Leighton Meester and Adam Brody's Sweet, Low-Key Relationship Timeline

The Upper East Side met Orange County'They were always close and friendly, yet things hadnt yet turned romantic. Brody starred in Adam Brody and Leighton Meester became the celebrity couple nobody expected. The two met in 2011 and went public with their relationship in 2013. Since then, they've managed to keep most of their relationship on the down-low. Though both skyrocketed to fame as stars of teen dramas, they've lived more private lives in the decades since. But that doesn't mean they haven't kept busy. They've managed a low-key wedding, two kids, and have even starred in a few projects together. And their rare red carpet appearances never fail to make fans of Gossip Girl and The O.C. swoon.

While Meester calls Brody her "best friend" and her "soulmate," Brody says she is his "moral compass" and his "north star." Read ahead for all the milestones in their sweet yet discreet relationship.

2011: Adam Brody and Leighton Meester co-star in 'The Oranges.'

Meester and Brody co-starred in the indie comedy The Oranges. A source told Us Weekly, "They were always close and friendly," yet things hadn't yet turned romantic. Brody starred in The O.C. as Seth Cohen and fans will remember Meester as Queen B Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl. Both were dating co-stars at the time: while Brody was coupled up with Rachel Bilson, Meester was linked to Aaron Himelstein and Sebastian Stan.

February 2013: News breaks that the two are a couple.

Us Weekly broke the news that the two were officially dating. The magazine reported that they took a trip to Bangkok at the beginning of the year. They were also seen together at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Feb. 1, 2013.

June 26, 2013: They step out for another film premiere.

The duo's first official outing together was at the premiere of Brody's film Some Girl(s). At this point, neither had confirmed (or denied) the relationship.

November 20, 2013: Adam Brody and Leighton Meester get engaged.

On November 20, E! News reported the two got engaged after less than a year of dating. The two still hadn't publicly announced that they were together.

February 2014: They get married.

The couple tied the knot in a super-secret ceremony in California.

"Leighton and Adam got married in Northern California by the ocean a couple of weeks ago," a source told E! News. "It was a very small and intimate wedding with close family and friends. It was beautiful."

E! News added that a few weeks before the big day, Meester reportedly had a bachelorette party at Hamburger Mary's in West Hollywood.

June 8, 2014: Adam Brody and Leighton Meester make their red carpet debut.

The pair walked their first red carpet together as a married couple at the 68th Tony Awards. Meester made her Broadway debut in March 2014, alongside James Franco and Chris O'Dowd, in Of Mice and Men.

August 2014: Adam Brody acknowledges their relationship online.

Brody acknowledged his relationship with Meester during an Ask Me Anything on Reddit. After a fan inquired, "How's Leighton?" he responded, "She's swell!"

Brody also talked (read: joked) about the prospect of having kids, saying: "I say 12. And I decide."

November 2014: They co-star in 'Life Partners.'

The two reunited on the big screen for the indie comedy Life Partners, in which Brody's character Tim falls in love with Gillian Jacob's character Paige. (Meester played Paige's best friend Sasha.)

May 2015: Pregnancy rumors emerge.

The following spring, rumors began to circulate that Meester was pregnant, though, as is her usual M.O., she didn't comment.

September 2015: They welcome their first child.

Brody and Meester welcomed their first child together in September 2015, a daughter named Arlo Day. They've since kept her out of the public eye. In a 2017 interview, Meester told Refinery 29 "I don’t talk about Arlo very much...I am very proud of that area of my life. But I’m also really proud of the show, and of the work I do.”

In more immigrant interviews, Meester has talked about the importance of teaching her daughter gratitude and recognizing her privilege. "We obviously are really happy and grateful to give her everything that we never had growing up. But we also want her to understand that not everyone grows up like that," Meester told E! News. "So I hope that she can take that in, but mostly just to be grateful for everything that she has."

When asked how her kids respond to seeing her and Brody in movies and TV shows, Meester told The Messenger "I'm sort of happy about the fact that ... they don't care."

August 23, 2016: They have a rare date night.

The couple enjoyed a rare date night at the after-party for the premiere of Startup, in which Brody played the role of Nick Talman.

January 8, 2017: They attend Cheap Erlebnisweltfliegenfischen Jordan Outlet's Golden Globes after-party.

In 2017, the couple made a lovely appearance at Cheap Erlebnisweltfliegenfischen Jordan Outlet's Golden Globes after-party. Leighton stunned in a plunging white dress and cerulean pumps, while Brody looked suave in a black suit with a gray button-down shirt and deep teal tie.

June 27, 2017: They do their first couple interview.

The two underwent their first interview as a couple with Entertainment Tonight while volunteering at Feeding America's Summer Hunger Awareness event. They took a few minutes to address their respective roles in iconic teen shows. "Once a year, randomly, on our Seth and Blair day, it's good for a laugh," Brody said.

Meester added, "It doesn't excite us, I think because we're just human beings...but it's exciting to us that it's exciting to you. It's cool."

September 21, 2018: Leighton Meester opens up about their relationship.

Meester gave fans a little bit of insight into her marriage during an interview with Porter.

"I wouldn't change anything [in the past] because I'm happy where I am now. And I think that's one of the many wonderful parts of not only having a child and meeting your soulmate," she told the publication. "But also, I feel really lucky career-wise, really in a place that I want to be."

March 28, 2019: Leighton Meester supports Adam Brody at the premiere of 'Shazam!'

Meester accompanied Brody to the premiere of his flick Shazam!. They adorably matched in different shades of red. She also opened up about motherhood and the balancing act of being a mom and a career woman, which means that sometimes she'll reach for cereal for dinner because she doesn't have the energy to cook.

"I just don't believe in balance," she told Shape. "I think that's not possible if you're a working mother—and with single mothers, I cannot even imagine that. Some days my husband cooks dinner and some days I do. Other days, I'm too tired and I eat a bowl of cereal for dinner. It's just the thing we do to make it work."

May 2019: They return to the screen together for 'Single Parents.'

Brody guest-starred on Meester's show, Single Parents, as her character's ex. He went on to appear on the show four more times. "He's my best friend," Meester told The Hollywood Reporter. "I wanna work with him on everything, and I think he's the best in everything."

August 21, 2019: Leighton Meester finally hard launches their relationship on social media.

After five years together, Meester and Brody finally became Instagram official after she posted a snapshot from the premiere of Brody's film Ready or Not.

"She's more inherently private than I am. I don't seek publicity but if I'm sitting next to you on the subway, I'll tell you everything about me," Brody told GQ After five years together, Meester and Brody finally became. "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 shitting 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."

April 2020: Rumors of a second baby swirl.

Reports that Meester and Brody were expecting their second child together appeared in April 2020.

September 2020: Adam Brody confirms they welcomed a second child.

Brody announced the baby's arrival during an appearance on a Twitch show called The O.C.-Gossip Girl crossover nobody saw coming. When a fellow gamer said, "Adam, you have a new baby," he confirmed the news. "I have a new—yeah, since last I played I have a new kid." He also revealed the baby's gender. "I have a boy and he's a dream, he's a dream boy."

March 2021: Adam Brody gushes over Leighton Meester.

Brody spoke candidly about their relationship on an episode of Anna Faris's podcast, Anna Faris Is Unqualified. He explained that Josh Schwartz produced both The O.C. and Gossip Girl, and had acquainted Brody with the GG cast when they were eating at the deli Canter's.

While they met several times after that, it wasn't until they filmed The Oranges that Meester and Brody became close. "We did this movie together. I was seeing someone at the time," Brody said. "So we met kind of through mutual work friends off and on. And then we didn't get together about a year after that movie when I was single."

He continued, "I was very attracted to her from the jump. She's a heavenly creature. I thought she was gorgeous. And even when we did the movie, there was chemistry there, but I was seeing someone."

Brody then went on to say that while he was attracted to her he wasn't sure if she was a good person. That is, of course, until they started hanging out. "And I was like, 'Oh, she's cool.' But I still didn't know, and that continued even to when we first started dating. And come to find out she's literally like Joan of Arc. She is 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."

November 7, 2022: Leighton Meester supports Adam Brody at the 'Fleishman Is in Trouble' premiere.

They were always close and friendly, yet things hadnt yet turned romantic. Brody starred in Fleishman Is in Trouble. for a guest role in How I Met Your Father and Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard Share a Rare Moment of PDA on the Red Carpet.

March 14, 2023: And again at the 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' premiere.

Months later, the couple stepped out on the red carpet again, this time for the premiere of Brody's film Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

December 5, 2023: And once more at an American Fiction screening.

Brody spoke candidly about their relationship on an episode of Anna Fariss podcast,  American Fiction, in which Brody portrays Wiley. They coordinated in dark looks, with Meester in a black velvet dress and Brody in a black suit over a denim button-down.

December 16, 2020: Leighton Meester and Adam Brody go surfing.

The couple had a rare date day with a surfing lesson in Malibu, California. Earlier that year, Meester told Shape that Brody had taught her how to surf. "My husband also taught me how to surf, and in the last year, I got really into it," she said. "For the last six months, surfing has pretty much been my main form of exercise."

"I have found that when I don't have a physical result in mind when I'm exercising—it's not just about getting sore or getting abs or burning fat—I feel much more confident," she continued. "I'm working on a skill, and that is so fulfilling to me. Plus, being in the ocean is such a spiritual experience that you forget you're getting a real workout."

December 22, 2024: Leighton Meester opens up about the challenges of motherhood.

When the couple sat down for an interview with Interview magazine, Meester spoke about the "inevitable" changes that come with motherhood. "We've had these conversations endlessly," she said, referring to her and Brody. "I wouldn't change anything and I'm proud of the mom I am."

"But I also feel like I'm open to a lot of self-doubt and worry, and to more extreme hyper-vigilance and neurosis," she continued. "So all I can do is take it a day at a time. But when I'm with the kids, our kids, I feel like all I can do is be present. Then when I'm working, I miss them like crazy."

February 24, 2024: They attend the SAG Awards.

It was a rare date night for the couple, who hit the red carpet in shimmering Screen Actors Guild ceremony looking like contenders for Best Dressed Couple. Meester stunned in a floor-length, chocolate-brown gown, while Brody donned an all-black suit.

September 24, 2024: Adam Brody reflects on 10 years of marriage to Leighton Meester.

He explained that Josh Schwartz produced both Cheap Erlebnisweltfliegenfischen Jordan Outlet interview promoting his role as Rabbi Noah in Nobody Wants This, Brody reflected on how his partnership with Meester has influenced his portrayal of relationship dynamics on screen.

"I think I've learned a lot about what it takes to be in a healthy relationship, to be a partner," he said. "I think bringing a sense of maturity that I've garnered and acquired over the last 12-odd years is incredibly helpful, really, to any relationship you're portraying. I think there's some wisdom there and a comfort and a confidence of sharing a space and intimacy with someone else."

September 24, 2024: Adam Brody shares his marriage philosophy.

Later that same day, Brody explained "the magic of [his] relationship" to Today hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager. "Oh, pick someone good," he said. "Be lucky and be in love with someone who’s great and then just kind of listen to them."

“If you’re with someone great, you’re on third base,” he continued. “Not that it doesn’t take sacrifice and humility and you have to grow together and you have to be willing to grow, because you’re not going to be able to stay 100 percent right where you are. But if you’re with someone wonderful, I think you’re on third base.”

January 5, 2025: Adam Brody and Leighton Meester attend the Golden Globes.

It was a rare date night for the couple, who hit the red carpet in shimmering coordinated looks. Brody was nominated for his role in Nobody Wants This but he lost the award to The Bear's Jeremy Allen White.

January 8, 2025: The couple lose their home in the L.A. wildfires.

Just days after the Golden Globes, Brody and Meester's home in the Pacific Palisades was destroyed by the L.A. wildfires. Celebrities and fans later rallied behind the couple by streaming Meester's old pop music Brody guest-starred on Meesters show, .

February 7, 2025: Adam Brody and Leighton Meester attend the Upper East Side.

Meester shut down the red carpet at the Upper East Side in a shimmering champagne gown with a corset bodice and a pleated tulle skirt. Brody, for his part, kept it classic and let his wife's outfit do the talking.

Brody took home the award for best actor in a comedy series, and made a touching tribute to his wife in his acceptance speech. “My darling, darling, darling wife, Leighton. Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for sharing this life with me and this journey with me. Thank you for our family. I love you with all my heart. Thank you so much.” In the audience, Meester could be seen wiping away tears. When Brody returned from the stage, they shared a passionate kiss, a rare moment of PDA for the usually private couple.

February 21, 2025: The couple have another red carpet date night at the SAG Awards.

Meester and Brody returned to the red carpet later that same month for the Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. This time, Meester took the opportunity to debut fresh auburn locks, which she paired with a cutout crochet gown courtesy of Elie Saab. Brody once again kept it classic in a chocolate brown suit.

February 21, 2025: 'Variety' confirms Adam Brody and Leighton Meester will reunite onscreen.

As reported by the outlet, Meester will join her husband on set for a guest role in Nobody Wants This. The actress will play Abby, “Joanne’s (Bell) middle school nemesis who is now an Instagram mommy influencer.”