Jessica Szohr

Jessica Szohr is an actress best known for playing Vanessa Abrams on Gossip Girl. Szohr grew up in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, and is the oldest of five children. She began modeling as a child, appearing in national advertising campaigns before turning her focus to acting. Szohr graduated from Menomonee Falls High School a semester early and moved to Los Angeles at age 17 to pursue an entertainment career.

After landing guest roles on various TV series including My Wife and Kids, Joan of Arcadia, CSI: Miami and What About Brian, Szohr got her big break in 2007 when she was cast as Vanessa Abrams on The CW’s hit teen drama Gossip Girl. The role made her a recognizable face among young television audiences, and she remained a principal cast member until the show’s 2012 series finale.

In addition to Gossip Girl, Szohr has appeared in multiple films, including Piranha 3D (2010), I Don’t Know How She Does It (2011), The Internship (2013) and Ted 2 (2015). Her later television credits include Kingdom, Shameless, Twin Peaks and The Orville. She has also appeared in various music videos for several musical artists, including Taylor Swift, A Great Big World and The Black Eyed Peas.

The actress has been romantically linked to Ed Westwick and Aaron Rodgers. She began dating former NHL player Brad Richardson in 2019. The couple welcomed daughter Bowie Ella Richardson in 2021 and became engaged the following year. They tied the knot in August 2024.