Taylor Swift has decided not to publicly defend her best friend Blake Lively amid the ongoing It Ends With Us drama because she wants to “stay away” from “bad press,” a source has claimed.
Rumors of a feud between Blake, 37, and her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, 40, have dominated headlines in recent weeks, sparking a furious backlash against both stars.
Blake, meanwhile, was criticized for being “tone deaf” for the way she responded to a press question about the film’s serious themes, and one journalist called her a “bully” for a “rude” comment she made in a resurfaced interview.
Amid the immense scrutiny, the actress’s close friend Taylor, 34 (who very publicly supported Blake’s husband Ryan Reynolds’ new Deadpool movie weeks earlier) remained suspiciously quiet.
Now, a source has shared the real reason why the Cruel Summer singer decided not to come to her longtime friend’s defense, explaining that the pop star didn’t want to get involved because she feared it could negatively affect her own image.
Taylor Swift has decided not to publicly defend her best friend Blake Lively amid the ongoing It Ends With Us drama because she wants to ‘stay away’ from ‘bad press,’ a source has revealed.
They claimed that while she was “more than willing to help promote Ryan’s film,” she wanted nothing to do with the “wave of bad press” that surrounded It Ends With Us.
“When it came to the wave of bad press surrounding It Ends with Us, Taylor didn’t want to get involved,” they said.
‘She has stayed away from drama, including any political issues, and I knew this wasn’t going to go well if I stepped in to defend her.’
But the source added that Blake “fully understood” Taylor’s perspective and knows the singer “will always be there” for her as a “best friend and mentor.”
“Blake understood and knew she had to face this situation on her own. Taylor will always be there for Blake in her role as best friend and mentor,” they continued.
‘She was there to help with the production of It Ends With Us and was flattered to be included on the soundtrack.’
While Taylor hasn’t spoken publicly about the drama, she did subtly show her support for Blake by throwing a huge birthday party for the mother of four at her Rhode Island home last week.
The two women, as well as a host of other stars, were pictured partying on the balcony of the hitmaker’s stunning beachside mansion on Sunday.
Rumors of a feud between Blake, 37, and her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, 40, have dominated headlines in recent weeks, prompting a furious backlash for both stars.
Amid the immense scrutiny, the actress’s close friend Taylor, 34, who very publicly supported Blake’s husband Ryan Reynolds’ new film weeks earlier, remained tight-lipped.
And according to the source, the celebration was “exactly what Blake needed” to get over the onslaught of criticism.
“When Taylor opened her home in RI for his birthday, it was exactly what Blake needed,” they said.
Now, a source has shared the real reason why the Cruel Summer singer decided not to come to her lifelong friend’s defense.
‘He was able to talk to people and get their opinions on how he should handle this and he got great advice from his friends.’
They said Taylor gave Blake some “honest” advice on how to handle the situation.
And they believe the actress will continue to handle the drama in a similar way Taylor deals with negative headlines: by staying silent.
“Blake knows that the best way to get through this is to do nothing for the moment and let it pass. People will forget,” they concluded.
A previous source told DailyMail.com that Blake was “relying” on Taylor behind the scenes to weather the media “storm.”
“Blake has relied on Taylor to weather this storm the same way he relied on her every step of the way during the filming of It Ends with Us,” they said. “Taylor knows how to handle backlash better than anyone.”
They also claimed the actress was deliberately mentioning her friendship with Taylor in “interviews and other promotional work” in the hopes that it would “help her out of this mess.”
They said that while she was “more than willing to help promote Ryan’s film,” she wanted nothing to do with the “wave of bad press” surrounding Blake (seen with Taylor in February).
While Taylor hasn’t spoken publicly about the drama, she did subtly show her support by hosting a birthday party for Blake at her Rhode Island home (Blake was spotted at the party).
It Ends With Us, which is based on the novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover, follows Lily Bloom, played by Blake, who becomes embroiled in an abusive relationship with Ryle Kincaid, played by Justin.
Blake previously came under fire after responding with a sarcastic joke after a reporter asked her how people who identified with what her character went through should approach her and talk to her about it if they saw her in person.
She laughed and said: ‘Ask me for my address or my phone number. Or I could just share my location.
The star was also criticized online. after she featured an interview with her It Ends With Us co-stars Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer, as well as Colleen, and failed to address domestic violence.
The four women laughed together as they talked about everything from their dream jobs to their zodiac signs.
Afterwards, social media users were quick to criticize them, especially Blake, who hosted the interview, for participating in the light-hearted questionnaire given the serious nature of the film.
Amid the controversy, a journalist republished an “awkward” interview she had with Blake in 2016, further fueling the furor.
Rumors of a breakup between Blake and her co-star Justin first surfaced after fans noticed they didn’t do any press together ahead of the film’s release.
Blake was previously criticized for the way she answered an interview question about domestic violence, which is discussed extensively in the film.
During the interview, the actress made a sarcastic comment about Norwegian reporter Kjersti Flaa’s “baby bump” after she congratulated the then-pregnant Blake on her impending arrival, but the journalist wasn’t expecting it.
After the moment went viral, Kjersti, 51, exclusively told DailyMail.com that Blake’s response was especially painful because she is unable to conceive.
Another source told DailyMail.com last week that the huge backlash has left Blake “fearing” for his future in the film industry.
They said she believed this was going to be “her moment to shine” but now worries it could be the “end of her career.”
“Blake is definitely sad about the hate she’s receiving and is trying not to let it affect her, but that’s the way it is,” they said.
“She thought this was her moment to shine, but now she sees it as the end of her career. She fears no one will want to work with her after this.
“She really wants to continue producing, directing and acting, but she knows she needs to step back for a minute to reevaluate the future.”
