Taylor Momsen Opens Up About Leaving Acting Behind and Her Music Comeback
Taylor Momsen, formerly a ménage name for her part as Jenny Humphrey on Gossip Girl, seems to have closed the door on her acting career.
At the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, she candidly told Parade, “I kind of think I’ve left acting behind.”
Momsen’s career began almost as soon as she could walk. Acting, she says, wasn’t her choice at first.
“I wasn’t making my own choices then,” she admitted during a recent interview. Over time, still, she realised she could take control of her life and follow her own heartstrings.
She spoke fondly about one of her earliest and most beloved roles, Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas: “The Grinch… holds an incredibly special place in my heart and always will.”
MOTHER TAYLOR MOMSEN ON THE #VMAs RED CARPET pic.twitter.com/ZXCDG3FRDX
— The Pretty Reckless Italia (@TPRItalia) September 8, 2025
Every year, the holiday classic reminds her of that special time, even if her focus has now shifted elsewhere.
Having left the screen behind, Momsen has devoted herself completely to her band, The Enough Reckless.
Formed in 2009, the group sees Momsen as a supereminent voice and meter guitarist, alongside Ben Phillips, Mark Damon, and Jamie Perkins. Over the time, they’ve earned a devoted following and critical acclaim.
Speaking about their newest release, she said, “We do have a new song out, which feels even more amazing.
It’s called ‘For I Am Death.’ It just came out, and the music video is something that I really worked hard on, so if you haven’t seen it, please check it out.”
Fans can expect a blend of hard-hitting rock riffs and deeply personal lyrics in the track, which signals a fresh chapter for the band.
Momsen has been open about why she chose music over acting. On Penn Badgley’s Podcrushed podcast, she reflected, “[Acting] was a childhood thing that I got put into at 2 years old. I wasn’t making my own choices then.”
As she grew older, she realised she could pursue what truly mattered to her. “Literally, as soon as I got to an age where I could make my own decisions, it was like a click …
I woke up one morning and went, ‘Wait a second. I don’t have to do this? I don’t have to do this other job? I can just play in my band and tour, and write songs? I can just do that?”
With “ For I Am Death ” out in the world, The Enough Reckless are gearing up for their fifth album, Can not Get Enough, A homage to Bad Company, listed for release on 24 October 2025.
Suckers can anticipate important gemstone chorales and introspective lyrics that punctuate Momsen’s elaboration from child actress to gemstone frontwoman.
For Taylor Momsen, the screen is behind her, but the stage is very much her own.
