If there’s one woman who knows a thing or two about a damaged reputation, it’s Taylor Swift. And as Blake Lively finds herself at the centre of her own social media storm, the Gossip Girl star, 36, is turning to her superstar BFF for advice.
Amid a rumoured feud with her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, Blake has found herself facing widespread criticism online over both her ‘tone-deaf’ promotion of the film and her past behaviour. Blake is said to be in a state of panic about the backlash – and insiders tell us Taylor has been there for her friend, sharing her best advice about dealing with controversy.
"Taylor’s been a rock for Blake," says our source. "She’s calling and texting all the time to cheer her up, and reminding her not to let all the negativity get her down – it’s par for the course when you make a big impact. Having Taylor’s backing means the world to Blake, and just proves she’s the kind of friend who’s there through thick and thin."
And having the world’s most-loved pop star as your bestie doesn’t hurt in the popularity stakes, either.
"Blake’s speaking about her friendship with Taylor in interviews whenever she can," we’re told. "Taylor’s huge popularity is something Blake can hitch her wagon to, so she’s making a big point to emphasise what close friends they are."
The drama began for Blake, 36, when fans noticed the actress was avoiding being pictured with Justin during the promo tour for their new film, and reports quickly sprung up of tension on set due to a power struggle between them. Fans then began claiming Blake’s approach to promoting the film had been insensitive, given the domestic abuse theme in Colleen Hoover’s novel, and last week, a journalist added fuel to the fire as she shared a clip of Blake being ‘rude’ to her during a 2016 interview.
All the backlash has been damaging to Blake’s girl-next-door image – which is something Taylor, 34, knows all about. In 2016, the Love Story singer was at the centre of a public feud with Kanye West and his then-wife Kim Kardashian, which led to Taylor being branded a ‘snake’. Taylor managed to turn it around, making snakes a major motif on her 2017 album Reputation. But Blake has always worked to make clear she’s not the bitchy mean girl she played on teen drama Gossip Girl, so Taylor knows how hard it’s been for her friend. The insider adds, "Having Taylor’s support has been invaluable, because she knows all the right things to say. The silver lining of this is that it’s brought these two even closer."
