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29th January 2024
10:47pm GMT
*Warning* Article mentions sexual assault
'Gossip Girl' actor Ed Westwick marked quite a major moment this week after getting engaged to his long-term partner, Amy Jackson.
The actor has starred in many movies and series since the teen drama took over our lives in the early 2000s, but has his most iconic character fallen in popularity as we've grown up?
I've been rewatching 'Gossip Girl' for the last few months and as much as I've loved tuning into the series again, I can't help but notice just how awful Chuck Bass is.
It's impossible for me to ignore just how unforgiveable his character's actions are.
And just how horrendous his outfits were in season one.
From the get-go, the king of the nepo babies has made me feel uncomfortable. I used to find Chuck incredibly suave and charming, but now I find my 29-year-old self cringing at him.
As I've grown up, I've started to realise just how problematic the once beloved character was.
I used to envy Blair and thought Chuck's grand gestures were romantic, but now I've realised he treated her in the most harmful way, and I lowkey wish they didn't end up together.
Their will they/won't they? relationship seems exciting at first. It's that typical slowburn that naturally has to end in a happy ending, but Chuck's actions along the way completely tainted their romance for me.
Blair was always going to choose him, but she deserved better after putting up with his emotional manipulation all those years. She deserved more than a scheming, manipulative businessman, who mistreated her on way too many occassions.
The hotel mogul has somewhat of a character arc in the later seasons, but is it really enough?
Donating to charity, taking his career seriously, adopting a dog made the devil look like an angel, until you jump back to season one.
Was his character arc in the later seasons enough to bypass the way he treats women like second class citizens? Or how he sexually assaulted both Serena and Jenny in the first few episodes of the show. He put money and power before love. He was reckless, careless, and abusive, but people continue to make TikTok's about how 'hot' he is.
Many fans are now noticing just how toxic Chuck Bass was. Giving Blair a bouquet of peonies and a Harry Winston ring doesn't excuse the fact that he did some pretty unforgiveable things.
'Saltburn' actor Jacob Elordi even reflected on the true villian of 'Gossip Girl' in Variety.
He described Chuck Bass as an "irredeemable character".
"I watched Gossip Girl, start to finish. It's intense.
"Also, Chuck Bass. What an irredeemable character. I believe he rapes two girls in the first episode, and then by the last season, you love him. How do you do that? What kind of arc is that?" he said.
He known for saying 'I'm Chuck Bass' at any given opportunity, but if I was him, I wouldn't be too quick to tell people who I am.
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