Taylor Momsen Net Worth

Taylor Momsen first came to fame as an actress, starring in films like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and shows like Gossip Girl. However, she has focused more on music in recent years, fronting the rock band The Pretty Reckless. 

Though she started as an actress, Momsen is now best known as the lead singer of her band, which has brought her new fame and fortune. 

As she continues her music career, Momsen has amassed a respectable net worth, which this article will delve into along with her journey from child star to rockstar. 

At just 30 years old, she has lived through several acts in Hollywood, showing her determination to reinvent herself.

Taylor Momsen’s net worth and acting career

Momsen has accumulated a net worth of $4 million through her acting and musical careers. She started as a child actress, appearing in hit films like 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which helped establish her in Hollywood. 

Though only 7 years old then, Momsen showed her acting talents and ability to hold her own alongside big names like Jim Carrey. 

Over the next several years, Momsen continued acting in movies like Hansel, Gretel, Spy Kids 2, and eventually TV shows like Misconceptions and Gossip Girl. 

Taylor Momsen on ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ (Source: Showbiz Cheat sheet)

After leaving Gossip Girl behind, Momsen dedicated herself fully to her band, The Pretty Reckless. As the lead singer and frontwoman, she found her voice and image as a rockstar. 

It paid off, with The Pretty Reckless releasing several successful albums over the past decade. Going on tour and continuing to put out music has contributed the most to Momsen’s current $4 million net worth.

Momsen has certainly lived many different lives in the spotlight. From child actress to TV star to rock band frontwoman, she has reinvented herself many times. She used her early acting success as a springboard before finding her true calling in rock music. 

The reason why Taylor Momsen stopped acting

The reason why Momsen stopped acting stems from the fact that she never truly wanted an acting career in the first place. 

Though her parents pushed her into modeling and acting from age 2, essentially forcing her into the spotlight, she notes that she didn’t have many friends growing up. 

She was constantly pulled out of school for various jobs and modeling gigs, signaling that this was not a path she would have chosen for herself. Rather, her true passion from a young age was rock music. 

However, her parents continued to push her down the acting and modeling route. So, by the time she was a teenager starring in Gossip Girl, she had made it clear she was no longer interested in the acting world. 

Taylor Momsen on a walk with her mom (Source: Live Journal)

Reports from the set indicated she caused drama and had diva-like behavior, perhaps intentionally trying to remove herself from the show. An interview quote from Tim Gunn called her “pathetic” and noted she couldn’t even remember her lines.

She dove into forming her rock band as soon as she left the show for good. In interviews since her departure from acting, She has firmly asserted that music is her only focus now and forever. 

She has dedicated herself fully to her band, calling the transition from acting to music “natural” since it had always been her passion. 

Her alleged “cancellation” seems to have been intentional – she wanted out of acting to follow her true dreams instead. Now years removed from her Gossip Girl days, she remains committed to rock music rather than reliving a childhood acting career that was forced upon her from the start.

Taylor Momsen on exiting Gossip Girl

Momsen is opening up about her decision to exit Gossip Girl in the show’s third season to pursue her true passion – music. Though she had been acting since age 2, she recently shared that it was never her choice to enter the industry so young. 

She reflected: “It was a childhood thing that I got put into at 2 years old. I wasn’t making my own choices then.”

She describes having an epiphany one day on the Gossip Girl set, realizing she could walk away and didn’t have to keep acting if she didn’t want to. 

Momsen recalls thinking: “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?”

Taylor Momsen in ‘Gossip Girl’ (Source: Pinterest)

While she acknowledges it wasn’t as simple as quitting the hit show, the producers were willing to work with her. 

They told her they couldn’t let her fully out of her contract. Still, they would write her character off Gossip Girl so Momsen could shift her focus to music and her band.

Though she had to agree not to take on other acting roles, Momsen calls this a fair deal. She said, “They really allowed me to follow my dream, and I’m forever grateful and thankful to them for that.”

So, at a pivotal moment in her late teens, Momsen decided to step away from acting, a career path that had been chosen for her but that she had never felt passion for. 

Taylor Momsen’s music career

Momsen has built a successful music career as the frontwoman of her rock band, The Pretty Reckless. Some key points about her music career trajectory:

After quitting acting, her sole focus became her band, The Pretty Reckless. She writes songs alongside guitarist Ben Phillips and is the lead singer.

Their debut album, Light Me Up, was released in 2010, featuring hit singles like ‘Make Me Wanna Die’ and ‘Miss Nothing.’ This kicked off the band’s rise in the rock music world.

Over the next several years, they toured extensively. They released additional hit albums – 2014’s Going to Hell and 2016’s Who You Selling For. Momsen’s powerful vocals and stage presence as frontwoman catapulted the group to the top of the rock charts. 

They became the first female-fronted band with multiple #1 singles on rock radio. Influenced by artists like Kurt Cobain and Chris Cornell, Momsen brings a retro and contemporary sound to her songwriting and performances with The Pretty Reckless. 

With four studio albums and a fiercely dedicated fanbase, The Pretty Reckless continues touring and releasing new music in recent years. Momsen has ultimately found her home as a musician after getting her start as a child actress. 

With her band, she has been able to fully express herself through songwriting and connect with audiences through her unrelenting rockstar stage presence.