68th Annual Tony Awards  at Radio City Music Hall on June 8, 2014 in New York City© Kevin Mazur, Getty
They married in an intimate ceremony in 2014

A new light has been shone on their romance in recent months after Adam gave his wife a sweet shout-out in his Critics Choice Awards acceptance speech.

The 45-year-old won Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in Nobody Wants This, the smash-hit Netflix show co-starring Kristen Bell that went viral in 2024. 

"My darling, darling, darling wife, Leighton - thank you," he said in his speech. "Thank you for sharing this life with me, and this journey with me. Thank you for our family. I love you with all my heart."

Soulmates

Adam Brody and Leighton Meester attend the 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on February 23, 2025 in Los Angeles, California© Getty
Adam explained how "lucky" he was to have married the Gossip Girl star

Adam opened up about his relationship in an interview with Today, sharing that he was so "lucky" to have found the love of his life in Leighton.

When asked what the secret to his loving marriage was, he replied: "Oh, pick someone good. Be lucky and be in love with someone who's great and then just kind of listen to them."  

"If you're with someone great, you're on third base," he added. "Not that it doesn't take sacrifice and humility and you have to grow together and you have to be willing to grow, because you're not going to be able to stay 100 per cent right where you are. But if you're with someone wonderful, I think you're on third base." 

Parenting 101

Leighton revealed that she has turned down countless roles to be closer to her kids© WireImage
Leighton revealed that she has turned down countless roles in recent years

Adam and Leighton are proud parents to nine-year-old Arlo and their four-year-old son, whose name is yet to be revealedThe Gossip Girl alum explained how she had sacrificed countless roles in order to be with her kids, and would happily do it again. 

"There's been a lot of stuff that I haven't done because I want to be with them," she told Bustle. "I don't like being away from them. I'm sure a lot of people feel this way, but I'm especially not into it."

"Obviously, for the very right thing, I would probably just be like, 'Let's figure it out,'" she continued. "I mean, I'm not going to leave my family for a year. We're not doing that. But apart from that, we have a good system in place, where I can consider jobs carefully. And every other piece of life." 

To see Adam and Leighton's most adorable red carpet moment, watch below...

Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Adam Brody and Leighton Meester's adorable 'couple goals' moment on red carpet

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