Hilary Duff Reflected On Her Scandalous Gossip Girl Scene

Hilary Duff might be known for being Lizzie McGuire, but she has some more raunchy fare in her repertoire. During her March 5 appearance on Harper’s Bazaar’s “Burning Questions” series, the actor-singer reflected on her time on Gossip Girl — and yes, she commented on *that* scandalous scene.

Duff appeared in the series’ third season in 2009 as Olivia Burke, a famous actor who attends New York University and ends up rooming with Vanessa Abrams (Jessica Szohr), who happens to be a fan of her movies. She quickly takes a liking to Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley), eventually leading to a ménage à trois.

When asked about the most memorable part of her Gossip Girl experience, Duff said, “Probably the threesome was the most standout moment.” However, she did have one concern. “I remember being like, ‘Oh, my mom’s going to call me after this one,’” she said, laughing. (Sadly, she didn’t acknowledge her cover of Lady Gaga’s “LoveGame,” which is still a viral meme to this day.)

Hilary’s Impact On Gossip Girl

While she was only on Gossip Girl as a recurring guest star, Duff still left an impact on the show. “I was in Paris not too long ago and my bag got lost. I went up to the lady who worked at the airline, and she's like, ‘Are you on Gossip Girl?’” she recalled. “Yes! Love that’s how you know me.”

Duff’s arc ended midway through Season 3, when the threesome made Olivia realize that Vanessa had deeper feelings for Dan, and she leaves NYU for a new movie role. Although Olivia promised to return the next year, Duff never appeared on the show again, but her character lived on. Olivia is even mentioned in the series finale, seen on a movie poster with other characters.

The threesome may also go down as the show’s most scandalous moment, especially by 2009 standards. The scene was teased in racy promotional ads and immediately sparked protests, with the Parents Television Council asking the CW’s local affiliates to block the episode from airing.

However, it didn’t work, and Duff’s character was allowed to be an adult, unlike on the Lizzie McGuire reboot.