A long-standing Hollywood friendship appears to be in serious trouble, as sources confirm to PEOPLE that Taylor Swift and Blake Lively are currently “not speaking.” The news comes amid fan speculation that a song on Swift’s upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl, is a direct reference to their strained relationship.
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The friendship has been under public scrutiny since December 2024, when Swift’s name was unexpectedly drawn into Lively’s legal dispute with her It Ends With Us costar and director, Justin Baldoni. A source told PEOPLE that Swift was “really hurt” after being implicated in the legal case. The situation intensified in May when Baldoni’s legal team issued a subpoena to Swift, though it was later dismissed. At the time, Swift’s rep claimed the subpoena was simply “designed to use Taylor Swift’s name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait.”
Over the following months, sources have offered conflicting reports on the status of their bond. In May, an insider said the friendship had “halted” and that the pair were “taking some space,” but insisted they were “not no longer friends.” By July, another source told PEOPLE that they were working toward being “on good terms” but that their friendship “isn’t the same as it was before.”
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The drama is now spilling over into Swift’s music. On Aug. 13, she announced the release of her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, which will be released on Oct. 3. The record is set to feature a song titled “Ruin the Friendship,” which has prompted an outpouring of speculation from fans. The timing is particularly notable, as Swift revealed on Travis Kelce’s podcast that she recorded the album during the European leg of her Eras Tour, before the legal drama fully erupted.
The friendship between the two stars dates back to 2014. Swift is godmother to Lively’s daughters with husband Ryan Reynolds, and their children have even been featured in Swift’s music. The couple’s daughter James has a voice cameo in the Reputation track “Gorgeous,” while James, Inez and Betty are all famously named in the song “Betty” from Folklore. Given the depth of their history, the current tension marks a sad chapter for both the stars and their loyal fans.
