Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds bought a large parcel of land in 2018, and since then have employed contractors to build a geothermal-powered and environmentally conscious retreat. Despite being over 8 years in the making, the residence isn’t finished yet, and now we have an idea as to why: five contractors just filed mechanics liens against the couple for $2.1M in unpaid contractor debt. Keep reading for more information.
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Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds Owe Millions To Contractors
The couples' eco-friendly dreams for their upstate New York home include a 14,500-square-foot main residence, a 3,306-square-foot pool house for a 1,000-square-foot swimming pool, a 1,702-square-foot gym and accompanying septic and stormwater systems. Lively has called the property "heavenly" and "the most beautiful place in the world" in prior planning board hearings, adding that she is "so grateful to have this land and to have such space and such privacy."
Despite her graciousness to the planning board giving her permission to build out the retreat, that sentiment seemingly doesn't translate to the people actually working on the build. Last month, five contractors and subcontractors filed mechanics liens against the couple’s 110-acre property, amounting to a total of $2.1M owed. While not a full-fledged lawsuit yet, the mechanic liens could certainly translate into one, and with Lively's track record in the courtroom, the couple might want to think about coughing up the cash–quickly.
Social Media Reactions
Across social media platforms, critics called out Lively and Reynolds for their unfair treatment of their contractors, calling them "con artists" and "fraudsters."
"Exploiting workers performing back breaking labor on their mansion. These workers spent 12 hours/day doing dangerous work and went home without a check to feed their family," one person wrote on Reddit.
"They are officially in their clown era," another person wrote.
"You mean Blake can drop $10K for a stupid purse with her kids' watercolors but she can't pay contractors who expected her to honor their contracts and have families that depend on the money?" asked another. "These two are beyond evil."
"Can you imagine not paying workers who perform back breaking labor on your mansion?" a final user asked. "Blake is a bad person. She does not care about the rights of workers. I cannot emphasize how inhumane and horrific this information is."
