

This just in: Gossip Girl is back online, and like a horses' stampede, I can hear her click-clattering away on her messy keyboard. Or shall I say, based on the original ending, (spoiler) his messykeyboard? Regardless, this new group of private school Upper East Siders, centers around half-sisters Julien (Jordan Alexander) and Zoya (Whitney Peak), a wealthy social media influencer and a middle-class newcomer, respectively. Addressing social media's affects in Generation Z, Gossip Girl arrives back on the interweb to create chaos amongst the group, who've known each other since "they were babies."
With the buzz around nostalgic television series reboots, such as iCarly, The Boondocks, and The Proud Family, it's only natural to find millennials resting at the edge of their seats for what the Gossip Girl revival will have in store. So, until we have the chance to see, it's only fair that we get to know who we're seeing. Or in this case, the most talked about newcomer and lead: Jordan Alexander.
Because we know you'll love her, here are 8 things you should know about Gossip Girl's Jordan Alexander. And remember to watch the season premiere of Gossip Girl, July 8, 2021 on HBO Max.
Xoxo
1.Oh, Canada: Jordan is repping for Toronto.
Despite America's obsessive need to claim someone as our own, rep for Jordan Alexander will have to go a little further up the map. Jordan Alexander is a Canadian actress and singer, born in Vancouver, raised in Toronto, Ontario.
2.Jordan Alexander also has the title of 'singer-songwriter on her resume.
In June 2021, Jordan Alexander released her piano-ballad single "You." In the single, Alexander admonishes herself for not being over her love. Joining the summer of breakup songs, she sings about missing her love and feeling purposeless without their existence.
Her voice is powerful and sultry, as she battles against what her heart wants and what her brain knows she needs. She knows that she will have to get over this relationship, this heartache, but also knows that it will take time to forget the love she once had. With her latest single, "Jordan Alexander creates a colorful expression for the emotional human experience."
3.She performed at Toronto Pride and opened for Kehlani.
Speaking of releasing music, Jordan is no stranger to releasing singles and performing on big stages. Though, "You" is her newest single, it is far from her first. In the last few years, she's done everything from headlining a nationwide Pride campaign for BudLight alongside Carley Rae Jepsen to opening for Kehlani for Toronto Pride 2018 to releasing an album, The Lonely Hearts Club.
4.Jordan's signature shaved head helped her reclaim her identity.
When auditioning in Toronto, Jordan Alexander claims to have seen people who looked exactly like her auditioning for the same roles. Despite being uniquely herself, she found it disturbing that she and so many others fit the same criteria box. As a sign of rebellion, and as an act to reclaim her identity, Jordan shaved her head and has never looked back.
"I think I was just having a moment. I was trying to figure out what I wanted, and one of the things that I didn't want was hair."
5.'Euphoria' was the first time Jordan saw herself reflected in media.
Indifferent to whether it is because of lack of representation or finally understanding herself, Jordan Alexander credits Euphoria for being the first show she found herself in a character. Euphoria's, Rue, played by Zendaya, is a mixed queer girl, who Alexander says she identifies with because she is also mixed and queer. She also believes that Rue is a complex character with a complex storyline that she found inspiring.
6.Her sister discovered she was casted in 'Gossip Girl' long before the announcement.
Jordan Alexander is a middle child, stuck between two sisters Sydnei (older) and Chloe (younger). Alexander names her older sister as her hero, giving her credit for influencing her career and shining within her own field. Her older sister is a nurse, and her younger sister is an "online detective," who managed to discover she was casted in GG before its announcement.
7.Jordan quit acting for a brief period of time.
Shortly after starting her acting career, Jordan Alexander left acting to pursue music. It was under her sister's influence that she continued to act after leaving it behind. She credits her sister, Sydnei, to taking images off her Instagram account and sending it to agencies on her behalf. Due to her sister's encouragement and coercion, Alexander landed a role on the Facebook Watch series, Sacred Lies.
"She's [her sister Sydnei] very much a stage mom. She's always sending me Kris Jenner memes saying, 'you're doing great, sweetie!' She was adamant for the past six years that I try acting, and her persistence broke through...well, not really. I didn't actually do anything, so she took pictures from my Instagram and sent them to agents in Toronto, corresponded with them and then forwarded it to me."
8.Jordan says her grandparents were the hardest for her to come out to.
With her two consecutive performance at Toronto Pride, it is no surprise to discover that Jordan Alexander is a part of the LGBTQ community. While asked who was the hardest person to come out to, the out and proud, queer actress-singer, claims it was her grandparents. Stating:
"I guess, maybe, my grandparents, which is funny because it wasn't hard at all. Because the people who made it hard to come out to, I just didn't, but for some reason it was hard for me with my grandparents, because we are very close. I love my grandparents so much, but they were like 'oh, okay.'"
Featured image by Dia Dipasupil/WireImage
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Taysha Robinson is a writer and high school English teacher, based in metro-Atlanta. A self described philomath, you can find her reading books and articles of every genre, attending educational conferences, and hiking wherever the terrain will allow.
'He Said, She Said': Love Stories Put To The Test At A Weekend For Love
At the A Weekend For Love retreat, we sat down with four couples to explore their love stories in a playful but revealing way with #HeSaidSheSaid. From first encounters to life-changing moments, we tested their memories to see if their versions of events aligned—because, as they say, every story has three sides: his, hers, and the truth.
Do these couples remember their love stories the same way? Press play to find out.
Episode 1: Indira & Desmond – Love Across the Miles
They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but for Indira & Desmond, love made it stronger. Every mile apart deepened their bond, reinforcing the unshakable foundation of their relationship. From their first "I love you" to the moment they knew they had found home in each other, their journey is a beautiful testament to the endurance of true love.
Episode 2: Jay & Tia – A Love Story Straight Out of a Rom-Com
If Hollywood is looking for its next Black love story, they need to take notes from Jay & Tia. Their journey—from an awkward first date to navigating careers, parenthood, and personal growth—proves that love is not just about romance but also resilience. Their story is full of laughter, challenges, and, most importantly, a love that stands the test of time.
Episode 3: Larencia & Mykel – Through the Highs and Lows
A date night with police helicopters overhead? Now that’s a story! Larencia & Mykel have faced unexpected surprises, major life changes, and 14 years of choosing each other every single day. But after all this time, do they actually remember things the same way? Their episode is sure to bring some eye-opening revelations and a lot of laughs.
Episode 4: Soy & Osei – A Love Aligned in Purpose
From a chance meeting at the front door to 15 years of unwavering love, faith, and growth, Soy & Osei prove that when two souls are aligned in love and purpose, nothing can shake their foundation. Their journey is a powerful reminder that true love is built on mutual support, shared values, and a deep connection that only strengthens with time.
Each of these couples has a unique and inspiring story to tell, but do their memories match up? Watch #HeSaidSheSaid to find out!
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Feature image screenshot/ xoNecole YouTube
Egypt Sherrod & Mike Jackson On Love, Business, And Financial Transparency On The First Date
Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson have captivated us on their HGTV show, Married to Real Estate, and podcast Marriage and Money.
Now, they have teamed up with TurboTax to assist small business owners with tax and financial support. The couple met while working in radio, and now they own multiple businesses together. While working with your spouse can have its ups and downs, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Besides the fact that I get to work with the person I love doing what I love to do, right? There's the aspect of our daughters, seeing us work together as a unit and actually doing it successful,” Mike tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview
“So they get to grow up and experience what it is to be entrepreneurs from ground level, right? Because Mom and Dad did it, and they did it in such a way that I want to emulate, even if they don't decide to do exactly what we do, but they get to see it. That, to me, means a lot.”
But owning a business, whether separate or together, comes with a lot of responsibility and mistakes can often happen, especially for novice entrepreneurs. Egypt opens up about mistakes her and Mike experienced working in real estate.
“On our journey of entrepreneurship, we made a lot of mistakes. We spent money, we did things backwards, we learned the hard way through the school of hard knocks. There was no road map for us,” she says.
“So our goal by partnering with TurboTax is to really open the eyes of fellow entrepreneurs, to show them that, especially when it comes to your finances, your taxes, and getting that right, there is a faster, more cost effective, more accurate way of getting the support that you need.”
“On our journey of entrepreneurship, we made a lot of mistakes. We spent money, we did things backwards, we learned the hard way through the school of hard knocks. There was no road map for us."
Being tax compliant is among small business owners’ top concerns, but it's often time-consuming and research-intensive to figure out taxes on your own. TurboTax Business provides small business owners and solopreneurs access to unlimited live expert help to get your taxes prepared and filed.
When it comes to their marriage, the money conversation never goes away. The couple owns six businesses together, multiple properties, and are parents to three daughters. So when it comes down to finances, they believe in transparency, even dating back to their first date 21 years ago.
“Our first conversation about money was that, ‘hey, I don't have no money.’ Okay?,” Mike says. “Because there's been past relationships that are no longer existing. There's been things going on that I had to take care of and get through. So you're meeting a man that is pretty much starting from scratch again. How do you feel about it?”
At the time, Mike was newly divorced and had a small child. Egypt says she found his honesty “refreshing” and was looking for someone to build with, so his finances weren’t a problem for her. “If you're building anything, and that's like, first, second, third date, and you feel like, okay, this is someone I can be invested with, even beyond money, you have to just be honest about your circumstances,” Egypt shares.
“Our first conversation about money was that, ‘hey, I don't have no money.’ Okay?. Because there's been past relationships that are no longer existing. There's been things going on that I had to take care of and get through. So you're meeting a man that is pretty much starting from scratch again. How do you feel about it?”
“Otherwise you're building a house of cards that can fall at any minute, but I think money is one of the things. Finances are one of the things that even when people are in love, they still can't make it work and it breaks up marriages. It breaks up relationships because it's a stressor.
“So, yeah it is something that you want to ask about up front. What's your credit? How much do you earn? You don't have to be rich, but I just need to know if if the math is mathing.”
While they don’t believe you should have the money conversation on the first date, they do believe you should have it early to avoid any misunderstandings down the line.
To hear more about their story, check out their podcast, Marriage and Money and watch the new season of Married to Real Estate on HGTV.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
“So they get to grow up and experience what it is to be entrepreneurs from ground level, right? Because Mom and Dad did it, and they did it in such a way that I want to emulate, even if they don't decide to do exactly what we do, but they get to see it. That, to me, means a lot.”
But owning a business, whether separate or together, comes with a lot of responsibility and mistakes can often happen, especially for novice entrepreneurs. Egypt opens up about mistakes her and Mike experienced working in real estate.
“On our journey of entrepreneurship, we made a lot of mistakes. We spent money, we did things backwards, we learned the hard way through the school of hard knocks. There was no road map for us,” she says.
“So our goal by partnering with TurboTax is to really open the eyes of fellow entrepreneurs, to show them that, especially when it comes to your finances, your taxes, and getting that right, there is a faster, more cost effective, more accurate way of getting the support that you need.”
“On our journey of entrepreneurship, we made a lot of mistakes. We spent money, we did things backwards, we learned the hard way through the school of hard knocks. There was no road map for us."
Being tax compliant is among small business owners’ top concerns, but it's often time-consuming and research-intensive to figure out taxes on your own. TurboTax Business provides small business owners and solopreneurs access to unlimited live expert help to get your taxes prepared and filed.
When it comes to their marriage, the money conversation never goes away. The couple owns six businesses together, multiple properties, and are parents to three daughters. So when it comes down to finances, they believe in transparency, even dating back to their first date 21 years ago.
“Our first conversation about money was that, ‘hey, I don't have no money.’ Okay?,” Mike says. “Because there's been past relationships that are no longer existing. There's been things going on that I had to take care of and get through. So you're meeting a man that is pretty much starting from scratch again. How do you feel about it?”
At the time, Mike was newly divorced and had a small child. Egypt says she found his honesty “refreshing” and was looking for someone to build with, so his finances weren’t a problem for her. “If you're building anything, and that's like, first, second, third date, and you feel like, okay, this is someone I can be invested with, even beyond money, you have to just be honest about your circumstances,” Egypt shares.
“Our first conversation about money was that, ‘hey, I don't have no money.’ Okay?. Because there's been past relationships that are no longer existing. There's been things going on that I had to take care of and get through. So you're meeting a man that is pretty much starting from scratch again. How do you feel about it?”
“Otherwise you're building a house of cards that can fall at any minute, but I think money is one of the things. Finances are one of the things that even when people are in love, they still can't make it work and it breaks up marriages. It breaks up relationships because it's a stressor.
“So, yeah it is something that you want to ask about up front. What's your credit? How much do you earn? You don't have to be rich, but I just need to know if if the math is mathing.”
While they don’t believe you should have the money conversation on the first date, they do believe you should have it early to avoid any misunderstandings down the line.
To hear more about their story, check out their podcast, Marriage and Money and watch the new season of Married to Real Estate on HGTV.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy