Hollywood actress Blake Lively has disclosed her latest luxury gift of choice for friends: high-end Mahjong sets with a price tag reaching $400. The revelation comes as her high-profile, multi-million dollar legal dispute with former co-star and director Justin Baldoni encounters another procedural setback.
The $400 Mahjong Obsession
In a recent interview with Vogue, the 38-year-old star shared that she has been gifting premium Mahjong sets from the brand Oh My Mahjong. The sets range in cost from $350 to $400, a significant investment comparable to other luxury versions available online.
Lively explained her new passion, stating she has been teaching friends how to play. "I need to say I’m not a certified teacher. But I know enough to teach my friends how to play with me, and in the end, I always end up gifting them my own set because they are obsessed and want to practice," she told the magazine. The interview was part of the promotion for her collaboration with the brand Stoney Clover, which recently hosted an event featuring Mahjong lessons by Oh My Mahjong.
The steep price of the game did not escape public notice. On Reddit, users expressed shock, with one commenting, "$400 for a mahjong set?! That is crazy talk." Another user pointedly noted the connection between the promotional event and the expensive product Lively was endorsing.
A Stalled $161 Million Legal War
This lighthearted revelation contrasts sharply with the ongoing serious legal drama surrounding the actress. Lively is approaching the one-year anniversary of her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, which was first reported by The New York Times on December 21, 2024.
The suit stems from their collaboration on the 2025 film It Ends With Us. Lively, who starred in the movie Baldoni directed, alleges sexual harassment on set and has filed for $161 million in damages for personal and financial losses due to alleged retaliation and a smear campaign.
Baldoni denied the claims and initially filed a $400 million defamation countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times, but a judge dismissed it. He is now seeking to have Lively's case thrown out, arguing the grievances are minor and do not constitute harassment.
Another Delay in Court Proceedings
The legal battle has hit another delay. The civil trial has been postponed from March 9, 2026, to May 18, 2026. Judge Lewis Liman ruled that scheduled criminal trials must take precedence. A key hearing in the case is still set for January 22.
In her initial statement last year, Lively expressed hope that her legal action would "help pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics." Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has consistently labelled the allegations as "categorically false" and a desperate attempt by Lively to repair her reputation.
As Blake Lively promotes a pastime of luxury and strategy, her own real-world strategy in a costly and complex court battle continues to unfold, with the next major move scheduled for later this month.
