OMFG: Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester Born in Jail

This rumor has been circulating the blogosphere, and was easily confirmed by looking at the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.  Gossip Girl's resident bad girl, Leighton Meester, who plays the scheming Blair Waldorf, was born in jail.  Except, not exactly.

She was actually born in a halfway house in Texas while her mother was serving a Federal prison sentence in there for drug trafficking.  Her mother stayed in the halfway house until Leighton was 3 months old and then Leighton was raised by relatives while her mom completed her sentence.

I think the saddest part of this whole thing is that Leighton felt like she had to lie about it.  Leighton's resume says she was born in Marco Island, Fla., where she spent her childhood.  Her birth date is listed as April 9, 1986 and her mother's release dates wasn’t until November 20th of 1986.

I will admit I'm a bleeding heart liberal, but I actually think prison programs that allow babies to spend time with their mother's is a GOOD THING.  Studies show babies need to attach to a parent, and does a 3 month old really care if they are in a prison, or a halfway house, or a mansion on Park Avenue?  I don't think so, they care if they have love.  And you can give your baby love in a halfway house.  I wish they could have stayed together longer than three months.  And I'm already on record as saying that I believe prison sentences for drug offenses are way too long.   

I hope this does not affect Leighton's career at all, and not just because I love Gossip Girl.  I do not think she should feel ashamed of this for one minute.  It's not up to her to pay for the sins of her mother.  She did nothing wrong, and I hope she comes forward and admits this to be true to shut all the people up who somehow think where you are born affects the kind of person you turn out to be.

source, source