Of course, there were characters of color on the show. Most notably, Vanessa Abrams (Jessica Szohr), Dan's longtime friend and Nate's once love interest, was biracial. (Back in 2007, one of Jessica Pressler and Chris Rovzar's early Gossip Girl recaps questioned whether Vanessa was Black or white .) And Serena's ( Blake Lively ) brother, Eric (Connor Paolo), eventually came out as gay to his family and friends. Still, the main cast were incredibly privileged for many reasons, including their race — a fact that's even more obvious on the show's 10th anniversary.