Amid Justin Baldoni controversy, Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds skip Super Bowl 2025; Taylor Swift attends with new friends

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds who frequently support Taylor Swift at Kansas City Chiefs games, were notably absent during Super Bowl LIX. While Swift elevated the atmosphere in the stands with her enthusiastic cheers for her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs, Lively did not join her close friend this time. Despite Ice Spice returning for the championship game after attending with Swift in 2023, Lively and her husband, Reynolds, were missing from the festivities.

Blake Lively- Ryan Reynolds skip Super Bowl with Taylor Swift

Their absence follows a contentious legal dispute between Lively and her co-star and director from It Ends With Us, Justin Baldoni. The controversy erupted in December when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment. Legal documents allege that Baldoni’s PR team coordinated with a media strategist, Wallace, to initiate a targeted online smear campaign against her.

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According to the suit, he “weaponized a digital army across the country, from New York to Los Angeles, to create and promote content that appeared to be authentic on social media and internet chat forums,” reports The Independent.

Justin’s legal team responds

In January, Baldoni responded with an astonishing $400 million counter-suit against Lively and Reynolds, claiming they had conspired to damage his reputation and sabotage his career. Lively’s legal team firmly rejected the counter-suit, labelling it as a retaliation effort. In a statement to The Independent, they remarked, “Another day, another state, another nine-figure lawsuit aimed at suing Ms. Lively ‘into oblivion’ for speaking out against sexual harassment and retaliation. This is not merely a publicity stunt; it is transparent retaliation in response to Ms. Lively’s allegations, which she filed with the California Civil Rights Department. While we anticipate this lawsuit will be dismissed, we are pleased that Mr. Wallace has finally emerged from the shadows and will likewise be held accountable in federal court.”

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As the legal situation escalates, a New York judge has warned both parties about their ongoing media spectacle. Judge Lewis Liman cautioned that if the public feud persists, he may consider moving the trial date, originally slated for March 2026, earlier. “Both sides have provided the public with plenty to feast upon,” he observed.

Meanwhile, Swift, whose presence at the Super Bowl was much anticipated, enjoyed a glamorous weekend in New Orleans. Ahead of the game, she dined at Gianna Restaurant with friends Danielle and Alana Haim and even managed to fit in a double date with Kelce, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and his wife, Brittany, on Friday night, taking full advantage of the team’s brief downtime.

Also Read: Justin Baldoni to present THIS It Ends With Us co-star’s message as evidence after Blake Lively’s allegations