Leighton Meester understands that being on a buzzed-about show like Gossip Girl automatically puts her in the spotlight – but she doesn't have to like it.

"I don't want most of what comes along with all of this," says the star in the September issue of Harper's Bazaar, likely referring to one thing in particular.

One downside of fame? The rumored Leighton Meester sex tape.

"[The tape] is not real, so it makes me sort of sad," says the 23-year-old Gossip Girl starlet. "It's unfortunate that it got carried as far as it did."

Meester says the rumor taught her some lessons about life.

"I definitely understand the nature of people better now and that the mere allegation of something like that could be headline news," she laments.

"People think it's real because somebody says it is."

And she's not talking about any sort of fancy footwork, either. The racy pictures from the alleged Leighton Meester sex tape sure looked like her to us.

Follow the jump for a look at some of the images being circulated ...