2026 Updates with Angelina 

Posted on 1/3/2026

By: Marisa Mazari

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In the TV show Gossip Girl, Chuck Bass takes on a very complex character. Throughout the show, he is portrayed as the “bad boy” of upper class New York. Alongside his “bad” behavior, he is usually portrayed as emotionally detached—doing things without concern of the consequences or how it may affect others or even himself. After a series of traumatic events such as losing the love of his life to another man and the death of his father, Chuck begins to see a therapist. It turns out that the therapist was getting paid to extract information from him and provide it to someone else. Due to the plot twists in the show, Chuck was never normally diagnosed; however, he consistently shows clear symptoms of psychological distress. Instead of illustrating this as a psychological breakdown, the show uses it as an opportunity to deepen his dark persona and add to his mysteriousness. 

Chuck’s character closely follows the psychiatric conditions of complicated grief and major depressive episodes. The portrayal of these conditions are very accurate in the series. Emotional withdrawal, a lack of interest in serious, long-term relationships, and reckless behavior contribute to many hardships in Chuck’s life. He completely isolates himself, heavily drinks, and even disappears to another country without informing his closest friends or the former love of his life. He becomes overcome by so much pain that he pays people to beat him up. He later claims that he “just wanted to feel something,” representing his inability to feel emotions or pain from the traumatic events that occurred. The show wisely depicted this as the downfall of a rich boy who has gone rogue rather than a mental health crisis. 

Stereotypes were strongly reinforced amidst these events. For example, Chuck was never formally diagnosed and his psychiatric conditions were never acknowledged. This reinforces stereotypes about masculinity and emotional repression. In media, males often suppress their emotions or express it through isolation or violent behaviors. Chuck never received treatment for his mental health conditions, as the show focused on stylizing his pain and showing him go out of control. This overtakes his character so much that his suffering becomes part of his allure, as in what the numerous women he gets with see him as: a complicated, savage man. A dangerous stereotype is reinforced, depicting how men tend to silently suffer through emotional pain or act out. The stereotype that suffering is what makes a man strong, and if a man calls for help then he is weak, is represented in these events. 

The target audience for Gossip Girl is mainly females, as the show is based heavily on drama, toxic relationships, and love. Not to say that men do not enjoy the show as well if they like the drama aspect! Teenagers and young adults are who this show was made for, and they may take the messages of the show without truly realizing how serious Chuck’s condition was. They may begin to think that not getting help is normal and that acting out is okay. The show fails to show any mental health resources or coping mechanisms, and instead presents trauma as glamorous and romantically appealing. Teenagers or young men who watch this show are subject to the perception that mental illness is “cool” and may develop distorted perceptions of what true emotional challenges look like in men. Females may also gain these same perceptions, but may also be affected in different ways such as becoming drawn to this kind of complexity in men. 

Overall, Chuck Bass’ self-destructive tendencies and desire for physical pain can be traced back to the serious psychiatric conditions of complicated grief and major depressive episodes. Although undiagnosed and untreated, Chuck’s conditions improved by the end of the show as he finally gained the love of his life back and married her. While he still suffered mentally, he was doing better than before as he learned to utilize his extremely supportive and loving friends and family as shoulders to lean on when times got tough. This highlights the importance of having people in your life who truly care for your well-being. 

Citations: 
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Major depressive disorder and the “bereavement exclusion” [PDF]. https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Practice/DSM/APA_DSM-5-Depression-Bereavement-Exclusion.pdf
American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). Prolonged grief disorder. Psychiatry.org. Retrieved July 15, 2025, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/prolonged-grief-disorder