When she goes, she informs the headmistress that she will not be returning to Constance an instance Rufus doesn't hear about until later. As a result, he grounds her and sends her to see Headmistress Queller to apologize. In The Serena Also Rises, Rufus discovers that Jenny has been skipping school for several weeks to work at Waldorf Designs. Soon after, in The Ex-Files, Lily tries to befriend him again but he turns her down, not wanting to ruin her marriage.
In The Dark Night, Rufus goes on a date with a woman, Clare, and they date for a few subsequent episodes afterward. When he returns to the loft and sees Dan's writing and Jenny's homemade dresses, he decides that he would rather stay home and be a dad to them. He admits to her that the band was offered the chance to tour again, and he isn't sure if he wants to go. Rufus returns to the city in Never Been Marcused and is surprised at how well Vanessa Abrams has renovated the art gallery. At the beginning of the summer, Rufus decides to tour with Lincoln Hawk and spend all summer on the road ( Much 'I Do' About Nothing). Later, Rufus goes to see Lily while she's dressing for the wedding and they promise to still love each other even though they can't be together.
He is surprised when Lily unexpectedly turns up at the show and the two end up hooking up that night, despite the fact Lily is marrying Bart the next day. In Woman on the Verge, Rufus and Lincoln Hawk perform at a Rolling Stones sponsored concert. Not wanting to ruin her daughter's chance for happiness, Lily stands Rufus up and says yes to Bart's proposal ( School Lies). They make plans to meet later that night and spend some time away from the city together but when Serena finds out, she asks Lily not to pursue a relationship with Rufus because she is madly in love with Dan. She does, and decides that she wants to see what they could be together. He admits to her that he wants to be with her, and gives her time to think. When Lily returns from a trip with Bart, she informs Rufus about the proposal, and tries to get him to stop her from saying yes. Meanwhile, Bart asks Lily to marry him ( Roman Holiday). While she breaks the news to Dan and Jenny, Rufus walks to the Upper East Side in hopes of seeing Lily and telling her he misses her, which he does over voicemail. On Christmas Eve, Rufus and Alison choose to divorce and have her move back to Hudson. He goes to see him himself and learns that Alison never really broke things off. Soon after, Rufus finds a Christmas card addressed to Alison from Alex, her lover in Hudson. After speaking with her, he discovers that the real reason Lily left him was because CeCe threatened to take away her trust fund if she didn't. However, in Hi, Society, Rufus sees Lily's mother, CeCe Rhodes. Rufus chooses to work on things with Alison and sends Lily home. As a result, Alison tells Rufus that he needs to choose between mending their relationship and having a friendship with Lily. While there, old issues between Rufus, Lily, and Alison arise. On Thanksgiving in Blair Waldorf Must Pie, Lily, Serena, and Eric van der Woodsen join the Humphrey's for dinner. She returns home and she and Rufus try to fix their relationship after some rockiness at first ( Seventeen Candles). When Jenny hears about this, she travels alone to bring Alison home. In Victor Victrola, Rufus discovers that Alison has been having an affair with a man named Alex while living in Hudson. In The Handmaiden's Tale, Lily brings Rufus to a party hosted by Eleanor Waldorf in an attempt to make her current love interest, Bart Bass, jealous. After this visit, they begin to rekindle their friendship from many years prior. Later on, Rufus is visited by his ex, Lily van der Woodsen, after she learns her daughter, Serena van der Woodsen is going on a date with Dan. Rufus is introduced in Pilot when he picks up his kids, Dan and Jenny Humphrey from Grand Central after they return from visiting their mother, Alison Humphrey who is residing in Hudson, New York, to work on her art. He's also known for teasing his kids mercilessly and letting them do whatever they want.
He is described as an outwards poet, who often wears old, dirty clothes and has unkept hair. He is separated from his wife, Jeanette, who left the family with her ski instructor. Rufus resides on The Upper West Side with his children, Dan and Jenny. The majority of Rufus' storylines involve him trying to parent his children, or trying to pursue a relationship with Lily van der Woodsen. After graduating high school, he declined his offer to go to college in favor of pursuing music. Not much is known about Rufus' background or his upbringing.