It seems that Blake Lively is finding herself increasingly isolated as even those closest to her are distancing themselves amidst her intense legal battle with Justin Baldoni.
With the 37-year-old actress gearing up for a legal showdown with her former It Ends With Us co-star over claims of sexual harassment, her once inseparable friend, Taylor Swift, has been noticeably absent from her side in recent months. To add to this, it appears that Swift’s inner circle is also stepping back.
Among them is model Gigi Hadid who appears to have iced Lively out.
According to an insider speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Swift’s friends have chosen to support the pop star in this dispute, leaving Lively feeling largely unsupported after Baldoni, 41, hit back with a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, 48. In his countersuit, Baldoni alleges that the couple attempted to damage his reputation, with all parties involved refuting the claims.
The biggest indicator of tensions between Hadid and Lively came last month when the runway star celebrated her 30th birthday with a suitably star-studded party at New York’s Alpine-themed cocktail bar Le Chalet.
The guestlist included Hadid’s actor boyfriend Bradley Cooper, 50, her model sister Bella Hadid, mom and dad Yolanda and Mohamed Hadid, as well as actress Anne Hathaway.
One face that was notably absent? Lively – and according to our insider, it’s because Hadid ‘is no longer friends with her’.
Model Gigi Hadid has iced out Blake Lively, sources have told the Daily Mail
The pair was introduced through mutual friend Taylor Swift (pictured) during the early days of her A-list squad, but ‘Gigi’s loyalty is to Taylor’
The pair were reportedly introduced through Swift, but it is understood that ‘Gigi’s loyalty is to Taylor’.
‘She is not, and will never be, one of Blake’s “dragons”,’ our insider said, citing an alleged text exchange between Baldoni and Lively, in which the actress compared Swift to a ‘dragon.’
In the now infamous texts – made public in Baldoni’s lawsuit, filed in January – Lively joked that if he ever got ‘around to watching Game of Thrones’ that he would ‘appreciate’ she is like the character Khaleesi, texting: ‘And like her, I happen to have a few dragons. For better or worse, but usually for better. Because my dragons also protect those I fight for. So really we all benefit from those gorgeous monsters of mine. you will too, I can promise you.’
Swift – who is godmother to Lively’s three daughters – subsequently ‘felt used’ by her friend and took a ‘step back’ from their relationship, a source previously told the Daily Mail.
For her part, Hadid ‘has not spoken to Blake for several months’, our insider said, adding that Swift is still ‘not in communication with Blake, despite reports suggesting otherwise’.
The last time Lively and Hadid spoke is believed to be at a pool party Swift threw at her Rhode Island mansion back in August. Before the private star-studded bash, they had happily posed together, looking pally at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere in New York the month prior.
Hadid isn’t the only one in Swift’s camp to cut ties with Lively, especially after news broke that the pop star was set to be subpoenaed amid the escalating legal battle. (On Friday, the singer was reportedly sent legal notice confirming the subpoena by Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman.)
Last month, Swift’s NFL star boyfriend Travis Kelce publicly unfollowed Lively’s husband, even though the two couples were previously inseparable.
Insiders have also told the Daily Mail how Swift’s longtime pal, singer Selena Gomez, feels vindicated amid the mass detachment, having allegedly ‘warned’ Swift about Lively for for years.
And it’s not just Swift’s friends who are abandoning the Gossip Girl alum.
They last hung out at Swift’s Rhode Island party back in August. Before the star-studded private party, they happily posed together at the Deadpool Wolverine premiere in July
Hadid celebrated her 30th birthday alongside boyfriend Bradley Cooper with a star-studded party last month, but Lively was noticeably missing
‘She is not, and will never be, one of Blake’s ‘dragons’,’ the source said, citing a text exchange between Baldoni and Lively, where she compared Swift to a ‘dragon’ (pictured at the 2018 Met Gala)
It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover is said to be worried about her future projects after her debut film adaptation found itself at the center of the legal spat and is stepping back from the drama.
The Verity author, 45, scrubbed Lively from her Instagram account in February after quietly returning to the platform amid the explosive fallout. Hoover even deleted a statement where she previously supported Lively and described the actress as ‘honest, kind, supportive and patient’.
It Ends With Us actress Jenny Slate is also steering clear of the high-profile chaos engulfing her co-stars. As the legal war rages on, Slate, 42, was asked about the ongoing lawsuit and quickly responded: ‘I don’t have anything to say about that.’
However, Slate, who played Baldoni’s character’s sister in the movie, previously took a supportive stance. In December 2024, in the wake of the Lively’s initial lawsuit, she released a statement to the Today Show and said: ‘As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation.’
Much like Slate, while Lively’s former co-stars from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants were previously incredibly supportive, one of them appears to be wavering.
America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel released a statement signed by all of them on Instagram with the caption ‘In support of our sister, Blake.’
‘As Blake’s friends and sisters for over twenty years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation,’ the trio’s statement read.
However, Ferrera’s support is now questionable after she hid the post from her grid, before making it visible again.
Support for Lively has been limited, but Demi Moore appeared to make her stance clear as she hung out with Lively at the Time 100 Gala in Manhattan
Lively’s costar Michele Morrone has also been supportive throughout her taxing time in the public eye
And Ferrera isn’t the only costar whose support is in doubt. During the promo tour for Another Simple Favor, relations between Lively and Anna Kendrick appeared tense, with the latter never speaking out in support.
But while these A-listers are distancing themselves, some have rushed to support her.
Among those are Michele Morrone, her Another Simple Favor costar who has posted pictures with Lively and Reynolds in recent weeks.
Demi Moore and Georgina Chapman have also been supportive during her taxing time in the public eye. The pair were pictured fawning over the beleaguered star at the TIME 100 Gala, where Lively’s honor was met with a fierce backlash.
But with continued new attacks from Lively and Baldoni as their rollercoaster saga rumbles on, only time will tell who the actress will have left by her side come March when their scheduled trial could take place.
