Taylor Momsen no role model

Mar 9, 2010, 12:01 GMT

Taylor Momsen has "no interest" in being a role model.

The 16-year-old 'Gossip Girl' actress doesn't care people have criticised her for smoking cigarettes because she lives her life how she wants to and insists she isn't bothered about how she is perceived.

She said: ""I smoke, so what? Why do people give a s**t what a 16-year-old girl who they've never met does? It's not like I'm sitting there going, 'Kids, you should go buy a pack of cigarettes.'

"When I walk outside with a cigarette and someone takes a picture of it and puts it on the internet, it's not my problem. I'm just living my life and I'm not gonna live my life for other people.

"I don't read that c**p that describes me as having an attitude, but I don't know why that's a bad thing. I didn't get into this to be a role model for seven-year-olds. I have no interest in doing that."

The actress has no plans to modify her behaviour and says if people don't like it, they should simply switch off her shows.

She added to Parade.com: "If parents don't like some of the stuff I do then they shouldn't let their kids watch me."

Taylor also blasted "stupid" celebrity culture, insisting she never courts public attention so doesn't see why she gets criticised for the way she lives her life.

She added: "I don't really care about being a celebrity. It comes along with the territory so you can't totally avoid it. But there's a difference between doing the red carpet and having people invade my personal life taking pictures of me. And that's why celebrity is so stupid.

"You don't want to become something that a few million people watching your show want you to be. I want to be who I am because, if I lose that, then what am I doing this for? It's not about fitting in.

"If you don't fit in as yourself, then you don't fit in."