Meester was born while her mother was serving a prison sentence for involvement in a drugs ring that smuggled shipments of marijuana into the U.S. from Jamaica.
Meester's father and aunt also served time in jail in connection with the smuggling operation.
But the actress is adamant the tabloid press got the story wrong by insisting she was brought into the world behind bars - accusing the media of twisting the facts.
She tells Britain's Glamour magazine, "Leighton Meester was born in a hospital. And, no (my parents) didn't live a life of crime while I was a kid. We had big Thanksgiving dinners, with all of us at the table. I mean, how normal can you get?"