Blake Lively has been giving her friends Mahjong sets for the holidays. Each set costs around $350 to $400.

In a Vogue interview, Lively said she teaches her friends to play and usually ends up giving them her own set when they get really into it.

"I have been teaching friends how to play Mahjong, though I need to say I'm not a certified teacher. But I know enough to teach my friends how to play with me, and in the end, I always end up gifting them my own set because they are obsessed and want to practice," Lively told the fashion magazine.

Lively vs. Baldoni

Lively is approaching the one-year mark of her legal fight with Justin Baldoni. The dispute goes back to their 2025 movie "It Ends With Us," which Baldoni directed and also starred in with Lively.

According to The New York Times, she filed a $161 million lawsuit, claiming Baldoni engaged in sexual harassment, retaliation, and a smear campaign.

Baldoni responded with a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times, which was ultimately dismissed. He continues to seek dismissal of Lively's case, asserting that the claims are "minor grievances" that do not rise to the level of harassment.

A civil trial had been scheduled for March 9, 2026, but was postponed to May 18, with Judge Lewis Liman noting that "as important as this case is... criminal trials take precedent." A hearing in the matter is slated for Jan. 22.

In a statement to The New York Times last year, Lively said, "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted."

Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, told Variety, "These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media."

He added to The Hollywood Reporter, "It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations."

Lively Reaches Out to Taylor Swift

Amid the ongoing legal and professional spotlight, Lively has also quietly nurtured personal relationships.

Sources tell Rob Shuter's Substack that she privately reached out to Taylor Swift for her 36th birthday earlier this year, bypassing public social media messages.

"Blake's message was short and hopeful," a source said. "She didn't expect anything back. She just couldn't let the day go by without saying something."

Another insider added, "It was very personal, not for show. Blake wanted to acknowledge the day without any pressure or expectation."

Despite past tensions, the gesture highlighted Lively's desire to maintain a personal connection, rather than engage in public displays of friendship.

"It was a thoughtful gesture," one source confirmed. "Blake didn't want to make it public or dramatic — just a sincere happy birthday."

Tags
Blake Lively, Taylor Swift, Ryan Reynolds