Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ quest to build a custom eco-friendly estate on a sprawling 110-acre parcel in upstate New York has reportedly hit a significant hurdle — amid claims that the couple owes $2.1 million (AUD $2.94 million) in unpaid fees to contractors they hired to work on the enormous property.
Just weeks after Lively’s highly publicised legal battle with former co-star Justin Baldoni ended, the actress and her spouse have been mired in controversy once again, this time over their lives away from the big screen.
The “It Ends With Us” actress and the “Deadpool” star began snapping up several properties in the town of Lewisboro, NY, in 2018, with property records showing that they bought six adjacent parcels of land, totalling 110 acres, through the same LLC, the largest of which was purchased for $12 million (AUD $16.78 million).
In June 2022, Lively shed some light on their plans for the sprawling property — which is located just a few miles away from a $5.7 million farmhouse they own in Pound Ridge, NY — telling a virtual meeting of the Lewisboro Planning Board that she and her husband wanted to construct “an incredibly sustainable” retreat on the land.
“We have 110 acres and we don’t have a house,” she said at the time, according to the Katonah-Lewisboro Times. “So, this is just us saying we’re so excited to live here.”
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The actress hinted that they had plans to turn the residence into their primary home, telling the board meeting that she was looking forward to raising their four children — James, 11, Inez, 9, Betty, 6, and Olin, 3 — on the estate.
Money troubles? Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are being pursued for millions in unpaid bills. Picture: Getty Images
“Our kids are growing up way too fast, which is [not] your problem, but definitely ours,” she continued. “We’ve had this property for four years now, and I’m just desperate to get shovels in the ground and be living on this land and enjoying it.”
Lively went on to gush about the local community, describing it as “heaven,” before insisting that she and her husband planned to keep the two existing structures on their property — a small cottage and a two-bedroom house.
Their proposed abode was meant to feature a swimming pool, a private gym, and a spacious pool house, records show.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have reportedly been hit with millions in mechanics’ liens from contractors who were hired to build their custom eco-friendly estate. Picture: Instagram
Planning permits and applications filed that same year indicate that the couple was approved to break ground on their dream dwelling that same year. However, they were forced to downsize their initial plans for the primary residence to 14,500 square feet.
However, the Daily Mail now reports that construction on the opulent dwelling has ceased, alleging that the couple have been slapped with liens from multiple contractors and subcontractors, who claim they have not been paid for the work done on the home thus far.
The largest of those claims, which totals more than $1.35 million (AUD $1.89 million), was filed by FlowCon Inc., also known as Flower Construction, the outlet states. That company had been hired to handle the home’s HVAC systems, plumbing, framing, masonry, and waterproofing, among other aspects of the construction process.
There are also claims made for payments for drainage systems, trim installation, structural work, and septic installation.
Realtor.com® has contacted a spokesman for the couple for comment.
The latest report comes just weeks after Lively and her former “It Ends With Us” co-star, Baldoni, settled a lengthy legal dispute over allegations that he defamed the actress by orchestrating a smear campaign meant to destroy her public reputation after she accused him of sexual harassment.
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Lively and Reynolds purchased 110 acres of land in Lewisboro in several transactions, beginning in 2018. Picture: Google Earth
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Baldoni has repeatedly denied the claims; however, the two settled just days before their trial was due to begin on May 18. The details of that settlement have not been fully revealed, but lawyers for the actor and his production company, Wayfarer, alleged in a May 8 court filing that the actress “dismissed her three remaining claims without the … defendants paying a cent.”
Lively had previously claimed that she lost more than $40 million (AUD $56 million) as a result of the “reputational damage” she suffered during her public feud with Baldoni, as well as $49 million (AUD $68.5 million) in losses to her haircare company, Blake Brown, and $22 million (AUD $31 million) in losses to her beverage brand, Betty Buzz.
Rumours also began to surface in the lead-up to the trial that Reynolds and Lively were eyeing a move overseas to escape the fallout from the scandal, with sources alleging that they had discussed relocating their family to the U.K., where the actor owns a popular soccer team, Wrexham.
“With Ryan’s huge success with [his Welsh soccer club] Wrexham, he has a great affinity for the U.K.,” a source alleged to the Daily Mail in April, noting that the actress “could rebrand there.”
The insider further claimed that the only thing stopping the duo from making the overseas move was considerations about how it might affect their children.
“What’s making them take a long, hard look at their immediate future is that their kids’ schooling and friends are in the States,” the insider said.
A move to the U.K. would also see the family walking away from their very impressive East Coast property portfolio, which includes the Lewisboro estate, a sprawling property in nearby Pound Ridge, and a luxury apartment in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighbourhood.
It’s thought that they have been using their expansive Pound Ridge property as their main residence of late, largely because it affords them much more privacy than they are able to enjoy in the city — even though they live in a building that is reported to be “paparazzi-proof.”
Still, as far as space is concerned, the Pound Ridge property is hard to beat. Built in 1860, the seven-bedroom countryside retreat offers 8,892 square feet of living space. The 12-acre parcel appears to have a converted barn on the premises, as well as stone walls, a stocked pond, and orchards.
The property boasts seven bedrooms and six bathrooms and comes with a separate guesthouse.
