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'Gossip Girl's' Leighton Meester Wins Lawsuit Against Mom

By Andrew Chow, Esq. on June 07, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

"Gossip Girl" star Leighton Meester has won a contentious lawsuit against her mother, who claimed the actress promised to give her $10,000 a month in support payments for the rest of her life.

But there was no valid or enforceable agreement between Leighton Meester and her mother Constance, a judge in Los Angeles ruled Wednesday, according to ABC News.

The ruling may have turned out differently, had Constance Meester followed through in responding to her daughter's lawsuit, E! News reports.

Constance Meester had publicly claimed her daughter promised to pay her $10,000 a month for life, allegedly in return for helping Leighton pursue her dreams.

But "Gossip Girl" actress Leighton Meester disagreed. She asked a court in July 2011 to rule there was never any such agreement, and that she was not contractually bound to pay her mother anything.

Leighton's lawsuit asked for a court's declaratory judgment -- a legally binding opinion, in writing, that declares the rights of the parties involved.

Three days after Leighton Meester filed suit, Constance fired back with her own lawsuit alleging Leighton owed her $3 million. Constance dropped her suit in December, according to E! News.

In the midst of the family court feuds, Constance Meester apparently failed to properly respond to Leighton's lawsuit, E! News reports. When that happens, the opposing party -- in this case, Leighton -- can ask for a default judgment in her favor. The judge approved the default judgment Wednesday.

Had Constance properly responded to "Gossip Girl" star Leighton Meester's lawsuit, she may have been able to present evidence about the alleged promise for lifetime support payments. It's not clear if Constance plans to appeal.

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