It’s 13 years to the day that Pretty Little Liars premiered. Yes, you did read that correctly. Little did we know back then just how enthralled we were set to become by the murderous town of Rosewood. For the uninitiated (where have you been?), PLL was centred on a group of friends, aptly called “the Liars,” who begin receiving threatening texts signed by an anonymous “A.” The unknown entity knows intimate secrets about their lives and families, and keeps the group under constant surveillance. For a while, Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna think the texts may be coming from their missing, presumed-to-be dead pal, Alison. If only it were that simple… The hit show, which often made me want to throw away my phone and had me double-checking locked doors, went on for 7 drama-filled seasons. And yes, although the storylines became increasingly ridiculous, sometimes to the point where we had no idea what was going on, the majority of us remained loyal to the end. In 2022, a reboot of Pretty Little Liars debuted, initiating a whole new generation to the fanbase. Now, 13 years after the original series premiered, it’s time to check back in on our favourite liars.

Lucy Hale

Lucy Hale played the small but mighty Aria Montgomery. Her character earned instant brownie points early on, as her mum, Ella, was portrayed by Holly Marie Combs, best known as Piper from Charmed. Aria had many talk-worthy storylines over the years, most notably her romantic relationship with her teacher Ezra Fitz (Ian Harding). The duo were a fan-favourite pairing and a leading ship on social media. Of course, with hindsight, the relationship was more than a little problematic, but we’ll return to that on another day. Away from Rosewood, Hale has been busy since wrapping up her character’s story. The actress went on to play Katy Keene in Riverdale, a small role which introduced her character to the fandom before she went on to lead her own spin-off, Katy Keene. The series was cancelled after just one season. In 2022, Hale starred in the comedy film Big Gold Brick, opposite Oscar Isaac. In February 2023, the actress revealed she was celebrating one-year of sobriety. In an Instagram caption, she told fans: “While this journey has mostly been private, I felt compelled tonight to let anyone who is struggling know that you are not alone and you are loved.” In response, her PLL co-star Troian Bellasario wrote: “This is brave. And cool. And inspirational. And you deserve all the self love and love from others that goes with it.”

Troian Bellisario

Troian Bellisario portrayed the academically-gifted Spencer Hastings on the long-running series. On screen, her character’s main love interest was Toby (Keegan Allen). In reality, it was another PLL male who played a major role in Bellisario’s life. In 2016, the starlet married fellow actor Patrick Adams, best known for portraying Mike Ross opposite Meghan Markle in Suits. Bellassario and Adams had split after a brief romance, however they got back together after Adams guest-starred in an episode of PLL in 2010. They now share two daughters and recently opened up their home to Architectural Digest. Bellasario continues to act, and also produces and writes short films. She reunited with some of her PLL co-stars at a charity event earlier this year, and made sure to capture the moment for Instagram.

Shay Mitchell

Shay Mitchell portrayed Emily Fields, whose coming out story inspired many viewers. Since graduating from PLL, Mitchell has gone on to enjoy major roles in dramas such as Dollface and Netflix’s You. The actress is also a social media influencer, with 36.3 million Instagram followers to her name. She is often found promoting her lifestyle travel brand BÉIS and her beverage line Onda. Mitchell is in a long-term relationship with Matte Babel, who is part of rapper Drake’s management team. The couple welcomed their second daughter in May 2022. During a recent appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Mitchell opened up about why she and Babel have opted not to get married. "I just was never that girl who had a Pinterest board of her wedding,” she said. "And my parents have been married for like 38, maybe even 40 years, and they've had an amazing relationship, but it just wasn't something that I wanted."

Ashley Benson

Ashley Benson portrayed Hanna Marin in the hit series. The character was often underestimated by her peers, but she always proved everyone wrong and came out on top. Fans of early 00s TV may well remember Benson’s cameo on The O.C. She is also well known for her lead performance in the film Spring Breakers, opposite Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens. Since leaving PLL, Benson has enjoyed small TV and film roles, while also establishing her growing brand on Instagram, where she has 24.1 million followers. There was intense media interest in the actress’ relationship with Cara Delevingne, who she dated from 2018 to 2020. As of June 2023, Benson is in a relationship with oil heir Brandon Davis.

Sasha Pieterse

Sasha Pieterse arguably had the most fascinating role in PLL, bringing the infamous Alison DiLaurentis to life. As fans will know all too well, the lead character had a habit of leaving a trail of destruction in her wake. Now 27, Pieterse was just 13 years old when she first played the role of Alison. Following the show’s 7-season run, Pieterse revived her lead character for the spin-off programme Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, which ran for just one series. In 2017, she starred as herself in Dancing with the Stars (the U.S. version of Strictly Come Dancing). Pieterse married her long-term boyfriend Hudson Sheaffer in 2018, and the pair welcomed their first child, son Hendrix, two years later.