MW Sprawling upstate-N.Y. horse farm offers refuge from legal drama for Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds

By Charlie Lankston

Bitter feud between Lively and Justin Baldoni drags others into the controversy

Actress Blake Lively appears to be hunkering down far from the glare of the Hollywood spotlight as she weathers the ongoing storm surrounding her legal tussle with former "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni.

The bitter legal feud between Lively, 37, and Baldoni, 41, has been raging since December 2024 and has seen multiple other high-profile personalities dragged into the controversy, including the actress' husband, Ryan Reynolds, and her close friend, Taylor Swift.

Throughout the monthslong saga, both parties have launched shocking allegations against the other-with Lively accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment, while he alleged that he was the victim of a "vicious smear campaign" orchestrated by the "Gossip Girl" star and Reynolds.

All parties have vehemently denied the allegations being made against them.

In the months since the furor began, Lively, who shares four children with Reynolds, has attempted to maintain a relatively low profile, withdrawing from the public eye and focusing on her life at home with her family, although she has made a few public appearances to promote her latest movie, "Another Simple Favor."

More recently, she broke cover at an equestrian farm in upstate New York, where she and Reynolds were seen spending time with friends while watching their children take part in a horse show, according to images published by the Daily Mail.

Their appearance at the South Salem location suggests that the couple has been seeking refuge from the Baldoni scandal at their stunning farmhouse in Pound Ridge, N.Y., which they purchased back in 2012 for $5.7 million.

When they bought the expansive property, it offered seven bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms-providing ample room for Lively, Reynolds, and their four children: daughters James, Inez, and Betty, and son Olin.

However it's thought that the duo have carried out extensive renovations on the home in the 13 years since they took over ownership, with social media images revealing that the dwelling has been given a very elegant overhaul, without taking away from its historic heritage.

Built in 1860, the 7,500-square-foot farmhouse sits on just under 12 acres, offering ample opportunity for food fanatic Lively to tend to her own fruit and vegetable gardens. Or perhaps, take inspiration from her "It Ends With Us" character, Lily Bloom, in tending to flowers.

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But the most appealing amenity is undoubtedly the home's privacy. The property is surrounded by land on three of four sides, much of which is filled with trees, helping to create a natural barrier between the farmhouse and the outside world.

The road on which it sits is home to just a few other properties, ensuring that Reynolds and Lively can be safe in the knowledge that they are free from prying eyes.

Privacy is something that the couple has long since prioritized, even at their home in New York City, where they own a lavish apartment inside a "paparazzi-proof" building in Tribeca.

Interestingly, that home actually got swept up in the Lively v. Baldoni drama in January, when the latter referred to a meeting that he says he had with the actress at the abode.

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His comments were made as part of a lawsuit filed on behalf of Baldoni; his production company, Wayfarer Studios; his producing partner, Jamey Heath; his crisis PR manager, Melissa Nathan; his publicist, Jennifer Abel; and the It Ends With Us LLC, according to CNN.

The lawsuit, which is still ongoing, seeks $400 million in damages from Lively over claims that she used her "immense power as one of the world's best-known celebrities" to try and "destroy [their] livelihoods and businesses."

His suit comes after Lively accused him of sexual harassment in her own complaint that was filed at the end of 2024.

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Baldoni's 179-page complaint-which also names Lively and Reynolds' publicist, Leslie Sloan, as a defendant-laid out a series of shocking allegations against the couple and even appeared to drag their close friend, Taylor Swift, into the fray after rumors emerged that she was the "megacelebrity friend" referred to in the paperwork.

The mention of that friend was made while Baldoni was recounting an incident that he says took place at Lively and Reynolds' expansive Tribeca penthouse-where he claims he was "pressured" into accepting changes to the "It Ends With Us" script that had been made by the actress.

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According to Baldoni, he was "summoned" to the couple's New York City apartment to discuss changes that Lively had made to a specific scene in the movie, which takes place between the two lead characters on a rooftop. The actor and director says that when he arrived at the home, he was greeted by Reynolds, who immediately began heaping praise on his wife's script updates.

"As the meeting was ending, a famous, and famously close, friend of Reynolds and Lively, walked into the room and similarly began praising Lively's script," the lawsuit states, per CNN. "Baldoni understood the subtext: he needed to comply with Lively's direction for the script."

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Baldoni claims that he later sent Lively a text message to reiterate his appreciation for the changes that she had made, adding that he "would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor," and that he was "excited and grateful" to be working on the project with her. His reference to "Taylor" has led many to believe that the person in question is Swift, who is a close friend of Lively and her spouse.

The couple's apartment is mentioned again elsewhere in the lawsuit, when Baldoni says that Reynolds "swore at [him] and accused him of fat-shaming his wife" while the director was paying a visit to the abode.

This story originally ran on Realtor.com.

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April 17, 2025 05:04 ET (09:04 GMT)

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