Importance Score: 35 / 100 🔵
Amid ongoing legal proceedings related to her upcoming project, It Ends With Us, actress Blake Lively has reportedly found respite in baking alongside friends. The 37-year-old star shared an image via Instagram Stories on Saturday, March 28, depicting a baking session with the caption, “Baking with genius food friends and their kitchen mixer the size of a car,” highlighting her culinary pursuits as a source of comfort during this period.
Baking as a Source of Solace
Lively further emphasized her enjoyment of the activity by adding stickers to her social media post, declaring “this is what my happy place looks like” and “TBD.” Her passion for baking is well-documented. In a prior interview with Vogue in 2014, the former Gossip Girl star revealed that her husband, Ryan Reynolds, playfully refers to their residence as “The Blakery” due to her frequent preparation of homemade treats for their family, which includes their four children.
Longstanding Culinary Passion
In an August 2024 interview with Vogue while demonstrating her recipe for Key Lime Pie, Lively stated, “Food is probably the most central part of my life.” She elaborated on the significance of food in her upbringing, noting, “Food and family…are completely intertwined because food was so important to me growing up [since] my mom is an amazing cook.”
Legal Dispute with Justin Baldoni
This period of domestic activity coincides with a contentious legal situation involving Lively and her It Ends With Us director and co-star, Justin Baldoni. A lawsuit filed in December 2024 by Lively alleges sexual harassment, the creation of a hostile work environment, and attempts to damage her professional reputation. Baldoni, 41, has vehemently refuted these accusations and subsequently filed a $400 million defamation suit against Lively and Reynolds.
Counter Defamation Lawsuit
The married couple has publicly denounced the allegations and, earlier this month, each submitted motions to dismiss Baldoni’s defamation petition.
Statements from Lively’s Legal Team
In a statement provided to Us Weekly, Lively’s legal representatives asserted, “This lawsuit is a profound abuse of the legal process that has no place in federal court. California law now expressly prohibits suing victims who make the decision to speak out against sexual harassment or retaliation, whether in a lawsuit or in the press.”
The statement continued, emphasizing the legal protections for individuals reporting harassment and the potential financial repercussions for the plaintiffs in the defamation case. “This meritless and retaliatory lawsuit runs head first into three legal obstacles, including the litigation, fair report, and sexual harassment privileges, the latter of which contains a mandatory fee shifting provision that will require the likes of … Wayfarer Studios, and others that brought frivolous defamation claims against Ms. Lively to pay damages.”
Lively’s attorneys further stated, “In other words, in an epic self-own, the Wayfarer Parties’ attempt to sue Ms. Lively ‘into oblivion’ has only created more liability for them, and deservedly so, given what they have done.”
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
As of now, a judge has not issued a ruling on either Lively or Reynolds’ requests to dismiss the defamation lawsuit. A trial is currently scheduled to begin in May 2026.