It was supposed to be the summer of Blake Lively. She had a blockbuster book adaptation hitting theaters, a sparkling new haircare line launching at Target, and her canned cocktail brand, Betty Booze, was finally hitting its stride. But then everything went sideways. Fast.
If you've spent any time on TikTok or X (formerly Twitter) lately, you know that the "It Ends With Us" press tour didn't just ruffle feathers—it set them on fire. And the spark? A messy, legal, and very public falling out with co-star and director Justin Baldoni. But here's the thing: while the movie controversy started the fire, it was the "Swifties" who brought the gasoline.
The Dragon Text That Changed Everything
When rumors first leaked about a rift on the set of It Ends With Us, people were mostly just curious. Was it typical creative differences? Was Justin Baldoni actually difficult to work with? Or was Blake "hijacking" the film? The narrative took a dark turn when legal filings started surfacing in late 2024 and early 2025.
Suddenly, we weren't just talking about a movie. We were talking about a $400 million defamation and sexual harassment lawsuit.
The turning point for the fandom happened when a specific text message was unsealed in court. In it, Blake reportedly referred to herself as "Khaleesi" and called her husband Ryan Reynolds and her best friend Taylor Swift her "dragons." The implication? She didn't need to play by the rules because she had the most powerful people in the world backing her up.
For most people, it sounded like an inside joke. For Swifties? It felt like their idol was being used as a weapon of intimidation.
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Taylor Swift Fans' Boycott Hurts Blake Lively's Business: The Numbers
Honestly, the fallout was brutal. You can’t just name-drop the most famous woman on the planet in a legal battle about workplace harassment and expect her fans to stay quiet. Especially when that friend, Taylor herself, was reportedly being subpoenaed.
By May 2025, reports from insiders at major retailers like Target started painting a grim picture for Blake’s new brand, Blake Brown.
- Sales plummeted: Internal projections for the haircare line allegedly dropped by 56% to 78% in the wake of the controversy.
- Revenue hit: What was once projected to be a $100 million brand is now reportedly tracking to make less than $15 million by the end of 2026.
- The "Ick" Factor: Swifties, who are usually the primary demographic for celebrity beauty and lifestyle brands, started posting videos of themselves walking past the Blake Brown displays at Target.
"It went from a $100 million brand to a non-conversation," one retail analyst noted. People didn't just stop buying the products; they started viewing them as symbols of the "Mean Girl" narrative that has dogged Blake for years.
Why the Swifties Turned
You've got to understand the Swiftie psychology. They are fiercely protective. When Justin Baldoni’s legal team claimed that Blake had "coerced" Taylor into giving public support—and even allegedly threatened to leak a decade of private texts if she didn't—the fan base went into full-on defense mode.
Taylor's team eventually released a statement calling the subpoenas "tabloid clickbait" and clarifying that she had almost no involvement in the film. She hadn't even seen it until weeks after it came out! But the damage was done. The idea that Blake was potentially "using" Taylor to win a PR war against Baldoni was the final straw.
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The Product Quality Problem
We can't blame everything on the fans, though. Even without a boycott, Blake Brown was facing an uphill battle.
Beauty influencers and regular customers started complaining that the products were drying out their hair. The packaging was also a major point of contention—it looked chic, but people with mobility issues or just wet hands in the shower found it nearly impossible to open.
When you combine "bad vibes" with a "bad product," you get a retail disaster.
Betty Booze didn't escape the heat either. Blake has been famously vocal about the fact that she doesn't actually drink alcohol. During a press tour for a movie about domestic violence—a topic often linked to substance abuse—promoting a gin-based cocktail felt "tone-deaf" to many. The Swifties, who are hyper-aware of Taylor's own lyrics about the "greatest of luxuries" and the "shade" of it all, found the whole thing tacky.
What Happens Now?
Blake is currently heading toward a trial in May 2026. Her friendship with Taylor is reportedly "on ice," with insiders saying Taylor wants no part of the legal drama.
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If you're a business owner or just a fan watching from the sidelines, there are some pretty clear takeaways from this mess.
1. Personal Brand is Fragile
You can't separate the creator from the product anymore. If the public perceives you as unkind or manipulative, they won't buy your shampoo. Simple as that.
2. Don't Weaponize Friendships
Using a "megacelebrity" friend as a shield in a legal dispute is a high-risk move. If it backfires, you don't just lose the case—you lose the fan base.
3. Timing is Everything
Launching a "lighthearted" hair and booze line while promoting a film about domestic abuse was a massive strategic error. It made the brands feel like "cash grabs" rather than passion projects.
The Taylor Swift fans' boycott hurts Blake Lively's business because it hit the one thing celebrities need to survive: trust. Without it, even the most beautiful packaging in the world won't save a brand from the clearance rack.
Moving forward, the focus for any celebrity brand should be on radical transparency and separating personal legal battles from consumer products. For Blake, the path to recovery likely involves stepping away from the spotlight, fixing the product formulation issues, and letting the legal dust settle before trying to win back the "dragons" of the internet.