'It's shocking': Leighton Meester reveals she has been part of 'toxic work environments' in the past

Leighton Meester has been part of "toxic work environments" in the past.

The 39-year-old actress can currently be seen playing a publicist in I Love LA and while her own experiences with her media team weren't reflected on the show, she admitted there were other parts of the story that she could relate to.

She told People magazine: "I've been in toxic work environments.

"I think that a lot of people have experienced that, being around people who sort of... I don't know, just, like, you have a boss that maybe doesn't uplift you, or whatever."

Co-star Josh Hutcherson feigned shock at her comment and said: "In this industry, that's happened to you?"

Leighton replied: "I know. It's shocking."

The 39-year-old actress noted acting out a toxic dynamic was "really fun to play with in a safe, comedic environment."

Leighton feels "lucky" to have a close bond with her own publicist.

She said: "I guess I could draw some inspiration from my movie version of what that world is, but I've been very lucky to have... I don't know, my publicist, I think of her as my friend.

"I don't know if she thinks the same, but I really like her a lot.

"I do feel like I've been somehow either shielded or lucky in terms of my particular interactions with [publicists]."