HOLLYWOOD blonde tresses, bejewelled earrings and a pastel-coloured princess Versace gown to boot, Blake Lively reminded everyone of her Met Gala royalty status as she stepped out for one of the starriest nights in the fashion calendar.
But this year’s arrival came with extra attention, as details of the movie star’s settlement with her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni were revealed just hours ahead of the event.
The two leads of the Colleen Hoover-penned movie had been at the heart of a bitter – and very public – legal battle for two years, since shortly after the film was released in the summer of 2024.
Yet mere weeks before the two were headed to trial, it was announced the Gossip Girl actress had agreed on a deal with her co-star’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, as well as his PR company, amid claims of retaliation and breach of contract.
We’re told the MET move was no coincidence and in fact the first step of a carefully orchestrated career comeback plan to propel Blake back into the heart of Hollywood.
“That was no accident – she knew all eyes would be on her and she wanted them to be,” an insider exclusively tells The Sun. “It was a clear message that she had drawn a line on this awful saga and that she is ready to publicly move forward with her head held high, rather than hiding away.
“While she’s quietly pursuing Justin to cover her legal fees post-settlement, Blake feels she’s spent enough time hunkering down and doesn’t believe she has any reason to disappear and retreat from the spotlight.”
The long-running feud between Blake, 38, and Justin, 42, saw them accuse each other of calculated smear campaigns online, and her accuse him of sexual harassment and intimidation – claims which Justin vehemently denied and were later dismissed by a judge.
Internet sleuths sprung into action, rumours swirled and feverish fanbases lashed out and drew lines.
Among it, golden girl Blake suddenly found herself on the receiving end of a torrent of vitriolic abuse, pegging her as one of ‘Hollywood’s most hated’.
Ready to put to bed the backlash, phase two of the master plan will see the mum-of-four cleverly return to her romance roots.
“She wants to go back to people remembering her for being a good actress, as that all seems to have been forgotten in all of this,” we’re told.
“Every story became about her being a ‘mean girl’ and she’s devastated because she thinks it’s undone all the years of TV and movie hits she’s had.
“At times, when the backlash was at its worst, she felt like she was the most hated woman in Hollywood, and she wants to desperately wants to rehab her image. She wants to get back to mass appeal romantic comedy leads she hopes will make audiences warm to her again.
“One of her impending movie projects, The Survival List, sees her play a TV producer who ends up stranded on a remote island with a celebrity survival expert where romance ensues.”
It’s not the only trump up Blake’s sleeve as she’s also passionately pursuing a big screen adaptation of Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty’s bestseller, The Husband’s Secret.
“This has been in the works for a few years but Blake is now fully focused on it,” says a source.
“It’s just the kind of project she wants – a relatable lead, a twisty subject matter and a powerhouse novel with a built-in fan base.”
Then there’s the upcoming film, The Making Of, another romance tale ‘geared towards female audiences’ that will see her share the screen with Richard Gere and Hamilton creator Lin Manuel Miranda.
“It’s also important for Blake to continue with her executive producing – she has done it twice before, on Another Simple Favor, and on It Ends With Us,” we’re told.
“But she was reported to be feuding with Anna Kendrick while shooting the former, and obviously we all know how the latter turned out.
“She wants to show that she can produce movies without all the backstage drama being the talking point and follow in the footsteps of someone like Nicole Kidman or Reese Witherspoon.”
The Age of Adeline star sees them as role models, having produced their own movies and optioned bestselling novels, turning them into huge screen hits.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/16338842/blake-lively-career-comeback-hollywoods-most-hated/
