Blake Lively is celebrating her latest endeavor with vim and vigor. The 37-year-old actress gracefully stepped out in New York City on Sunday, April 27th, for the glittering premiere of her movie, "Another Simple Favor," held at the prestigious Jazz at Lincoln Center. Accompanied by director Paul Feig and co-star Anna Kendrick, Lively walked the red carpet, marking the impending release of the sequel to their 2018 hit, "A Simple Favor."
In a pale mint-colored draped gown adorned with intricate geometric cutouts on the bodice, Lively emanated the aura of a Grecian goddess. Her accessories, including bold earrings and an array of colorful rings and bracelets, complemented her ensemble perfectly, while her hair flowed freely.
Ryan Reynolds, Lively's charming husband, was also present, donning a stylish gray plaid suit. The couple beamed with joy as they posed for pictures together, their smiles reflecting their shared excitement.
However, amidst the glitz and glamour of the premiere, Lively was grappling with a legal battle that had been ongoing since December 2024. She had filed a lawsuit against her "It Ends with Us" director and co-star Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign. Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni's production company, was also named in the suit.
Baldoni, 41, vehemently denied the allegations and countersued Lively, Reynolds, the couple's publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane's PR firm Vision PR, Inc., for $400 million, accusing them of defamation, civil extortion, and more. A trial date has been set for March 2026.
Just days before the premiere, Lively was honored as one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people for 2025 at the TIME100 Gala on Thursday, April 24th. In her speech, she alluded, albeit indirectly, to her legal battle with Baldoni.
"I have so much to say about the last two years of my life, but tonight is not the forum," she addressed the crowd, a veteran of the "Gossip Girl" series. "What I will speak to separately is the feeling of being a woman who has a voice, today and since I could speak, because of the pain, caution, and fight of the many women who have paved the way and the men who stood beside them — millions I will never know the name of — because every life, every act, big or small, affects another."
The following morning, Reynolds, 48, spoke with PEOPLE about supporting Lively at the gala. "I am incredibly in awe of my wife in many ways," he said. "I don't know that I've met someone stronger," added the "Deadpool & Wolverine" actor during a "More to Parkinson's" Panel with Acadia Pharmaceuticals at GH on the Park in N.Y.C.
Joking about his coping mechanisms being just coffee, Reynolds said, "It's amazing to me because I don't know how I could hold what she holds and do it with [her] grace and strength. It's pretty profound."
Always ready with a self-deprecating remark, Reynolds added, laughing, "Let's not rush to judgment before all the facts are in," when praised for being a supportive spouse to Lively.
