Long-lasting celebrity marriages are a rarity. Just ask Ryan Reynolds. His marriage to Scarlett Johansson back in 2008 lasted just a little more than two years before they called it quits. But it appears that the second time is a charm. Since 2012 Reynolds has been married to Blake Lively, whom he had met while the two were filming 2010’s Green Lantern. They didn’t start off as lovers. In fact, when still platonic friends they had even gone on a double date, with Ryan bringing a girl and Blake going along with some dude. But the two realized they were meant for each other and six years later here we are. The thing that makes their marriage successful is that Lively in particular has remained level-headed in the ways in which she carries out her roles as a wife and mother (to young daughters James and Inez). Let’s take a look at 20 reasons why she’s one of our favorites.
1. She’s Comfortable on the Red Carpet With Or Without Her Hubby
There are plenty of celebrities who feel as though they always have to be with their Significant Other when strutting their stuff on the red carpet. But Blake doesn’t suffer from these insecurities. She is confident and looks great at awards shows whether or not Ryan is next to her.
2. She’s Always Humble
Lively and Reynolds have a combined net worth that exceeds $90 million, and she grew up as the daughter of a Hollywood actor and producer, and yet she has never felt entitled. She is known to throw events for charities and fans, and tirelessly works for various causes including those that support women.
3. She Doesn’t Believe in Reinforcing Gender Stereotypes With Her Kids
As one little anecdote, when thinking about their daughter James’ personality, she and Ryan had jokingly described it as “bossy” before realizing that males who exhibit the same characteristics aren’t labeled as such. Thus they no longer use terms like that.
4. She Doesn’t Treat Her Kids As Props
There are plenty of celebrities who love to parade their kids around, but you’ll notice that it isn’t easy to find pictures of Blake and Ryan’s children on the Internet. She is intent on keeping them out of the spotlight so that as they grow up, they can find their own path in life rather than being stuck with the “children of celebrities” label.
5. She Wants Her Kids to Live Semi-Normal Lives
Lively grew up in a household full of family members who worked in Hollywood, but Blake wants to make sure that her children get to experience a life that is more typical of a regular family, which takes us to our next couple of points…
6. She and Ryan Take Turns Raising their Kids
Given that their daughters are the biggest priority, Blake and Ryan will actually alternate their schedules so that at least one parent is always around for them. This means planning ahead and knowing who is filming and when.
7. When the Couple are on Vacation, the Grandparents Take Over
Sometimes the Hollywood couple needs some R&R. So who cares for the kids while their gone? Nannies, right? Nope. Blake’s parents and other family members! Both she and Ryan come from big families, so there is no shortage of willing caregivers!
8. She Trolls Reynolds On Social Media (But It’s All in Good Fun)
Not long ago, Blake posted a picture of Ryan on Instagram wishing him a happy birthday… but not the Ryan you’re thinking of! She had cropped her husband out of a photo that included Ryan Gosling, making the latter the actual focal point of the greeting. Nothing like a friendly rivalry between Ryans.
9. She Doesn’t Take Herself Too Seriously Either
If you’re going to tease others, you need to be willing to take it as well. Blake is more than willing to be the target of a joke, such as when Reynolds stated that Lively was so tough that she could have delivered their daughter on her own.
10. The Average Mom Can Relate To Her
Lively doesn’t have a team of makeup artists; she does it all herself. She also doesn’t have a team of cooks; she cooks all of her children’s meals! In other words, she is no different from 99% of the world’s other mothers.
11. She isn’t Afraid to Try Challenging Roles
It would be easy to just try to cash in on simple roles, but Lively doesn’t take short cuts. She’s played a blind woman, a crack addict, a soccer player, a fighter pilot and a surfer among others. She has even joked that she takes on such odd roles that she can’t actually relate to any of the characters she plays!
12. She and Ryan are BFFs
The key to an ideal marriage is when the couple also think of each other as best friends. This is definitely the case with Blake and Ryan. In fact, they were friends for two years before taking things to a romantic level.
13. Taylor Swift is Also a BFF
Can you boast that Taylor Swift is your best friend? Of course not. But guess who can? Blake!!! In fact, you can even hear her daughter James voice on the hit track “Gorgeous.”
14. She Doesn’t Let Gossip Affect Her Marriage
From time to time there are unsubstantiated rumors that their marriage is on the rocks, but Lively doesn’t let this bother her. She knows that the pictures that she puts up on social media tell the real story of a happy, loving family.
15. She Supports Reynold’s Career As Much as Her Own
When Reynolds arrived at the premiere of Deadpool (in which he stars as the titular character), Blake was there with him… all dressed up in an outfit that perfectly matched Deadpool’s red and black color scheme! In other words, she is his #1 cheerleader.
16. She Attributes Her Success to Her Husband and Family
She seems Ryan, her parents, siblings and cousins as her reason for living. Given that it was her older brother who convinced her to try out for Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (and launch her acting career in the process), this couldn’t be more true.
17. She Helped Ryan and His Father Mend Fences
There was a period in Reynolds’ life in which he and his father weren’t on speaking terms, but Blake helped Ryan understand the importance of focusing on the good times. As a result, he was able to have a relationship with his father before his passing. In fact, their daughter James was named after his father in memoriam.
18. She Has the Right Perspective
Because she is an actress, she knows the challenges that Ryan faces in his day-to-day job. This also includes understanding that as a leading Hollywood man, pretty much every movie that he’s in will feature on-screen romance. She has never let this come between their marriage.
19. She is Not (and Has Never Been) a Partier
There are a lot of celebrities who are known for their wild boozing and embarrassing brushes with the law, but Blake is definitely not one of them. She was always a “dinner and a movie” kind of girl. We’ll definitely drink to that!
20. She’s Clearly in a Happy Marriage
Whenever you see pictures of Blake and Ryan together, it’s nothing but smiles. Not the forced kind either. They couldn’t be in a better relationship!
