The REAL Reason For Taylor Momsen's Shocking Gossip Girl Exit!

Taylor Momsen is opening up about her shocking exit from Gossip Girl!

Fans will recall the singer/actress played Jenny Humphrey on the popular teen drama, starting in 2007. However, she stunned fans when she left suddenly in the middle of Season 4 back in 2010.

Instead of another TV show or film, she switched to her new role as a rock star, becoming lead singer of The Pretty Reckless. She found a lot of success — and her happiness!

But this wasn’t a “god closes a door” situation. This was all about Taylor opening her own window! She revealed on a new episode of Call Her Daddy on Wednesday that she felt like the show was “killing” her toward the end! And SHE wanted out! Whoa! The rocker explained:

“It started with a, ‘I don’t wanna do this anymore,’ but you are in a lock and key contract with CW Warner Brothers, you know, all of that stuff. It was a very long battle of me arguing with everyone and going, ‘Get me outta this. I can’t do this anymore. This is killing me. I have something else I want to do with my life and it has nothing to do with this and I can’t be stuck here anymore.'”

This was when Taylor formed her band — and immediately realized she wanted to pursue music instead of acting. However, her bosses weren’t down for that! The And So It Went artist recalled:

“You’re called ungrateful and you’re called all the things that come along with, ‘How dare you turn your back on something that’s been so successful for you.’”

However, Taylor had to do what was right for her, and that was her band. The musician, who was a minor back then, said meeting her bandmates “changed everything,” and she knew she needed to get out of the show to concentrate on her true passions. That was easier said than done at first, though. She continued:

“I knew I had to leave, but at the same time leaving a career that is so prosperous was not easy. It was an easy decision for me…to actually get out of a contract was not easy.”

The How the Grinch Stole Christmas alum said she was “very defensive” of what she wanted to do back then, especially since the studio tried to keep her in the contract. Fortunately, she found a way around them. Taylor went straight to Gossip Girl writers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, who agreed to write her out of the show. Fans know how that went down — Jenny ends up leaving New York City and moving in with her mom after she hooked up with Chuck Bass.

Ultimately, Taylor is thankful for the two writers for being so understanding:

“I really have to credit them for doing that for me because they did not have to, and they wrote me out of the show so I could go on tour and be in a band.”

Hey, it paid off for her in the end! Her band isn’t just acclaimed, they’re moving units, too! According to Billboard, they now hold the most number ones by a woman or woman-led band in the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart! An amazing feat!

As for her co-stars, including Blake Lively, Penn Badgley, and Leighton Meester, Taylor revealed they had no idea she was leaving the series! She just up and left after her final episode with no warning! She said:

“I kind of just Irish dipped. I just wasn’t in the script the next week. They all knew I was making music; they all knew I had a band.”

Imagine their surprise when they read the next script! LOLz! Watch the podcast episode (below):

Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments!

[Image via Call Her Daddy/YouTube, Gossip Girl/Warner Bros. Television]