Blake Lively Says Having Kids Made Her Feel 'At Ease' In Her Own Skin
The actor and Betty Buzz founder is "incredibly settled" in her life and career.
As an actor who began her career at 16, Blake Lively has dealt with her fair share of insecurities. But in a recent interview, she said becoming a mother has made her feel more comfortable and confident in her own skin.
The Shallows star, 34, who launched a successful non-alcoholic premium mixer line called Betty Buzz in 2021, opened up to Forbes about being inspired to grab the reins of her career after having her daughters with husband Ryan Reynolds — James, 7, Inez, 5, and Betty, 2.
“Once I had children, [being fulfilled] just became even more profound because my time was even more precious, but also I think having children for me made me feel so much more in my skin,” Lively told Forbes. “I never felt more myself or at ease in my own body or more confident -- not to say that there aren't a bevy of insecurities coming at me a million times a day, but I just feel incredibly settled.”
Lively added that getting older and becoming a parent has encouraged her to take “authorship” in her life and have more meaningful relationships, personally and professionally.
“When I say authorship, I’m not trying to be like the sole leader or genius,” she added. “There’s nothing worse to me than that and I also don’t really believe in that. I believe in really valuable collaborations and that’s where I’m getting my fulfillment these days and I’ve never been happier, professionally.”
Lively has found success with Betty Buzz, and of course as an on-screen talent and fashion icon. She is also set to direct her first feature film, Seconds, by Last Night in Soho writer/director Edgar Wright, which she says is “a massive honor with Fox Searchlight.” (She recently directed the music video for Taylor Swift's song “I Bet You Think About Me.”)
But despite all of Lively’s work obligations, family always comes first.
“My family is always my priority and that has been since childhood,” Lively, who is one of five children herself, told Forbes, so whether that’s my parents and my siblings, now having my own family. Family is at the root of everything that I do and it’s also at the root of everything that I create. So whenever I create something, I create something with family in mind because that’s just how I live.”
Lively said her ultimate goal is to inspire her girls and make them proud.
“That’s part of the reason why Betty Buzz was important to us, that my kids could drink them, as well as me. That it wouldn’t be ingredients that I would feel bad about them putting in their bodies,” she concluded. “That also goes into the types of films I want to be a part of. I want to be in films, I want to make films, I want to author films that I would be proud for my children to see. Even the gowns I wear -- I just want my kids to be proud. Family is at the root of everything I do and it’s why I feel good about what I’m doing because it has a real meaning and heart behind it all.”
