Blake Lively Caught In New Legal Storm As Beauty Brand Strikes Back

Blake Lively is facing yet another legal hurdle as her burgeoning hair-care brand, Blake Brown, becomes entangled in a fresh trademark dispute.

According to new court documents, Lively’s company, Family Hive LLC, has filed a lawsuit against Utah-based entrepreneur Kimberlie Hamner, who owns the trademark Beauty by Blake.

The suit alleges that Hamner’s trademark is too similar to Blake Lively’s brand name and could cause consumer confusion.

Family Hive, a Delaware-registered entity behind Blake Brown, holds three pending trademarks, one for the brand name, one for its beehive-shaped logo, and another combining both elements. Although the Blake Brown product line officially launched this summer at Target, the trademarks were all filed in 2023 and are currently awaiting approval.

Hamner filed her Beauty by Blake trademark application in September 2024, notably, after Blake Lively’s filings, with plans to market “cosmetic oils” and “serums for cosmetic purposes.” The trademark was published in the Trademark Official Gazette this past April.

In response, Family Hive filed a formal opposition on June 5.

In the filing obtained by Daily Mail, Family Hive’s attorney Leo M. Loughlin claimed the rival trademark poses “a likelihood of confusion” and could “damage” the Blake Brown brand. He further argued that Hamner’s products might mislead consumers into thinking they are connected to or endorsed by Family Hive, adding that Hamner has “no connection whatsoever” to the company.

The trademark showdown isn’t the only headline Blake Lively is making this week. Just days before news broke of her haircare brand’s legal action, the “Gossip Girl” alum unveiled a fresh expansion of her Blake Brown product line, debuting three new hair and body mists directly inspired by fan feedback.

“This was a response to our community going, ‘Please make fragrance,’” Lively told PEOPLE. “They were like, ‘I want to be able to refresh after the gym or throughout the day.’”

Lively even confessed she’s been guilty of walking through a cloud of dry shampoo just for the scent. “You’re probably not supposed to do that, but I just love the smell,” she laughed.

True to form, Blake Lively didn’t skimp on aesthetics either. “I wanted [the bottles] to look like a retro perfume bottle… an elegance to them and sort of a glamour, but also be easy to throw in your bag,” she explained.

The launch adds a polished new chapter to Blake Brown’s growing catalog, even as the brand finds itself in a legal tug-of-war over its name and likeness.

The latest lawsuit arrives at a difficult time for Blake Lively’s business ventures.

Insiders claim the backlash has intensified in recent months, with some pointing to the waning support from Taylor Swift’s fan base as a contributing factor. Once a frequent fixture in Swift’s inner circle, Blake Lively has reportedly seen her public favorability drop, and, with it, consumer interest in her products.

The report projects that Blake Brown will generate less than $15 million in total sales for 2025, a dramatic fall from the $100 million valuation the brand was once believed to hold.

The beauty brand lawsuit marks the second legal entanglement for Blake Lively this week as she also suffered a blow in her high-profile legal battle with “It Ends With Us” co-star Justin Baldoni.

In December 2024, Lively filed a bombshell lawsuit against Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment, “disturbing” behavior on set, and a retaliatory smear campaign.

The accusations sent ripples through Hollywood. Baldoni swiftly denied the allegations and responded with a countersuit in January, accusing Lively, along with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and their PR team, of defamation and extortion.

Earlier this week, a New York judge ruled that Blake Lively’s attempt to withdraw her “emotional distress” claim against Baldoni, without prejudice, was invalid, effectively killing the claim altogether. Baldoni’s legal team had previously pushed for access to Lively’s medical records to substantiate the claim, sparking a tense legal exchange.

While Lively’s brand continues to expand its presence in the beauty space, the actress now finds herself juggling courtroom drama alongside her entrepreneurial ventures. With trademark tensions heating up, it’s clear that the road ahead for Blake Brown may be as tangled as a bad hair day.