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Blake Lively’s Friendships Tested Amid Legal Spat With Justin Baldoni
Amid actress Blake Lively‘s ongoing legal dispute with Justin Baldoni, the Gossip Girl star is navigating shifting dynamics with some of her closest confidantes. The legal entanglement, which began with a sexual harassment lawsuit filed in December 2024, has seemingly impacted Lively’s relationships with figures like Taylor Swift, Hugh Jackman, and others, adding personal challenges to the professional drama. This article examines Blake Lively’s friendships and how they are faring amidst the current adversity.
The Legal Battle: A Quick Recap
Lively initiated legal action against her It Ends With Us costar and director, accusing Baldoni of inappropriate behavior and a smear campaign aimed at damaging her reputation.
Baldoni responded with counterclaims against The New York Times, Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and publicist Leslie Sloane, alleging that Lively sought to seize creative control of It Ends With Us and exclude him from promotional activities. All parties have staunchly denied the allegations. A trial is slated for March 9, 2026.
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Blake Lively has been in the business for two decades, making headlines both on and off the screen. Lively rose to fame playing Bridget in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants franchise opposite America Ferrera (Carmen), Alexis Bledel (Lena) and Amber Tamblyn (Tibby). Since the first film in 2005, the foursome has remained close. “When […]
The lawsuit has ensnared several members of Lively and Reynolds’ circle. Baldoni contended that the film Deadpool & Wolverine, starring Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, mocked him through a character. Taylor Swift was subpoenaed in May 2025, following mentions in legal claims from both Lively and Baldoni.
Current Status of Key Friendships:
Taylor Swift
- Initial Involvement: Swift’s name surfaced in Lively’s lawsuit in December 2024, where Baldoni allegedly mentioned her concerning smear campaign strategies.
- Legal Documents: Baldoni referenced Swift in a text included in his $400 million lawsuit, praising Lively’s work on a rooftop scene and playfully noting, “And I would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor.”
- “Dragons” Allegation: Baldoni also claimed Lively compared herself to Khaleesi from Game of Thrones, referring to Swift as one of her “dragons” in text messages.
Despite Swift’s representatives denying any involvement beyond the licensing of her song “My Tears Ricochet,” she was subpoenaed in May 2025. Baldoni’s team alleged that Lively’s lawyers threatened to leak texts between them unless Swift issued a statement of support. Lively’s attorneys have dismissed these claims as “irrelevant, improper, and inflammatory.”
The legal turmoil appears to have strained the bond between Lively and Swift. According to an insider speaking to Us in May 2025, “Taylor is very uncomfortable about being pulled into the lawsuit… Her friendship with Blake is strained.”
Gigi Hadid
Hadid has not publicly addressed the legal situation involving Lively. However, she accompanied Lively to the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere in July 2024, a month before the release of It Ends With Us.
While Hadid’s stance remains unclear, she continues to follow both Lively and Reynolds on Instagram as of May 2025.
Hugh Jackman
Jackman, a longtime friend of Lively and Reynolds, has remained silent on the It Ends With Us dispute. Nevertheless, Baldoni implicated him by suggesting that Deadpool & Wolverine mocked him through the character of Nicepool. In January 2025, Baldoni’s legal team requested that The Walt Disney Company’s Bob Iger and Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige “preserve all existing documents and data relevant” to his claims.
Despite the lawsuit, Jackman attended Lively’s Another Simple Favor premiere in April 2025, and Lively and Reynolds attended his off-Broadway play, Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes. Jackman still follows both on Instagram, suggesting a sustained friendship.
Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, and Amber Tamblyn
Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars publicly supported her after she filed her lawsuit against Baldoni in December 2024.
- Joint Statement: The trio released an Instagram statement emphasizing their solidarity with Lively, asserting they witnessed her efforts to secure a safe workplace during the filming of It Ends with Us.
- Condemnation: They criticized the use of domestic violence survivors’ stories to silence her.
- Admiration: Expressed admiration for her courage in advocating for herself and others.
Since then, the group has not commented further on the lawsuits. However, Ferrera and Tamblyn still follow both Lively and Reynolds on Instagram, while Bledel does not follow any family accounts.
Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson
The It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia stars haven’t publicly discussed Lively’s legal issues. Lively made a cameo in a May 2025 episode of McElhenney and Reynolds’ show Welcome to Wrexham.
- Show Support: Lively attended a Wrexham AFC game on April 26, 2025, and shared praise for McElhenney and Reynolds on social media.
- Social media status: McElhenney follows both Lively and Reynolds, while Olson only follows Reynolds.
Shawn Levy
Levy reportedly shared a link to the NY Times‘ coverage of Lively’s lawsuit on his Instagram Story at the time, writing, “Proud to call @blakelively a friend.” Despite the Marvel project being implicated in Baldoni’s claims, Levy has remained silent since.
He continues to follow Lively and Reynolds on Instagram.
Salma Hayek
Hayek has been a close friend of Lively for years, appearing in projects together since 2012. Amidst the drama, she showed support by discussing her personal relationship with Lively and Reynold’s children.
“I got a chance to go play with them,” she told E! News in May 2025. “They got to see the tía Salma. … They understand Spanish, and they’re lovely.”
She follows both Lively and Reynolds on Instagram.
Anna Kendrick
Kendrick, Lively’s A Simple Favor co-star, follows Lively on Instagram but has not commented on the legal situation. Despite rumors of issues between them, a source clarified in February 2025 there were no current disagreements.
Kendrick avoided questions about Lively’s lawsuit drama at the film’s SXSW premiere the following month, after which director Paul Feig denied speculation there was bad blood between them at the film festival.
Robyn Lively and Bart Johnson
Blake’s half-sister and brother-in-law have publicly supported her, with Johnson calling her “my hero” after the December 2024 lawsuit. Additionally, Johnson described Baldoni as “fraud” in an online post that he later removed and apologized for.