Blake Lively is back on Instagram and sharing the love.
The It Ends With Us star shared a sweet birthday tribute to her pal, celebrity photographer Guy Aroch, via her Instagram Story late Sunday, September 22. The post comes around one month after controversy surrounding her latest movie amid an alleged feud between Lively and her It Ends costar and director Justin Baldoni.
“@guyaroch appreciation day is every day in my household. But today is his birthday,” Lively, 37, shared alongside a picture of Aroch posing for a selfie with Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
“This man SHOWS UP. Literally. Creatively. Practically. Emotionally,” Lively continued. “He is there for you in the best of times. In the worst of times. He makes everyone around him their most creative selves. Their most confident selves. He makes you feel like anything is possible. And it IS with him in your corner.”
Lively concluded, “I’m the lucky beneficiary of two decades of friendship with this man and his beautiful and equally generous, kind and talented family. My life wouldn’t be what it is today without you, Guy. I love you dearly. Today and always.”
The former Gossip Girl actress has largely remained off social media since the August 9 release of It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling 2016 novel. Fans noticed that Baldoni didn’t appear in group interviews with the rest of the cast in the lead-up to release, nor was he photographed with Lively and his costars at the movie’s New York City premiere on August 6.
“There were two camps on the film — team Blake and team Justin,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly of the movie’s production in August. “This creative struggle set the tone for the negative experience behind the scenes and grew into them not speaking anymore.”
It was also widely reported that Lively — a producer on the film — had her own cut of the film commissioned from Deadpool & Wolverine editor Shane Reid.
“It’s very typical to have many cuts of the film during the post-production process,” a source shared with Us. “This is the nature of post-production and part of the editing process.”
During the movie’s press tour, Lively also received criticism for the way she answered questions about the film, which has themes of domestic violence, and for her behavior in resurfaced interviews from years prior. Amid the backlash, Blake shared domestic violence resources via social media.
Since the release of It Ends With Us, Lively has enjoyed some downtime with her husband, Reynolds, and pal Taylor Swift. Lively and Reynolds were spotted at Swift’s Rhode Island mansion on August 25, which also marked her 37th birthday.
