Leighton Meester has opened up about what Valentine’s Day feels like now after being married to Adam Brody for nearly 12 years.

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, the 39-year-old actress drew a comparison between what February 14 was like when she was growing up in the 1990s and how it is celebrated in contemporary times, particularly after embarking on the journey of motherhood.

"With my kids, there's this nostalgic little cereal box where they get Valentine's cards, and everyone's included. It's really great," said Meester, who shares a daughter, Arlo, born in 2015, and a son, born in 2020, with Brody.

She added, "It's not how I did it in the '90s, which was that you would hope you'd get one from someone you liked. That's not how they do it nowadays, thankfully."

The Gossip Girl alum likes how the celebration has changed and no longer centers only on romantic love.

Meester and Brody first met during the filming of The Oranges, later publicly confirming their budding romance in 2013 before exchanging vows in 2014.

However, after a decade-long marriage, the That’s My Boy actress feels her definition of Valentine’s Day has matured.

"Being married and in a romantic relationship over so many years, it takes on such an intimate, different meaning," Meester explained. "I think it grows and expands, and it just feels more and more meaningful over time."

"My [wedding] anniversary is near Valentine's Day too, so that whole season is meaningful to me," she noted.

Toward the end, the Monte Carlo star emphasised that she has a different kind of love for every important person in her life, which cannot be quantified.

"And everyone experiences their love with a partner or their kids or their parents in a different way," she said. "It's the meaning of life. It really is. I think it's what makes life worth living.”

Leighton Meester and Adam Brody recently brought their off-screen chemistry to the screen when they appeared together in Nobody Wants This Season 2, released in October 2025.