Blake Lively was clearly having a blast at Super Bowl LVIII as she enthusiastically cheered on the Kansas City Chiefs alongside bestie Taylor Swift at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 11. Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, wasn’t in attendance but he got in on the action from afar when he posted a photo of himself next to a fireplace and a TV screen showing a Deadpool ad with a caption reading, “Has everyone seen the #Deadpool trailer? Has anyone seen my wife?” on Instagram. Not to be outdone, Lively soon posted a photo of herself in the same spot, cheekily writing: “Honey, I’m home. My day was good. Yours?”
Lively, 36, and Reynolds, 47, have been lovingly trolling each other on social media for years. It’s one of many ways the couple — who wed in 2012 and welcomed their fourth child in early 2023 (they also share daughters James, 9, Inez, 7, and Betty, 4) — stay connected. “Blake and Ryan have a very lighthearted vibe,” says one source. “They’re soulmates and just click.”
At home in the idyllic town of Pound Ridge, New York, they’re all about family, preferring to raise their children away from the glare of Hollywood. “They love their life there,” a second source tells Us. “They don’t have a ton of help in terms of nannies. They’re both very dedicated parents.”
When they’re not working, Reynolds and Lively like to keep things low-key. “Blake and Ryan both love to cook, and they enjoy watching cooking shows together,” says the second source, noting that the pair — who first met while filming 2011’s Green Lantern — also indulge in a few “guilty-pleasure reality shows.” The Gossip Girl alum is an incredible baker, adds the source, and often makes goodies for the kids to bring to school for classmates.
As a family, they spend a lot of time outdoors. “They’ll go on picnics and hikes and hang out at local parks and kick a soccer ball around,” says the first source. “Staying healthy and active has always been a priority for them.”
Lively has been open about keeping the children grounded. “We want our kids to have the same normal life that we had,” she said in 2016. “We don’t ever want to rob them of what we had because then we’d feel really selfish.”
They’re on the same page when it comes to parenting. “Blake and Ryan were both totally in agreement from the get-go that they’d put their kids before anything else; that’s why they didn’t want to rely on nannies,” says the first source. “It’s worked out beautifully, and they’re proud of how they’ve prioritized family.”
They also know how to unwind. The second source says they often have friends over for dinner parties. “Blake and Ryan have a tight-knit group of friends, including Taylor, that they love to hang out with,” the source says. “They’ll blast music and have dance parties. Their kids will join in too.” Adds the first source: “Blake and Ryan have always been hyperfocused on privacy, but that doesn’t mean they only socialize at home. They also love grabbing dinner in NYC.”
The pair have recently been spotted in the Big Apple, chatting over coffee in the Tribeca neighborhood, where they own a luxury apartment, and hanging out with A-list pals like Hugh Jackman. “They also enjoy romantic weekends away upstate,” says the source. “Friends will help and look after the kids so they can get that precious quality time in.”
It’s not always easy to navigate around their busy schedules. Reynolds has been hard at work on the third Deadpool installment, and Lively has been shooting the highly anticipated adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel It Ends With Us, set to hit theaters in June.
“Blake’s getting back into her stride with this new movie — she’s got other projects in the works too — and Ryan’s never been busier,” says the first source. But they’ve made a rule to try not to film simultaneously. “They time their absences to perfection, so one of them is almost always there with the kids,” explains the source. “It’s amazing how they manage it.” The second source agrees they “have a great system in place. They try to keep everything 50-50.”
It took some time to figure out the right balance. “Blake and Ryan have had rough patches,” says the second source, “but they are really past that time in their lives.” When conflicts arise, they tackle them head-on. “They have their differences like any other couple, but things get resolved through open dialogue,” says the first source. “There’s never sustained drama because they’re very quick to compromise.”
Reynolds is big on spoiling Lively with sweet gestures. “His career can be super demanding, but he always puts Blake and the kids first,” says the first source. “He’s kind and considerate and will surprise Blake with gifts when she’s least expecting them, and she, in turn, is everything he could’ve dreamed of in a partner and mother to his kids.”
