When I received my invitation to Gotham magazine's issue release party in honor of cover girl (and Gossip Girl) Leighton Meester, I squealed a bit: I've been addicted to the show since the first episode, and I simply adore Leighton's character, Blair Waldorf. But there's always been something about Meester that seems a bit off, and the party — held at NYC's Marquee — didn't do much to change my perception of her.

By the time I arrived, Leighton had already cornered herself off in a small corner of the bar with an entourage of 20-somethings (including boyfriend Sebastian Stan) and bottle service. Her bodyguards were on high alert all evening, making sure nobody came within yards of Leighton — even restricting access to the stairway overlooking the main floor so nobody could gawk at — or take pictures of — the actress. Although, to be fair, that may not have been her doing.

The other disappointment? Nobody from Gossip Girl showed up to support her except for Connor Paolo, the actor who plays Blake Lively's younger brother. I'll have to make Ed Westwick and Chace Crawford fall in love with me another day, I suppose.

So despite failing to gain evidence as to whether or not Leighton is as awesome as Blair, the night was not a total failure: Free champagne for everyone! That makes any party a success.