Taylor Momsen’s journey from a beloved child star in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” to the fierce frontwoman of the hard rock band The Pretty Reckless has been anything but conventional. Now, as the 25th anniversary of the iconic holiday film approaches, Momsen is embracing her past and present in a unique full-circle moment, marked by a new Christmas album and a reunion with her former co-star, Jim Carrey.
The actress-turned-rocker recently released “Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas,” a project that she told Us Weekly in November 2025 “took on a life of its own.” It blossomed from The Pretty Reckless recording their original song, “I Wanna Be Your Christmas Tree.” Momsen explained that the song was “so much excitement, nostalgia, and chaos wrapped into it” that she felt compelled to build an entire world around it.
Momsen’s breakthrough role came at a young age, playing Cindy Lou Who in the 2000 live-action adaptation of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” alongside Carrey. She delivered one of the film’s most memorable scenes with her rendition of “Where Are You Christmas?”, a song later re-recorded by Faith Hill for the official soundtrack.
While she initially sought to shed her child star image, Momsen revealed on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast in 2025 that she has made peace with her Grinch past. She admitted that starting young blurs the lines between true memories and stories recounted by others, but she holds no bad memories of the experience. Momsen described the project as "incredible" and "super fun," acknowledging its high-level production.
The film also proved instrumental to her future music career, serving as her “first time in a recording studio.” Though she faced relentless teasing as the "Grinch girl" in school, Momsen now views those early experiences as wonderful. She embraces being Cindy Lou Who, stating, “I’m that girl. I’m still that girl.”
Momsen’s first significant step into more mature roles was joining "Gossip Girl" as Jenny Humphrey, or "Little J." Her character’s initially bright personality evolved to reveal deep insecurities over the show’s first four seasons on The CW.
She eventually secured her release from her "Gossip Girl" contract in 2011 after a lengthy battle with producers and network executives. Momsen shared on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast that it was an "easy decision" for her to leave, though extricating herself from the contract was anything but simple. She recalled executives calling her "ungrateful" for wanting to abandon a successful show.
Momsen ultimately bypassed network resistance and directly approached series creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. They confirmed they could not terminate her contract but could write her out of the show, understanding her desire to pursue music. She credited them for allowing her to leave the show and go on tour with her band. Jenny Humphrey’s character was written out early in season five, moving to London to study art, though Momsen returned for a final scene in the series finale, where Jenny launched a fashion line with Blair Waldorf.
Momsen definitively left her child star image behind with the formation of the hard rock band The Pretty Reckless in 2009. The group played its first show in New York that May and signed with Interscope Records later the same year. While the band has seen lineup changes, Momsen remains its lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist.
In 2023, she spoke to Lifeminute about her creative process, describing inspiration as elusive. She emphasized keeping her mind, eyes, and ears open for anything that might spark an idea, hoping for inspiration to strike. Momsen has cited The Beatles and Soundgarden as her primary influences, shaping The Pretty Reckless’s sound. The band released the single “For I Am Death” in August 2025, a preview of their upcoming fifth studio album. In addition to her new Christmas album, it features a power-pop version of "You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and a rock rendition of "Where Are You Christmas?".
Beyond her professional life, Momsen has openly discussed her mental health struggles. In November 2021, she confirmed a period of "depression and substance abuse" following two profound losses. In May 2017, her musical idol, Chris Cornell, died by suicide. Momsen told People that opening for Soundgarden was a high point in her life, making his tragic death devastating. She was with the band in Detroit that night and had spoken to Cornell earlier that day, making the news of his passing a shock she was unprepared for.
Her grief intensified 11 months later with the death of her close friend and producer, Kato Khandwala, in a motorcycle accident. Momsen described intentionally isolating herself for years, finding the subsequent quarantine an "extension of what I was already doing." She fell into "absolute depression and substance abuse" until she began working on The Pretty Reckless’s 2021 album, Death by Rock and Roll. Momsen credits music for saving her, stating she "had given up on life" but poured herself into her art, supported by her best friends.
This November 2025 has been a significant month for Momsen as she celebrated the 25th anniversary of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” She reunited with Jim Carrey at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles. Carrey noted, “We haven’t seen each other since The Grinch,” to which Momsen confirmed, “It’s been 25 years!” Momsen also participated in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27, 2025, to promote her Christmas album, with fans speculating she might perform her rock version of "Where Are You Christmas?" during the event.