Momsen's career came to a halt for over three years until she received a lead role in theWB seriesMisconceptions, which never aired. After that, she appeared in the 2006 filmSaving Shiloh. She also auditioned for the title role inHannah Montana, and was in the top three, but the role was instead awarded toMiley Cyrus—a decision that Momsen was happy with in retrospect.[12] In 2007, she starred in theWalt Disney Pictures filmUnderdog as Molly and as Jennifer in the movieParanoid Park, directed byGus Van Sant.
Beginning in 2007, she played the character ofJenny Humphrey inThe CW television seriesGossip Girl, based onthe book series byCecily von Ziegesar. Momsen's appearances on the series became increasingly sporadic, and, by the end of the first half of thefourth season, she had only appeared in four episodes. It was then announced that the actress would be scheduled for an indefinite hiatus from the show,[13] which ended with her leaving the series as a regular cast member after the completion of the fourth season in 2011. On August 16, 2011, Momsen toldElle magazine that she had quit acting to focus on her music career.[14] On October 16, 2012, it was reported that Momsen would be returning toGossip Girl for itsfinal episode, in which she appeared briefly in the wedding sequence.[15][16]
Reflecting on her child acting career, she described it as an "alienating" experience, detailing bullying she received after her performance inHow the Grinch Stole Christmas.[17]
Momsen was signed withFord Models at a very young age: "My parents signed me up with Ford [Modeling] at the age of two. No two-year-old wants to be working, but I had no choice. My whole life, I was in and out of school. I didn't have friends. I was working constantly and I didn't have a real life."[7]
In June 2008, at the age of 14, Momsen signed toIMG Models.[18][19] She was the face of British fashion chainNew Look for its spring/summer 2010 collection.[20] After weeks of speculation about who would be the face ofMadonna's 2010 fashion line "Material Girl", Momsen was announced on July 15, 2010.[21] A week later, Momsen was announced as the model forJohn Galliano's new women's fragrance, scheduled to launch in autumn 2010.[22] In 2010, she appeared in a video for Galliano's "Parlez-Moi d'Amour" fragrance ad campaign.
Momsen is the face of Samantha Thavasa's handbag line. She has done multiple photoshoots, press events, and commercials.[23]
Momsen appeared on the cover ofPage Six Magazine when she was 15 years old in 2009. She also appeared on the February 2010 cover ofSeventeen.[24] In October 2010, Momsen wore a pair of platform stilettos, thigh-high stockings, and a holster strapped around her leg forRevolver. She appeared on the cover ofFHM's March 2012 edition[25] andFHM ranked Momsen #29 in its 2012 Hot 100 issue.[26] She also made her cover debut forMaxim in the November 2013 issue.[27]
In an interview with music journalist Jason Tanamor, when asked about posing forPlayboy, she said, "I was atthe mansion last week and took some pictures. Does that count?"[28]
Momsen has said that "music is where I can be me",[29] stating that "acting is easy. I've been doing it for so long and I totally love it. But you're playing a character instead of yourself. Music is more personal because you're writing it and you're involved in every step of it."[29] At seven years old, Momsen recorded the song "Where Are You Christmas?" for the soundtrack toHow the Grinch Stole Christmas. In 2002, she recorded the songs "One Small Voice" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" for thecompilation albumSchool's Out! Christmas.
In March 2009, Momsen stated in an interview withOK! magazine that her bandthe Pretty Reckless had signed a deal withInterscope Records.[30] She played her first tour with her band opening forThe Veronicas on theirRevenge Is Sweeter Tour in spring 2009.[31] After the tour, Momsen began working with guitarist Ben Phillips, who would soon join the band. Momsen subsequently swapped out her former bandmates. She co-writes songs with Phillips; in addition to lead vocals, Momsen also plays rhythm guitar.
The band's debut albumLight Me Up was released on August 30, 2010, in the UK,[32] where it debuted at number 6, as well as at number 18 in Ireland. The first single "Make Me Wanna Die" was released on May 30, 2010, while the second single "Miss Nothing" which was released on August 23, 2010, peaked at number 39. "Just Tonight" was released as the album's third single. Songs from this album have featured in the movieKick-Ass as well as the television seriesThe Vampire Diaries andGossip Girl.[33]
Television personalityHeidi Montag recorded "Blackout", a song written by Momsen. According to Momsen, she wrote the song when she was 8 years old and recorded it as a demo with a producer.[34] Montag released the song as a digital only single, with the music video being directed by her husbandSpencer Pratt. Momsen commented about the recording: "I'm like, okay, dude, you're singing an 8-year-old's words, but that's cool. It's so funny because I didn't shop it or anything and I get this call going, 'Did you write a song for Heidi Montag'? And I'm like, 'What?'"[34] The track was later included on Montag's debut studio album,Superficial (2010).
On July 27, 2011, Momsen announced that the band would be the supporting act forEvanescence during the fall of 2011.[35] Throughout 2012, Momsen and her band touredNorth America; the second headlining tour, titled theMedicine Tour, began in March 2012[36] and culminated with supporting dates forMarilyn Manson's 2012 world tourHey Cruel World... Tour. Momsen also appeared as guest vocalist on the first track of exMinistry memberPaul Barker's 2012 albumFix This.
On November 30, 2012, it was announced that the Pretty Reckless' fourth single "Kill Me" would be released on December 11.[37] The track was the last song to be featured in theGossip Girl series finale.
Going to Hell was released on March 18, 2014.[41] The release marked the band's largest sales week to date and landed at number five on the Billboard 200 with over 35,000 copies sold in its first week.[42] The success of the record saw Taylor, along with the rest of the band, break records when they became the first female-fronted band to reach No. 1 on the rock radio charts with its first two singles: "Heaven Knows" in March 2014 and "Fucked Up World" in September 2014.[43] The Pretty Reckless also spent the majority of late 2013 throughout 2014 on tour supportingGoing To Hell. In 2014, her band also supportedFall Out Boy in their European leg of theSave Rock n Roll Tour along withNew Politics.
Throughout 2015, Momsen continued to record new material for the third Pretty Reckless album. On September 29, 2016, the band released the single"Take Me Down", which reached number one on theBillboard Mainstream Rock chart.[44][45] The third album,Who You Selling For, was released in October 2016.[44]
The Pretty Reckless released their fourth album,Death by Rock and Roll, on February 12, 2021. The Pretty Reckless became the first female-fronted band to have five number one singles when "Death by Rock and Roll" hit number one on the charts.[47]
On May 31, 2024, Momsen was attacked and bitten by a bat while performing on stage with the Pretty Reckless inSeville, Spain. As a result, she had to take vaccinations forrabies.[48]
In October 2025, she and her band digitally released aChristmas EP titledTaylor Momsen's Pretty Reckless Christmas, including an updated version of the song "Where Are You Christmas" that she originally performed as Cindy Lou Who inHow the Grinch Stole Christmas in 2000.[49] The EP's physical release was in November 2025.[49] Later that month, she performed at theMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and performed with the surviving members of Soundgarden,Mike McCready, andBrandi Carlile at their induction ceremony for theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.[50][51]
Momsen struggled withdepression andsubstance abuse.[52] Following the deaths of her idol,Soundgarden singerChris Cornell, with whom she had toured briefly in 2017 but was not close to,[53] and her close friend and longtime record producerKato Khandwala, in 2017 and 2018, respectively, she isolated herself and fell into depression, eventually using music to deal with the trauma and writing the 2021 albumDeath by Rock and Roll inspired by their deaths.[54][55]
By October 2016, Momsen had stopped practicing and identifying with Catholicism. She described herself at the time as aspiritual but not religious person.[56]
^"Taylor Momsen (interview)".The A.V. Club. March 10, 2011. RetrievedJuly 5, 2017.I love Oasis. I love Noel Gallagher. He's a great songwriter. I'd love to be able to write a song with him at some point.
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