Blake Lively at 38: Intimate Birthday, Legal Wins, and Shifting Celebrity Friendships

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Blake Lively’s past few days have been defined by her 38th birthday and a series of closely watched developments in both her career and personal life. Choosing to keep celebrations intimate after what People reported was a turbulent year marked by legal strife, Lively spent her birthday with Ryan Reynolds and their four children, focusing on quiet time at home after traveling together prior to the school year. Family, not parties, was the priority, following months of fallout from her ongoing, high-profile lawsuit against director and former co-star Justin Baldoni, who she sued in December 2024 for alleged sexual harassment and retaliation—a case now headed to trial in March 2026.

Just days before her birthday, Lionsgate confirmed that Lively will star in and produce The Survival List, her first new project since the legal battle began. Deadline’s announcement attracted immediate backlash on social media, notably from Baldoni's supporters, who flooded the comments with criticism and skepticism over her involvement. Star Magazine recapped the hostile online reaction and the parallel lawsuits: Baldoni’s countersuit against Lively, Reynolds, and her publicist was dismissed on June 9, a significant legal win for Lively that could mark a biographical turning point as the court affirmed protections for her harassment claims.

Despite work and legal drama, Lively made a rare public appearance that Parade chronicled: attending the Chanel Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner in New York with her niece, Kate Johnson, whose striking likeness to Lively was widely noted. This event underscored Lively’s preference for family-centric outings, especially with nieces and nephews, while keeping her own children shielded from the public eye.

On the social front, shifting dynamics with celebrities formerly in her close circle made headlines. Her once-public friendship with Taylor Swift fizzled in the wake of the Baldoni lawsuit, with insiders telling People and Daily Mail that Swift felt “exploited” after being briefly subpoenaed as a witness for Baldoni. Swift notably did not acknowledge Lively's birthday this year, choosing instead to announce her own engagement to Travis Kelce, a headline move covered by Star Magazine, further underscoring their public distance. Other close friends like Gigi Hadid also remained silent after years of birthday tributes.

Meanwhile, Lively’s social media presence was modest—she reposted family birthday tributes and kept new commentary to a minimum. Business buzz is increasing, with Instagram influencers noting her rising speaking fees and speculating about future projects and partnerships, though no endorsements or major deals have been openly confirmed this week.

In summary, professional momentum, legal battles, and shifting friendships have shaped Blake Lively’s week, with news outlets and social media offering ongoing and — at times — sharply polarized commentary on her evolving story.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Blake. Lively's past few days have been defined by her
thirty eighth birthday and a series of closely watched developments
in both her career and personal life. Choosing to keep
celebrations intimate after what people reported was a turbulent year
marked by legal strife, Lively spent her birthday with Ryan
Reynolds and their four children, focusing on quiet time at

(00:20):
home after traveling together prior to the school year. Family,
not parties, was the priority following months of fallout from
her ongoing high profile lawsuit against director and former co
star Justin Baldoni, who she sued in December twenty twenty
four for alleged sexual harassment and retaliation, a case now

(00:40):
headed to trial. In March twenty twenty six, just days
before her birthday, Linsgate confirmed that Lively will start in
and produce The Survival List, her first new projects since
the legal battle began. Deadline's announcement attracted immediate backlash on
social media, notably from Baldoni's supporters, who flooded the comments

(01:00):
with criticism and skepticism over her involvement. Star magazine recapped
the hostile online reaction and the parallel lawsuits Baldoni's countersuit
against Lively, Reynolds, and her publicist was dismissed on June ninth,
a significant legal win for Lively that could mark a
biographical turning point, as the court affirmed protections for her

(01:23):
harassment claims. Despite work in legal drama, Lively made a
rare public appearance that Parade chronicled. This event underscored Lively's
preference for family centric outings, especially with nieces and nephews,
while keeping her own children shielded from the public eye.
On the social front, shifting dynamics with celebrities formerly in

(01:44):
her close circle made headlines. Her once public friendship with
Taylor Swift fizzled in the wake of the Baldoni lawsuit,
with insiders telling People and Daily Mail that Swift felt
exploited after being briefly subpoened as a witness for Baldoni.
Swift notable did not acknowledge Lively's birthday this year, choosing
instead to announce her own engagement to Travis Kelcey, a

(02:06):
headline move covered by Star Magazine, further underscoring their public distance.
Other close friends like Gigi Hadid, also remained silent after
years of birthday tributes. Meanwhile, lively social media presence was modest.
She reposted family birthday tributes and kept new commentary to
a minimum. Business buzz is increasing, with Instagram influencers noting

(02:29):
her rising speaking fees and speculating about future projects and partnerships,
though no endorsements or major deals have been openly confirmed
this week. In summary, professional momentum, legal battles, and shifting
friendships have shaped Blake Lively's week, with news outlets and
social media offering ongoing and at times sharply polarized commentary

(02:51):
on her evolving story. And that is it for to day.
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