As legal tensions mount, Lively’s absence from Hadid’s star-studded celebration sparks speculation about strained ties
April 30, 2025: The long-standing friendship between Blake Lively and Gigi Hadid is under public scrutiny after the actress was noticeably absent from the model’s glamorous 30th birthday party in New York last week.
Speaking on her Flaawsome Talk podcast, former entertainment reporter Kjersti Flaa didn’t mince words:
“I think it’s weird that you don’t show up at one of your friends’ 30th birthday party,” she said, highlighting that Lively was seen at the Time100 Gala just one day earlier.
Adding fuel to the fire, Flaa speculated that Hadid may have intentionally distanced herself from Lively due to the actress’s ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni.
“Maybe Gigi didn’t want her to show up because she and Bradley Cooper are probably waiting to be subpoenaed,” she suggested.
Hadid’s party at NYC’s upscale Le Chalet was a glittering affair attended by top names including Bradley Cooper, Taylor Swift, Anne Hathaway, Bella Hadid, and Zoë Kravitz. Swift, notably, entered quietly, with a strict no-photos policy reportedly in place for guests.
Meanwhile, Lively was spotted the next day with husband Ryan Reynolds in Wales, cheering for his Wrexham soccer team, before returning to New York for the premiere of her film Another Simple Favor.
Old Friends, New Distance?
Lively and Hadid have reportedly been close for years, introduced through Taylor Swift’s circle. They last appeared together in public at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere in 2024, where they sported matching superhero-inspired looks.
However, since Lively filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni in December 2024 — accusing him of misconduct on the set of It Ends With Us — she has not been seen with Hadid publicly. Baldoni has denied the allegations and filed a $400 million defamation countersuit, alleging that Lively and Reynolds used their influence, including ties to Taylor Swift, to derail his career.
Lively and Baldoni’s court trial is scheduled for March 2026, and insiders claim that Swift may be subpoenaed as part of the proceedings.
As both celebrities remain silent on the matter, fans continue to debate whether Lively’s absence was a conscious decision, circumstantial, or a symptom of deeper rifts within Hollywood’s elite circles.
Tags: Blake Lively, Gigi Hadid, Ryan Reynolds, Bradley Cooper, Justin Baldoni, It Ends With Us, celebrity legal battles, Hollywood gossip, Taylor Swift, birthday party drama, celebrity friendship