If you spend enough time scrolling through fan forums or watching CW throwbacks, you’ll eventually hit a wall where two faces start to blur into one. It happens a lot with Melissa Benoist and Blake Lively. At first glance, you might think it’s just the blonde hair or that specific "girl next door but also a literal superhero" energy they both radiate.
But honestly? The connection between these two is way more layered than just looking like they could be sisters.
People have been obsessed with comparing them for years. It’s not just a passing TikTok trend. It’s a thing. From their early days on career-defining TV shows to the way they’ve handled massive public scrutiny, their paths have this weird, parallel symmetry that most fans haven't fully pieced together. Let's get into what’s actually going on with the Melissa Benoist and Blake Lively comparisons and why the internet can't seem to separate them.
Why Everyone Thinks Melissa Benoist and Blake Lively Are Secretly Related
Look, we have to talk about the "lookalike" factor first. It’s the elephant in the room. If you search for Blake Lively lookalikes, Melissa Benoist is almost always at the top of the list, right alongside Lili Reinhart. They share that specific, luminous facial structure—wide smiles, expressive eyes, and a certain "sunny" disposition that casting directors clearly love.
On Reddit, fans in the Gossip Girl community have spent years arguing that if Supergirl ever needed a Multiverse variant of Kara Danvers, Blake would be the only logical choice. It’s more than just hair color. It’s the vibe. They both possess this rare ability to look incredibly high-fashion one second and totally approachable the next.
The CW Legacy
There is a literal, professional link here too. Both women became household names because of The CW.
✨ Don't miss: Nathan Griffith: Why the Teen Mom Alum Still Matters in 2026
- Blake Lively practically built the network’s brand with Gossip Girl. Serena van der Woodsen wasn't just a character; she was a cultural reset for the late 2000s.
- Melissa Benoist took that torch and ran with it when Supergirl moved to The CW for its second season. She became the face of the "Arrowverse."
They represent two different eras of the same television ecosystem. Blake was the queen of the "glamour and scandal" era, while Melissa defined the "hope and heroics" era. Even though they weren't on the network at the same time—Blake left just as Melissa was starting her rise on Glee—the DNA of their stardom feels remarkably similar.
The Blake Jenner Connection: A Dark Parallel
We can't talk about these two without addressing the "Blake" in the middle. This is where things get heavy, and it's a part of the story that often gets confused by casual observers.
Melissa Benoist was famously married to her Glee co-star Blake Jenner. Their relationship ended in a high-profile divorce, and in 2019, Melissa released a powerful, 14-minute video titled "Life Before My Eyes," where she detailed her experience with domestic violence.
While Blake Jenner has absolutely no relation to Blake Lively, the name similarity often triggers a weird mental association for people skimming headlines. More importantly, though, both Melissa and Blake Lively have dealt with the darker side of being a woman in Hollywood. While Melissa was fighting for her personal safety and using her platform to speak out against abuse, Blake Lively was navigating the intense, often toxic "mean girl" narratives and the relentless paparazzi culture that followed her since the mid-2000s.
They’ve both had to reclaim their narratives. They’ve both had to prove they are more than just the characters they played on TV.
🔗 Read more: Mary J Blige Costume: How the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Changed Fashion Forever
Style Icons or Just "Blonde Ambition"?
If you look at a red carpet from 2024 or 2025, you’ll see they’ve both leaned into a "power-dressing" aesthetic. Blake Lively is the undisputed queen of the Met Gala, famously styling herself without a professional stylist. Melissa, meanwhile, has moved into a more sophisticated, "theatrical-chic" look as she took on Broadway roles like Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
- Blake's Style: Bold, architectural, maximalist. She wants you to look.
- Melissa's Style: Soft, tailored, classic. She wants you to feel something.
Despite the differences, they both use fashion as a tool for storytelling. They don't just wear clothes; they create a persona. It’s probably why brands love them equally, though they occupy different niches in the fashion world.
The "Good Girl" Misconception
There’s a specific box Hollywood tries to put people in. For a long time, both Benoist and Lively were stuck in the "Sweetheart" box.
People forget that Blake Lively can be terrifyingly good in gritty roles, like in The Town or A Simple Favor. She has a sharp, cynical edge that she hides behind that Serena van der Woodsen grin. Melissa is the same. After years of playing the literal symbol of hope on Supergirl, her work in projects like Waco or the Max series The Girls on the Bus showed a much more complex, frayed, and human side.
The "Melissa Benoist Blake Lively" comparison persists because we, as an audience, are fascinated by women who look like they have it all figured out but are clearly working through much deeper, more interesting layers.
💡 You might also like: Mariah Kennedy Cuomo Wedding: What Really Happened at the Kennedy Compound
What to Take Away From the Comparison
So, are they the same person? Obviously not. But the fascination with them says a lot about what we value in stars today. We like celebrities who feel "reachable" but also "aspirational."
If you're a fan of either, here’s how to actually appreciate their work beyond the surface-level comparisons:
- Watch the Range: If you only know Blake from Gossip Girl, go watch The Shallows. If you only know Melissa from Supergirl, check out her Broadway performances or her investigative role in The Girls on the Bus.
- Support the Advocacy: Melissa has become a massive voice for survivors of IPV (Intimate Partner Violence). Following her work with organizations like Moms Demand Action is a great way to see the "real" her.
- Look for the Nuance: Stop looking for the "next Blake Lively." Melissa Benoist has carved out a path that is entirely her own, focused on stage, screen, and production.
The internet might always see them as lookalikes, but their real power lies in how they’ve survived the Hollywood machine on their own terms.
Next Steps for Fans:
Go watch Melissa Benoist's 2019 "Life Before My Eyes" video to understand the depth of her advocacy. After that, compare the career pivots Blake Lively made post-2015 to see how both actresses successfully escaped the "CW Teen Star" trap to become respected industry veterans.