Blake Lively steps out at World Cup final amid fallout from Taylor Swift wedding snub Kathleen O&x27;BoyleSun, July 19, 2026 at 11:50 PM UTC 0 Blake Lively appears at the World Cup final Credit:Instagram Blake Lively has made her first public appearance following her absence from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s highprofile Madison Square Garden wedding. The 38yearold actress was spotted at the World Cup final in New Jersey, attending alongside her own closeknit group of friends, including Libby Glazer, Kendall Arin Glazer, and Emma Gray.
Blake Lively steps out at World Cup final amid fallout from Taylor Swift wedding snub
Kathleen O'BoyleSun, July 19, 2026 at 11:50 PM UTC
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Blake Lively appears at the World Cup final -Credit:Instagram
Blake Lively has made her first public appearance following her absence from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s high-profile Madison Square Garden wedding.
The 38-year-old actress was spotted at the World Cup final in New Jersey, attending alongside her own close-knit group of friends, including Libby Glazer, Kendall Arin Glazer, and Emma Gray. Lively appeared in good spirits, smiling throughout the outing and showing no visible signs of the tension following Swift's wedding.
Her appearance comes just days after she was notably missing from Swift’s wedding guest list, which was an absence that has not gone unnoticed by fans, especially given the scale of the event and the pair’s long-standing friendship.
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Once considered close friends, Lively’s absence has been widely viewed as a reflection of the strain caused by her legal battle with actor and director Justin Baldoni. Swift, who is the godmother to Lively’s three daughters, was reportedly pulled into the situation after being subpoenaed in the case, though the subpoena was later withdrawn.
According to a source, the fallout has left Lively deeply frustrated. “She is sad and a little bit p---ed. No, a lot p---ed,” the insider said. “That friendship was over before but if there was hope, it’s gone. They’ll never be friends again.”
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Swift and Lively are longtime best friends -Credit:Getty Images
The source added that Lively had hoped to attend the wedding despite the ongoing tension. “She wanted to go. It feels bad to be excluded like that. She had sort of hoped that despite everything, their history was enough that they’d be included, but that’s not the way it went.”
Another insider pointed out that the size of the wedding made her absence even more noticeable. “Madison Square Garden holds more than 20,000 people. If Blake isn’t there, nobody can blame a lack of space,” they said. “The guest list is so massive that Blake’s absence becomes impossible to ignore. People will notice immediately.”
They continued, “Taylor could invite practically everyone she’s ever known. That’s why Blake not getting an invite would speak volumes. This isn’t about logistics or capacity. If Blake is left off the list, it’s personal.”
“The bigger the wedding gets, the worse this looks for Blake,” the source added. “There will be movie stars, athletes, politicians, and music royalty in that arena. When Blake isn’t among them, that becomes one of the biggest stories of the night and Taylor knows it.”
Lively was not at Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding -Credit:Getty Images
In the days following the wedding, Lively was seen spending time in Canada with her husband Ryan Reynolds, keeping a relatively low profile before re-emerging at the World Cup final.
The tension between the former friends is believed to stem from Lively’s legal dispute with Baldoni, which began in December 2024 when she filed a lawsuit against him and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, alleging defamation and sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us. Baldoni denied the claims and filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, Reynolds, and The New York Times, which had reported on the allegations.
All parties denied wrongdoing throughout the legal proceedings. In October 2025, a judge dismissed Baldoni’s countersuit, and in May of this year, Lively agreed to settle her remaining claims after most were dismissed. She did not receive financial compensation but was allowed to pursue legal fees related to Baldoni’s failed case.
Swift’s reported distancing from Lively followed her brief involvement in the dispute, as well as resurfaced text messages from Baldoni’s complaint in which Lively allegedly referred to Swift and Reynolds as “my dragons.” A source previously said, “Her friends also think that Blake’s ‘I’m Khaleesi, and like her, I happen to have dragons’ text to Justin was uncool and unnecessary because she was essentially used as an intimidation tactic. She was referred to as some kind of pet or possession.”
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: July 19, 2026 at 08:09PM on Source: PRIME TIME
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