Leighton Meester is unsure if she ever wants to get married.

While she has tied the knot onscreen in Gossip Girl, the actress sings a different tune in real life. The 25-year-old star insists love has never been her first priority.

"I'm not sure I ever want to get married," she told the April issue of Marie Claire.

"I never had a boyfriend until I was 18. It's nice, I guess when you like them. But it isn't the most important thing."

Leighton's last serious relationship was with actor Sebastian Stan. It ended in 2010 after two years of dating and she has since been linked to actor Justin Long.

However, she refuses to settle for anything less than real love.

"The only time a relationship is good is when you really love them. I don't want to hang out with some guy I just like," she said.

Leighton's upbringing may have influenced her outlook on romance. Her mother gave birth to her while imprisoned for drug trafficking. Her father, whom her mother later divorced, also served time for drug-related offenses.

"My family has a crazy history," she confessed. "Probably the craziest I've heard of."

Leighton left home at a young age to pursue her acting career, and feels proud she has managed to rise above her troubled childhood.

"When you see how you react when you suffer, that's when you know what you are made of," she said.

"You can take what is handed to you and use it as an excuse to mess up. But I've always handled what was given to me by life. I consider myself lucky."

Leighton rose to fame as Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl and has since taken on movie roles in Country Strong, The Roommate and Monte Carlo. The actress believes she has matured as she continues her success in the entertainment industry.

"I'm a totally different person than when I started. I'm growing into an adult," she said.

"I feel more mature than most people my age. I'm having this weird growth spurt. I'm starting to see my future differently. I'm getting ready for it."