Just Remember V,
Most Gossipers Start because They are Jealus,
Hold your Head up, And others will see the real you, besides if its a regular Gossiper, they will bore of her.
Seems to me, that someone is worried about getting thier toes stepped on, by somebody who they know is better then them, Sounds like something to be proud of to me.
Gossip ( especially in a new environment) can be very hard,, and yes sometimes even painful, The only thing that can be done is to ride it out, or confront it, But more often then not, everyone has been the gossipers victim at one point or another, and though they may nt put much stock into what that person is saying, they may feel safer to play along then be the next victim themselves, but eventually they will bore of it.