Blake Lively returned to the public eye Friday at a New York beauty industry event to promote her haircare brand, marking her first reported appearance since a high-profile legal dispute and the dissolution of a friendship with Taylor Swift.
Lively appeared on a panel at Glossy Pop NYC to discuss her Blake Brown line, and footage and firsthand accounts published by the Daily Mail described the appearance as awkward and somewhat rambling. The outlet reported that attendees and an unnamed insider said Lively at times appeared rattled during the discussion.
The appearance comes after Lively testified in July as part of a sexual harassment lawsuit involving Justin Baldoni, who is credited as a co-star and director on the film It Ends With Us. Legal filings and public statements in the months since led to heightened scrutiny of Lively’s private relationships. According to reporting, Baldoni’s lawyers alleged that Lively tried to pressure Taylor Swift into issuing a public statement and deleting certain text messages; those allegations were included in court paperwork and reporting about the dispute. A subpoena that had been issued in connection with the litigation was later withdrawn.
Lively has kept a lower profile since the summer testimony, according to media accounts, and did not publicly comment at the Glossy Pop appearance about the legal matter or about Swift’s recent engagement to NFL player Travis Kelce. The event focused on product development and the business behind her Blake Brown haircare line.
Representatives for Lively and for the other parties involved did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Daily Mail, which published the initial coverage of the appearance and quoted an insider, included video described as showing moments of apparent unease.
Lively has balanced acting work with entrepreneurial projects in recent years; her public engagements have often doubled as promotional appearances for branded products. This outing was her most visible public engagement since the July testimony and the subsequent flurry of media reporting about the associated legal filings and personal disputes.
Organizers of Glossy Pop NYC billed the event as a gathering for beauty brands and industry figures to showcase products and discuss trends. Lively’s participation underscored the continued intersection of celebrity and commerce in lifestyle and beauty markets, even as the actor navigates ongoing legal and personal matters reported in court documents and press coverage.