Red Flags In Taylor Swift And Blake Lively's Friendship

Taylor Swift and Blake Lively have been pals since at least 2015 when we saw the talented stars hanging out in Australia. They've publicly supported one another on multiple occasions since and have been spotted on countless girls' nights. But, unfortunately, this friendship isn't without red flags.

One of the biggest is that they are in very different life stages. Though they have some similarities as glam, A-List superstars who entered the spotlight young, their personal lives are quite different — which could make fully understanding one another difficult. Lively was 25 when she married Ryan Reynolds in 2012 and the couple are parents to four kids. Swift though has a rockier dating past (which inspired some of her best songs) and, as much as she and Travis Kelce are the celeb couple we hope to get engaged in 2025, she's never been married or had kids. Of course, people in different life stages can still click, but it usually means more effort is needed to keep the relationship strong. Seeing as Swift and Lively have crazy busy schedules, they may find it tough to spend meaningful time together or keep up with one another's lives.

But that's hardly the only issue we've spotted between these long-term besties. From Swift's supposed disappointment over being roped into Lively's "It Ends With Us" legal issues, to insiders suggesting the hitmaker may have tried to change her pal, we can't ignore these possible friendship dealbreakers.

Though Blake Lively and Selena Gomez haven't publicly confirmed they've got "Bad Blood," it's been rumored for a while that Taylor Swift's most famous besties don't get along. Speculation began in 2016 when the "Calm Down" singer told Elle she loved Lively's most iconic hair looks, but asserted they weren't close. "She's not my friend, but can I switch hair with her? I wish she was my friend, but she's not my friend ... I've never met her, but I just love her hair," Gomez said. It's not clear why they hadn't met via their mutual best friend, but sources suggest their relationship (or lack thereof) has been strained since.

A source told Daily Mail in 2024 they didn't see eye to eye, claiming, "This is the reason neither of them are ever with Taylor at the same time and are constantly avoiding run-ins with each other." An insider also dished to Life & Style that year, purporting, "Taylor's tried many times to broker peace between these two divas, but they won't play nice. She thinks it's silly the way they carry on, especially since the two don't even know where all this hating began!"

Though it's not feasible to be close with all of your bestie's other friends, it presents a problem if Swift had to change plans or carefully curate events to avoid Lively and Gomez being around one another.

Taylor Swift wasn't happy about being associated with Blake Lively's legal drama with "It Ends With Us" co-star, Justin Baldoni. Though not explicitly mentioned in the lawsuits, Baldoni referenced Swift in private messages to Lively revealed in legal documents. "I really love what you did. It really does [help] a lot. Makes it so much more fun and interesting. (And I would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor)," Baldoni said, according to Page Six. Baldoni, whose marriage has red flags we can't ignore, was referencing Swift and Ryan Reynolds after Lively told Baldoni she had "dragons" who helped her get what she wanted.

Swift hasn't commented on it, but numerous sources have. "Taylor really wishes Blake hadn't dragged her into this whole situation," a source alleged to Page Six. Another told TMZ that Swift didn't appreciate being called one of Lively's "dragons" or the name-dropping. An insider also dished the singer's supposed disappointment to Daily Mail, stating, "For the time being she is taking a step back from Blake because she doesn't want to get tangled in this more than she already has — which is far more than she ever needed to be." TMZ notes that this affected their relationship so much that Swift didn't invite Lively to her Super Bowl suite. Swift has her reputation to think about, and associating with her friend's legal issues is an unnecessary headache.

Though Taylor Swift and Blake Lively became fast friends, sources note there's one part of Lively's personality the "Valentine's Day" star wasn't too keen on. "Taylor saw her doppelgänger in Blake. The main difference between them is that Taylor is more subtle. Blake has always gone full-throttle about everything. She never holds back and that's what has caused the tide to turn on her," a source told Daily Mail in February. "Taylor has tried to help tone Blake down in the past, but she now knows it's never going to happen," they added.

Though their camps never confirmed the report, it's a red flag if true. Being close to someone means loving them for who they are, so if Swift tried to change Lively, it's not a sign their friendship is based on mutual respect. Nor is it feasible to expect a friend to change for you. "Even with the best intentions, deep concern, and respect, no one person can force another to truly change," Professor of Philosophy and author Peg O'Conner told Truity. "We can help the other person find a path, get on it, support them as they perhaps crawl or trip along it. But we cannot magically teleport them down that path and have them be a new and different person," they added. If Swift felt Lively was too much, she should have sought out a confidant who suited her better.