Leighton Meester's mother was incarcerated when she was pregnant in 1986. Though Meester was born in a hospital, her mother would serve three more years in federal prison for marijuana trafficking charges while her father was serving time. Meester was sent to halfway houses before settling with her grandmother, though she was also involved in the smuggling ring. The actress told Marie Claire in 2012, "My family has a crazy history. Probably the craziest I've heard of." This statement holds, especially considering her mother's sister, who was sentenced in the drug bust, broke out of prison, becoming the first woman ever in the U.S. Marshals' 15 Most Wanted List (via Social Gazette).
But Meester has processed her past and taken her struggles in stride, joking with Cosmopolitan in 2009, "Look, I could've turned out a lot worse." Meester married fellow actor Adam Brody and has two kids with the O.C. star. Her acting career keeps her booked and busy, but the multi-talented star is also an indy pop singer and has released two solo albums. As Meester told Marie Claire, "You can take what is handed to you and use it as an excuse to mess up. But I've always handled what was given to me by life. I consider myself lucky."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEpaCsrF6YvK57lnJpbG9kZMGpsYytqZqfmZh6tMDOq7Bmp5Ziuaa1xqGrqKZdorKmv9Oeqaxlkp6%2FtbSO