EXCLUSIVE: The A-Lister Blake Lively is Turning to Revealed As She Battles to Salvage Hollywood Reputation — After Being Iced Out by Taylor Swift
Blake Lively is turning to Salma Hayek, left, after being frozen out by Taylor Swift, center.
June 5 2025, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
On May 13, Blake Lively, her sister Robyn Lively and actress Salma Hayek were spotted outside the upscale RH Rooftop Restaurant in New York City.
Photographers swarmed the trio – joined by Blake's husband, Ryan Reynolds as they headed for dinner, with Hayek and Robyn locking arms and Lively smiling and placing her arm on Hayek's shoulder, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Lively and Hayek have been friends since costarring in 2012's Savages, but it was the first time they have been pictured publicly since 2018.
Insiders are now questioning the timing of their outing, which comes as Blake, 37, remains embroiled in her highly publicized legal battle with her It Ends With Us director, Justin Baldoni.
"Staged!" wrote one online commenter. "This is definitely a PR move," shared another.
New Bond
Robyn Lively was seen linking arms with Hayek.
The night out came after Blake’s former best pal Taylor Swift was subpoenaed by Baldoni's lawyers in early May, leading her to further distance herself from the A Simple Favor star. Hayek, 58, appears to be conveniently filling that hole.
"Yes, Blake and Salma are friends, but a lot of the people around them believe the dinner was orchestrated," a source told RadraOnline.com.
"Now that Taylor is avoiding Blake, she needs all the allies she can get – and Salma is basically a replacement for Taylor as she fights to rescue her reputation in Hollywood, which has gone from nice girl to queen of mean!"
Frozen Out
Swift shut out Lively months ago after being dragged into the actress' court case.
Lively is smart to align herself with Hayek.
The Eternals star has been married to businessman François-Henri Pinault for 16 years (they share daughter Valentina, 17). Worth around $39 billion, he owns CAA, the talent agency that reps countless A-listers, making him (and Hayek) powerful figures in Hollywood.
"Hanging out with Salma definitely gives Blake a huge advantage over Justin given how powerful she is because of François," said our source, adding: "No one is going to mess with Salma; she’s untouchable."
That doesn't mean their bond isn’t legit.
In addition to Savages, Hayek costarred alongside Reynolds, 48, in 2017's The Hitman’s Bodyguard and its 2021 sequel.
It's not just work.
In 2017, she posted a photo of herself on Instagram holding Blake and Reynolds' daughter Inez and cooking dinner.
That same year, she praised Blake during a speech at Variety’s Power of Women luncheon, saying: "I still have never met anybody that at such an early stage in their life had such a sense of self, so much courage."
She added: "I saw her take on one of the biggest bullies in this industry that everybody feared. She was like: ‘'Bring it on, baby.' She knows exactly what she wants."
Power Play
François-Henri Pinault's Hollywood power makes Hayek a formidable ally for embattled Lively.
It’s clear she's Team Blake.
Unlike others who have kept mum, the star spoke warmly of her at the May 15 launch party for her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
At the event, she revealed she recently spent time with Blake and Ryan’s kids, James, 10, Inez, 8, Betty, 5, and Olin, 2.
"I got a chance to go play with them. They got to see their Tía Salma," she said.
Our source added: "Salma has made no secret of her loyalty to Blake over the years and it's safe to say she’s firmly in Blake's corner regarding her legal fight with Justin."
Hayek has shared how she recently spent time with Lively's kids.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Still, Blake is reeling from the breakdown of her decade-long friendship with Swift.
The Karma singer, 36, resents being dragged into Blake's court case.
In legal docs, Baldoni claimed he was ambushed by Swift during a meeting at Blake and Reynold’s NYC home about the direction of It Ends With Us and says Blake called Swift one of her "dragons," referencing Game of Thrones.
Yet, after Taylor was subpoenaed, her rep put out a damning statement May 9 saying the star had nothing to do with the film and "did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its release."
Blake's supposed fearless grit is admired by Hayek.
The source said Swift "wants nothing more to do with Blake."
With Swift out of her corner, she's grateful to Hayek for not shunning her.
Our insider went on: "Blake looks up to her and admires the way she says what she means without fear. She and Ryan feel secure knowing Salma is going to bat for them. People in Hollywood show Salma respect, and they'll hear about it if they don't."
