Love stories often come in unexpected packages, and the union of Leighton Meester and Adam Brody is a testament to this.
The two prominent figures in the entertainment industry and staples of our early 00s screens captivated fans with their journey from acquaintances to partners – serving as a beacon of hope in the often tumultuous world of celebrity relationships.
Despite keeping their relationship largely out of the public eye, here’s everything we know about Adam and Leighton’s relationship history.
How did Adam Brody meet Leighton Meester?
Adam and Leighton’s love story commenced in the realm of show business but blossomed away from the glitz and glamour. Both are renowned for their roles in popular teen dramas, with Adam gaining fame as the loveable Seth Cohen in The O.C. while Leighton captivated hearts as the iconic Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl.
In an Access Hollywood interview in March 2017, Leighton reminisced on when she first came across Adam – admitting she had a crush on him when she was younger.
“When his show came out, I think I was just like ‘I don’t want to watch that show, it’s a teenage show,’ even though I was sixteen but all my friends watched it,” she explained.
“I think maybe I thought he was cute. I remember he was a screensaver of one of my best friends when we were like seventeen. I saw it from afar. Her [screensaver] kind of changed every week, but I was like, who is that?” The actress then admitted that they were “meant to be” together.
In March 2021, Adam opened up about his relationship with Leighton on Anna Faris’ Unqualified podcast. He mentioned that his first initial meeting with her was through Josh Schwartz, who produced Gossip Girl and The O.C.
“Literally the first time we met, that whole cast [Gossip Girl] was eating at Canter’s [restaurant], and I lived at Canter’s for like my entire 20s. And I was leaving, and [John Schwartz] introduced all of us,” Adam said.
Fate intertwined their paths on the set of the 2011 film The Oranges and mutual respect for each other’s talents evolved into a genuine connection. “They were always close and friendly,” a source told Us Weekly of the duo’s dynamic at the time of filming.
However, it wasn’t until they reunited on the set of Life Partners in 2013 that sparks flew. As destiny would have it, their on-screen chemistry transcended into a real-life romance. Their relationship gradually evolved behind the curtains, away from the scrutiny of the public eye.
Us Weekly broke the news that Adam and Leighton were dating on February 6, 2013, with the article claiming that the pair had been “hanging out” for weeks.
When the pair filmed Oranges in 2011, they were both dating other people, but Adam admitted on Ana’s podcast that he still found Leighton attractive at the time.
“I thought she was gorgeous. And even when we did the movie, there was chemistry there, but I was seeing someone,” he said.
During the podcast, Adam also divulged on the couple’s first date almost a year after Oranges. “I had no idea whether she was a good person or not. And, in fact, kind of assumed she probably wasn’t for like the first handful of years that I didn’t know her, just because, I don’t know, Gossip Girl,” he said.
Are Adam Brody and Leighton Meester married?
The couple’s bond deepened over time with E! News reporting the pair’s engagement in November 2013 after less than a year of dating.
Adam and Leighton exchanged vows in a private ceremony in February 2014. The intimate wedding ceremony mirrored their low-key romance, maintaining a sense of privacy amid their public personas. Despite their celebrity status, the pair opted to keep their nuptials away from the media frenzy, allowing their love to flourish in quietude.
“Leighton and Adam got married in Northern California by the ocean a couple of weeks ago,” a source told E! News at the time. “It was a very small and intimate wedding with close family and friends. It was beautiful.”
Adam offered a rare insight into the early days of their marriage during an appearance on SiriusXM Radio’s The Jess Cagle Show, in March 2023.
“I was never scared of the idea of marriage or kids,” he said. “It always seemed like a route I would go eventually, and I was excited…when it came together, when I met the right person.”
“My wife and I actually got married very fast after we started dating,” he added. “That’s how sort of easy a decision it was for me and us.”
During the same interview, Adam shared his admiration for his wife of seven years. “She’s literally like Joan of Arc. She is, like, the strongest, best person I know. She is my moral compass and North Star, and I just can’t say enough good things about her character. It’s crazy.”
The same month, Adam opened up about his marriage in an interview with GQ. “She’s more inherently private than I am,” he said of Leighton .”I don’t seek publicity but if I’m sitting next to you on the subway, I’ll tell you everything about me.”
“We’re homebodies. We don’t go to a lot of things that perhaps we could, and don’t seek out promotion in that way. I’m not s–tting on anyone who monetizes that aspect of their life because I get it. But we’ve found this great balance so far that really works for us. We’re also not very active on social media.”
Do Adam Brody and Leighton Meester have kids?
Adam and Leighton’s love story continued to blossom, expanding to embrace the joys of parenthood. Despite the new parents neither confirming nor denying their latest addition, Us confirmed that the pair welcomed their first child together in August 2015. TMZ later reported that the couple’s first child was a daughter named Arlo Day Brody.
In August 2018, Leighton made some rare comments to Entertainment Tonight about the couple’s work-life balance.
“I think we’re a pretty modern couple,” she said. “I also think the nice thing about being an actor [is] you can work a lot, and when work is work, it’s, like, super intense and long hours and you might not see your family for a long period. But then I’ll have, like, months off at a time, so I can really be home and spend time [with Arlo], so I prefer it that way.”
In September 2020, reports surfaced confirming the birth of their second child, a son whose name the couple chose to keep out of the public eye.
Adam announced the couple’s latest addition during an appearance on Twitch show The Fun Time Boys Game Night Spectacular. When a fellow participant remarked, “Adam, you have a new baby,” he casually confirmed the news. “I have a new—yeah, since last I played I have a new kid,” Adam said, revealing the baby’s gender. “I have a boy and he’s a dream, he’s a dream boy.”
Embracing parenthood with a blend of excitement and privacy, Adam and Leighton have been devoted to raising their children away from the spotlight, choosing not to post photos or details of their brood.
