A-list Hollywood couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are now facing backlash from the builder community as they accuse the couple for major delays in payment for their massive 110-acre estate in New York.
The couple recently faced over $2 million in mechanics’ liens filed by multiple contractors and subcontractors.
Here’s why contractors might be wary of working with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in the future
Entertainment columnist Rob Shuter revealed in his Substack post that though the couple has resolved $2 million in contractor claims, they seem to have lost the trust of builders and subcontractors, who may now think twice before bidding for contracts for the couple’s passion project.
A source close to the construction said, “Contractors had to file liens to get paid. That sends a message, and it’s not one the industry forgets.” The site has been under construction for years, and unpaid bills had piled up. The source informs, “Nobody wants to be chasing millions of dollars months down the road.” Another frustrated contractor says that Lively and Reynolds have earned a bad name in the construction fraternity, saying, “The attitude now is: cash up front, then we’ll talk.”
The builders have now turned away from investing more time and energy into the construction work for the couple. According to them, “everybody talks” in the small circle of builders, and though the bills are settled now, “people remember how they got settled.”
The couple purchased the sprawling New York estate back in 2018, which came with a 14,500-square-foot main house, a pool, and geothermal heating systems. Lively has previously said that the local community is “heaven” and they could not wait for construction to start.
Construction reportedly is at a halt, after significantly slowing down from late 2025 before being completely stopped in early 2026.
DO YOU THINK THE COUPLE HAS LOST RESPECT IN THE BUILDER COMMUNITY?