The clues that prove Blake and Taylor's friendship fallout is worse than we thought.

Alright, let's grab a cup of tea and spill it, because the friendship saga of Blake Lively and Taylor Swift has become a big ol' mess. And we need to discuss the evidence.

For years, they were the ultimate BFFs — the Serena and Blair of the celebrity world, if you will.

The pair's friendship began around 2014. Swift would later be named as godmother to the actress' daughters, and those same kids are even name-dropped in Taylor's songs.

But the cracks in this friendship have been showing for a while, and a song title has brought their rocky friendship back into the headlines.

Off the back of Taylor's announcement that her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, would be dropping on October 3, she released the track list with one curious addition.

Watch Taylor's announcement. Post continues after video.

There is a song on Taylor's upcoming album called 'Ruin The Friendship' and, of course, news outlets quickly decided this song simply must be about Blake (imho, it sounds a lot more like a friend-turned-lover track, but whatever).

It is worth noting that when appearing on Travis Kelce's podcast New Heights, Swift said she recorded the album while on the European leg of her Eras Tour, which was long before the apparent feud began. So, it's unlikely (but not entirely impossible) that the song is about Blake.

But away from song conspiracies, there are clues that do point to a friendship fracture.

According to PEOPLE, a source has just claimed that "Taylor and Blake aren't speaking" right now.

Back in April, Taylor's partner Travis unfollowed Blake's husband Ryan Reynolds on Instagram. In the highly coded world of celebrities, an Instagram unfollow feels like it has a much higher meaning than a slip of the thumb.

Taylor Swift, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman watch the Kansas City Chiefs play in 2023. Image: Getty.

So how did we get here?

The real trouble seems to have brewed back in mid-2024, during the press tour for Blake's film, It Ends With Us.

Remember that? Blake and the cast were dropping Taylor's name in interviews and, with Taylor's song featured in the film and trailer, everyone expected the supportive friend to do what she does best: post a gushing Instagram story about the film, or maybe even show up to the premiere.

Instead? Crickets. This silence was especially deafening given that just months earlier, she'd been all over the Deadpool & Wolverine promo for Ryan.

The timing was interesting as Blake was already facing intense scrutiny over her approach to the film's controversial themes.

Rumours had also begun to spread of a rift between Blake and the film's director and star, Justin Baldoni. They did their press interviews separately, with Justin also walking the red carpet alone at the premiere, while Blake was flanked by the rest of the cast.

Then came the first 'official' reports of an on-set drama about the direction of the film, with rumours spreading that Blake had cut her own edit. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "there was a fracture among the filmmakers" and the actress.

As the drama started to pick up, it looked a lot like Taylor — who went through her own internet-breaking controversy in 2016 — was strategically side-stepping the mess.

Taylor Swift is no stranger to controversy. Image: Getty.

After the It Ends With Us premiere drama in early August 2024, Taylor seemed to put space between them in the public eye. However, privately, she hosted Blake and Ryan at her Rhode Island home just a few weeks after the chaos first began. In October, they were seen together again enjoying dinner in New York.

All was well? Ugh. Not really.

Swift's entanglement in the ongoing legal dispute began in early 2025.

In February, she was formally subpoenaed by Justin Baldoni's legal team, who sought her private communications with Blake regarding It Ends With Us. Things got even messier when reports surfaced via a legal letter — later thrown out of court — that Blake's team had tried to pressure Taylor into making a public statement.

Taylor's response was unexpectedly cold and clinical, with statements issued through lawyers without any kind words about her friend.

"This document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swift's name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case," the singer's representative said.

"Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film, she did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release."

Taylor Swift was a no-show when supporting Blake Lively's film, It Ends With Us. Image: Getty.

Taylor's lawyers immediately filed a motion to quash the subpoena, arguing her connection to the film was limited to licensing a single song and that she possessed no relevant, non-privileged information.

The legal manoeuvre proved successful, and by March 2025, a judge had granted the motion, officially releasing the 'Blank Space' singer from any obligation to provide testimony or documents in the case.

While the legal battle continues to make headlines, with depositions beginning in July, Blake and Ryan have resumed living a somewhat more normal and public life. But the pair have not been spotted with Taylor since October 2024.

This brings us back to this past weekend, when Taylor celebrated a surprise album announcement with a gaggle of friends in New York City. It was a classic squad gathering, the kind Blake would have been front and centre for in the past.

But Blake was nowhere to be seen.

This is a stronger sign that all is not well between the former besties than some vague song called 'Ruin The Friendship', which could be about anything.

In April, a PEOPLE source claimed that Swift "was really hurt" when she was implicated in Lively and Baldoni's legal case, and the next month, the tabloid claimed she "has halted" their friendship.

The last we heard, a source told PEOPLE that Lively and Swift were mending their friendship, however they noted it "isn't the same as it was before." Now? Things seem to be over as the publication divulges that the pair are not speaking.

Listen to The Spill hosts dive into the rumoured feud between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively.

Feature image: Getty.