9 Rumored Feuds Surrounding Blake Lively

Beautiful, blond, and BFFs with Taylor Swift, Blake Lively has captured the public's attention since her career-making turn as wild-child socialite Serena van der Woodsen on the hit show "Gossip Girl." Unfortunately, not all of the attention has been positive. Rumors about diva behavior, romantic entanglements, and in-fighting with castmates have plagued the "Shallows" star off and on throughout her career. Blake Lively's most controversial moments may not be behind her, though. 

Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds have been one of the internet's favorite couples for their humorous posts and interactions with one another. Now, it seems that the court of public opinion has turned on Lively. Social media was abuzz with users who took to X to call Lively out for glossing over the serious subject matter of "It Ends With Us" while promoting the film. "Blake Lively really missed the mark here," commented one user. "Promoting a serious movie about domestic abuse like it's a fun girl's night out is incredibly tone-deaf." To add to the drama, there is the highly publicized feud between the mother of four and her "It Ends With Us" costar Justin Baldoni. The he-said, she-said conflict has been the center of much conversation and speculation and has cast both stars in a less-than-favorable light. It has also caused the resurrection of the many rumored feuds that surround Lively, and it seems like everyone from Hollywood A-listers to entertainment reporters has a story to tell about the "Cafe Society" star. 

Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf may have been the best of frenemies on screen, but in real life, the dynamic was not the same. "Gossip Girl" stars Blake Lively and Leighton Meester stirred up plenty of gossip about their off-screen relationship which was rumored to be chiller than a New York City winter. While some on set including makeup artist Amy Tagliamonti and Michelle Trachtenberg (who played Georgina Sparks) claimed there was nothing to tell, the show's executive producer Joshua Safran explained the rumored feud between Lively and Meester in more detail. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Safran said, "Blake and Leighton were not friends. They were friendly, but they were not friends like Serena and Blair. Yet the second they'd be on set together, it's as if they were." 

That's a testament to the talent of the ladies because others say there was more to the story. One unnamed source told Hollywood Life that the female leads, including Taylor Momsen, butted heads over who had the better wardrobe options. "Leighton's wardrobe budget was increased, and she started getting some amazing clothes that the other two girls were jealous of," the source said. "Blake has the most success outside the show in feature films, so she was really annoyed about the wardrobe situation because she felt it was done behind her back." Perhaps that's why the girls were said to "avoid each other like the plague" on set, according to New York magazine, creating a situation that caused their fellow actors to feel that they had to "choose sides." As a side note, the girls do not follow each other on Instagram. 

If anyone knows a thing or two about being in the midst of a public scandal, it's Armie Hammer, whose own fall from Hollywood grace is now legendary. Longtime fans of "Gossip Girl" may recall that the "Social Network" star appeared on the second season of the hit series playing Gabriel Edwards, a con man who woos Blake Lively's character Serena van der Woodsen. The handsome Hammer, who was once oddly rumored to be the lovechild of a popular soap star John James, may have gotten the ax after just four episodes, and some say Lively was to blame. 

In a "Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen" appearance, the "Call Me by Your Name" star admitted that filming the show was challenging and implied that the decision to leave may not have been entirely his. "Let me just say that was a tough show to film, and I didn't end up actually filming all of the episodes I was supposed to," he said, before adding, "It was also like, 'Get him out of here.'" When fellow Cohen guest Chelsea Handler remarked that the problem was likely Lively, Hammer stammered, "No, no, that's not what I'm saying." It may not have been what Hammer was saying, but it's what he didn't say that started the speculation that Lively may have had the handsome actor fired. And although it has not been confirmed by either party, it does sound like the experience was not a pleasant one for the "Lone Ranger" star. 

Some say the truth about Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively's insanely glamorous life is that it came at the expense of Reynold's ex-wife, the beautiful blond screen star Scarlett Johansson. Although Reynolds and Lively's relationship timeline doesn't necessarily scream "affair," Reynolds and Johansson were married and Lively was involved with her "Gossip Girl" costar Penn Badgley when she and Reynolds met and filmed "Green Lantern." It wasn't long after Lively and Badgley called it quits that Reynolds and Johansson announced that they, too, were going their separate ways. Less than a year later, a source confirmed to People that Lively and Reynolds were an item. "They are very much a couple," the source said. "They're really happy together."

The person who might not have been so happy was Johansson. Although she remarried and has two children with "Saturday Night Live" star Colin Jost, there was a lot of speculation around whether or not Lively was a catalyst in her divorce. Journalist Cat Marnell claimed in a now-deleted tweet that the couple "hooked up" while filming "Green Lantern" and that the affair was going to be made public until the stars' reps shut it down. The only ones who know for sure are Reynolds and Lively, and they aren't telling. However, a source told Life & Style that "Scarlett and Blake do everything to avoid each other on NYC's small social scene."  To quote a song title from Lively's bestie Taylor Swift, sounds like there's some bad blood. 

They may have starred in "A Simple Favor," but apparently there wasn't anything easy about the relationship between costars Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick the second time around. The sequel, "Another Simple Favor," has garnered a lot of attention, but not in the way that the actors, producers, and directors had hoped. Instead, promotion for the film has been tainted by the public's negative perception of Lively, and Kendrick is reportedly about to pitch a perfect fit over what appears to be her costar's lack of concern. An inside source told Daily Mail, "Anna is just over all of it. If Anna was in this position, she would not be letting the film take the fall for her own personal issues." The "Twilight" actress proved that statement when she maintained her professionalism as she dealt with issues surrounding a past toxic relationship. 

Lively's off-screen drama isn't the only thing troubling Kendrick. A second insider told Daily Mail that the women were at odds over who got top billing on the promotional posters. "In the original film, Anna got top billing over Blake," the source explained. "She thought it was a no-brainer that the same would happen this time around. But Blake didn't see it that way. She fought through her reps to get top billing over Anna, who refused to bow to Blake's demands." The end result was equal billing, but Kendrick may want to rethink that now as she reportedly tries to distance herself from Lively. "These movies are basically all Anna and Blake have in common," a source said in another Daily Mail interview. "They have a working relationship, by no means a close friendship or bond."

Given their age difference and vastly different lifestyles, what could Martha Stewart and Blake Lively possibly have to beef about? You'd be surprised. Longtime Lively fans may recall that the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" star once dipped a toe in the goopy worlds of Gwyneth Paltrow and Stewart with a lifestyle website called Preserve. Unlike the other two domestic divas, Lively's site couldn't preserve itself, and she shuttered it after just one year. "We launched the site before it was ready, and it never caught up to its original mission: It's not making a difference in people's lives, whether superficially or in a meaningful way," she told Vogue. "And that's the whole reason I started this company, not just to fluff myself, like, 'I'm a celebrity! People will care what I have to say!' It was so never meant to be that, and that kind of became the crutch." 

When she first launched the site, Lively turned to her "Living" friend and neighbor for some friendly startup advice.  Stewart, who has scandals of her own we can't forget about, offered some help initially, but then made some cutting comments. "I mean, it's stupid, she could be an actress! Why would you want to be me if you could be an actress," Stewart said via HuffPost. Upon learning that Lively's attempt had failed, Stewart seemed to think it was a good thing. "Sometimes shuttering is good," she told Us Weekly. "Listen, she's a movie actress. Why bother with commerce right now? She's at the top of her career ... I'm totally supportive, but you know what? Maybe you can't do everything at the same time."

No one likes to share their bestie with someone else, especially if the bestie in question is none other than the iconic Taylor Swift. Pretty much everyone knows that Lively is the card-carrying president of Swift's girl gang. The two are often photographed together at various parties and events, and Swift is the godmother of Lively's four children. Something you may not have known about Selena Gomez was that she was part of the Swiftie inner circle first.  Both women have more than a decade of friendship with the Grammy-winning singer under their belts, so why don't they all hang out together? No one knows for sure. However, in an interview with Elle, the "Only Murders in the Building" star seemed to want to remedy the situation. When asked which one of her friends she would like to trade hair with, she responded, "I wish she was my friend, but she's not my friend. Blake Lively. I've never met her, but I just love her hair."

Swift, whose group of friends reads like a Hollywood who's who, has never commented on why the two women don't attend the same events, but an insider offered an explanation to Daily Mail. "For a good hangout and good party, you know who to invite and who not to invite,' the source said. "Taylor knows not to mix Blake and Selena in the same room and that it must be two separate nights. ... When Taylor wants to hang loose, Blake will be in the mix. Selena just plays a different role in Taylor's life. It is as simple as that."

One of a reporter's biggest fears is an interview that goes horribly and embarrassingly wrong, and that's exactly what happened when Kjersti Flaa sat down with Blake Lively and Parker Posey to talk about their film "Cafe Society." In a video the journalist uploaded to YouTube and captioned, "The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job," she gave viewers a front-row seat to the cringe-worthy conversation that felt like something straight out of "Mean Girls." Things got off to a horrible start when Flaa congratulated the pregnant "Gossip Girl" on her '"little bump" to which Lively snidely retorted, "Congrats on your little bump!" A question about the movie's beautiful costumes sparked another snarky remark from Lively and a side conversation with Posey that implied the question was sexist. 

Lively supporters have justified her behavior by deeming the reporter's comments, particularly in regard to the pregnancy, as inappropriate. "It's truly such a rude statement," a source close to Lively told People. "If you feel the need to acknowledge that she's pregnant, at least do it respectfully." There was also a rumor circulating that Flaa had been cautioned against talking about the pregnancy; however, she says no such warning was given. "Please do not believe the rumor that people are spreading saying that I was told not to bring up Blake's pregnancy during this interview," Flaa posted in the video's comments. That is a NOT true. I was never told such a thing by anyone." 

The movie may be titled "It Ends With Us," but there doesn't seem to be an end in sight for Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, who have pulled off the gloves and are going head to head in a legal battle that may cost them millions. Lively has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment during the film's production and of launching a smear campaign against her during its promotion as a way to get back at her for the allegations. Baldoni's team has denied the accusations and filed his own $400 million countersuit against Lively, claiming defamation and extortion among other things. 

Rumors of a rift began circulating when the actors did not pose together for promo photos. It was soon revealed that Lively had lodged a complaint against Baldoni for his behavior and asked the studio for a number of safeguards, including having an intimacy coordinator on set. The studio complied with her requests and signed an agreement stating there would be no retaliation against Lively, but Baldoni had other plans according to the lawsuit. He hired a crisis management team that included expert Melissa Nathan who according to text messages obtained by The New York Times, allegedly assured the actor and his team, "You know we can bury anyone." They reportedly did just that by pushing stories both in the press and on social media that cast Lively in a negative light to draw attention away from her allegations. Lively has maintained that she did no wrong, and released a statement saying, "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted." 

After Blake Lively was noticeably absent from Taylor Swift's squad at the Super Bowl, reports of a rift between the long time besties started swirling. Some speculate that Swift is concerned about her reputation since being mentioned in an exchange between Lively and her "It Ends With Us" costar Justin Baldoni amid their legal battle. According to TMZ, both Swift and Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds showed up to a "heated meeting"  between Lively and Baldoni. A source close to Swift told the outlet that the singer did not know there was trouble when she walked in. "Taylor came to Blake's apartment at the time Blake told her to, not knowing anyone else would be there. In other words, Taylor had no idea there was a meeting going on with Justin." Following the meeting, Lively texted Baldoni and referred to herself as Khaleesi from "Game of Thrones," implying that Swift and Reynolds were her "dragons." 

An Instagram post from Entertainment Tonight claimed a source close to Swift said there is no "bad blood" but that the singer isn't interested in getting drawn into Lively's legal problems. Swift "doesn't want to be brought up at all or involved in any drama, especially since this isn't related to her,"⁠ the source said, and added, "Taylor is still close with Blake, but she is focused on her own life and everything she has going on. She is in a great place and wants to keep moving forward." Sounds like she just wants to shake it off.