Ed Westwick Pulled A Fast One On "Gossip Girl" Fans... For A Worthy Cause

By now it's no secret that there's a legit Gossip Girl reboot in the works for the streaming service HBO Max. And while filming has been delayed until at least 2021 due to COVID, we do know a few things about the upcoming series: the show's original creators, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, are back on board as is writer/producer Joshua Safran; the series will focus on a new generation of prep schoolers and will include more LGBTQ+ themes; and confirmed stars include Tavi Gevinson, Alyn Lind, and Thomas Doherty.

What still remains a mystery, though, is whether or not members of the OG cast will return - whether for a quick cameo or in a recurring role. Which is probably why fans absolutely freaked out this week when Ed Westwick (a.k.a. the conniving Chuck Bass himself) posted a cryptic Instagram featuring Gossip Girl's signature "xoxo," hinting at an announcement that would have to do with the series at 1 p.m. on Monday. He also shared the post to his story with a countdown clock. 

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Got a little something for you...Tomorrow 1pm.. Hint....xoxo UPDATE: 1 PM PST guys !
A post shared by Ed Westwick (@edwestwick) on Jun 14, 2020 at 12:10pm PDT

But when 1 pm came and went in some time zones without an update, the star clarified that he was referring to PST. The angry mob, however, would not quite be placated, even when the announcement finally did go public.

You see, in typical Chuck Bass fashion, dude pulled a fast one on everybody - but it was for a worthy cause. When Westwick did finally take to IG for his big reveal, it was in fact to promote his new face mask collection to benefit Kick It Out, an English Football organization that tackles racism and discrimination. The masks, to be fair, do feature the "xoxo" referenced in his original post, but fans were pissed. 

One disappointed user commented, "I’m all for the cause but wrong way to do it... consider the well-being of young GG fans," to which Westwick replied, "What about the well being of people who are and have been racially profiled / discriminated against their whole lives?"

Now that's what we call a Bass drop! 

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I think we could all agree the world could use some hugs and kisses right now. Help me raise money for @kickitout to combat racism & discrimination for everyone who plays, watches or works in football by shopping my collection with @represent. Let’s all work together to make a difference! Link in bio xoxo
A post shared by Ed Westwick (@edwestwick) on Jun 15, 2020 at 12:00pm PDT

[Photo via CW/Gossip Girl]