and Lonely Boy may not have made it work in real life, but there doesn’t appear to be any animosity between them. Penn Badgley spoke to Variety on Feb. 15 about his relationship with former co-star Blake Lively, and everything appeared to be well. During the interview, Badgley even said that Lively had “saved” him.

From 2007 through 2010, Badgley and Lively dated on and off while Gossip Girl was in production. “I don’t believe anybody was going to be interested in me publicly outside of our relationship,” Badgley told Variety.

 

That time in his life was “fun and fast-paced,” he said, but there was a “dark undercurrent that would bottom out in my late 20s.” “Like anybody who has some degree of fame and fortune, I was faced with the common fact that not only does it not make your life better or easier, but it can really tremendously complicate things and make you pretty sad,” he stated.

Badgley was struggling to establish his footing at the moment. “I was never s*icidal in any way, but I was obviously in despair,” he stated. “It had something to do with ‘do I matter? Do I have any significance? “Does anything really matter?”

According to Lively, Badgley claims that this weight has nothing to do with substance misuse. “To be honest, I’ve never had a problem with drugs. Blake didn’t drink, and I think our relationship spared me from going down that route in some respects,” he added.

Badgley has already commented about Lively. He recounted how they managed to work together after their separation in a May 2013 interview with Elle. “We were really engrossed in the performance, which was a six-year endurance test,” he explained. “Our connection was a part of it and helped us get through it.” “Like anything useful, there was good and bad, and it was a learning experience.”

Lively has stated similar kind things about their ship. “You’re learning, developing, and absorbing something from every relationship,” Lively told Glamour in 2011, according to Us Weekly. “So it’s never been too dramatic for me when anything ends.”

If you or someone you know is seeking treatment for dr*g ab*se, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).