celebrity friends

Blake Lively skips Gigi Hadid's 30th birthday: Is this a friendship fallout?

Naturally, fans and Hollywood watchers have asked if Blake and Gigi are still besties or if something has gone seriously sideways.

APRIL 30, 2025 12:29 PM EDTAPR 30, 2025, 12:29 PM EDT

You expect a good excuse when your BFF skips your 30th birthday party. But when that friend shows up at a glam gala the night before and then cheers her husband on at a soccer game the night after, that's when eyebrows go full The Rock.

That's the situation Blake Lively finds herself in right now after not attending Gigi Hadid's star-studded 30th bash in NYC. Naturally, fans and Hollywood watchers have asked if Blake and Gigi are still besties or if something has gone seriously sideways.

Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and Gigi Hadid are seen arriving at the Jazz Center for the "Deadpool & Wolverine" premiere after party on July 22, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Robert Kamau/GC Images)

Where Was Blake?

Blake Lively, 37, was noticeably absent from Gigi's intimate yet A-list birthday party at Le Chalet in New York City. The party drew names like Bella Hadid, Zoë Kravitz, Anne Hathaway, Emily Ratajkowski, Will Arnett, and even Taylor Swift.

Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid are seen attending her 30th Birthday at Le Chalet in Midtown on April 25, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Aeon/GC Images)

Instead, Blake was spotted the night before at the Time100 Gala and the night after cuddled up with husband Ryan Reynolds in Wales at a Wrexham soccer game.

Former entertainment reporter Kjersti Flaa stirred the pot with a piping-hot theory on her podcast "Flaawsome Talk."

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"I think it's weird that you don't show up at one of your friends' 30th birthday party," Flaa said. "It's not that you don't want to be out and seen… because she did go to that event the day before."

Flaa suggested that Lively wasn't invited or told to stay away because of her ongoing legal drama with actor-director Justin Baldoni. Flaa speculated that Gigi and her new beau, Bradley Cooper, "probably [are] waiting to be subpoenaed" and might not want to get caught in the courtroom splash zone.

Taylor Swift and Blake Lively seemed to had a fallout after the star's legal drama

Lively filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni in December, stemming from the filming of their movie "It Ends With Us." Baldoni, 41, denied the allegations and fired back with a jaw-dropping $400 million defamation countersuit, accusing Lively of weaponizing her friendship with Taylor Swift to manipulate production.

Now, word on the street is that Swift, Gigi's longtime BFF, and the reported mutual connection between Gigi and Blake is also in the subpoena crosshairs.

Is the Girl Squad Imploding?

This whole thing stings more than a skipped group chat reply. Lively and Hadid have been close for years, frequently appearing together at events, hanging out with Taylor Swift's iconic girl squad, and even coordinating superhero latex outfits at the "Deadpool & Wolverine" premiere.

Rumors say that Blake Lively and Taylor Swift are at odds, allegedly due to controversies surrounding the film adaptation of 'It Ends with Us'

But there's been a noticeable cooling off since the legal drama erupted. No pap pics. No Insta love. No joint latte runs or vacation selfies. And now, no birthday bash appearance. Fans are left wondering if the once-tight trio of Gigi, Blake, and Taylor is quietly unraveling under the pressure of legal drama, conflicting loyalties, and Hollywood-level PR crisis management.

(L-R Front) Brittany Mahomes, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez (L-R Back), Gigi Hadid, and Sophie Turner are seen in NoHo on November 04, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)

Where Do Things Go From Here?

With Blake's next court date not scheduled until March 2026, this awkward "are they/aren't they still friends" limbo could drag on for a while. For now, Lively and Hadid's reps keep their lips sealed tighter than a Met Gala NDA.