Eric van der Woodsen (spelled Erik in the novels) is the brother of Serena van der Woodsen and is the son and youngest child of William and Lillian "Lily" van der Woodsen (née Rhodes) and younger brother of Serena van der Woodsen. At the beginning of season one, Eric is a patient at the Ostroff Center due to his attempted suicide by slitting his wrists. He secretly dates Asher Hornsby , while Jenny is in a relationship with Asher, serving unknowingly as a gay beard for him.

Eric and Jenny Humphrey are close friends, although they sometimes have differences. When Jenny is dating Asher, he tells her that Asher is bad news, because he is dating Asher, although he doesnt tell her this detail . When Jenny is Queen, she is rude to Eric and his boyfriend Jonathan, putting a strain on their relationship. But when Jenny leaves town after losing her virginity to Chuck, he promises to be there for her when she returns, despite the fact that Jenny wrecked Serena and her friends' lives.