'Gossip Girl' Stars Speak Out On Racy Ads, 'Rabid' Fans

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The "Gossip Girl" gang took the Teen Choice Awards by storm on Sunday night, picking up six surfboards - including wins for Choice Breakout Star Female (Blake Lively) and Male (Chace Crawford) and Choice TV Villain (Ed Westwick). After receiving their new hardware, the cast had a lot to say before celebrating, as they opened up to Access Hollywood about the critical controversy over "Gossip Girl" and its racy new ads. "We were surprised at how rabid the fans were," Penn Badgley told Access of the show's sudden popularity. "It's been a crazy experience. It continues to get crazier." (link)