The former 'Gossip Girl' actress was really not too keen with her unconventional middle name until her actor husband, Ryan Reynolds, helped her see its charm.
- August 10, 2024
AceShowbiz - Blake Lively, who's best known for her roles in "[=t=Gossip Girl]" and will next be seen in the upcoming film "It Ends with Us," recently opened up about learning to appreciate her distinctive middle name. In an interview with MTV UK, Lively, 36, discussed how she went from confusion to affection regarding her middle name, thanks to her husband Ryan Reynolds.
Joined by her "It Ends with Us" co-star Isabela Ferrer, Lively shared that it wasn't until she met Reynolds that she began to embrace the moniker her mother had given her. While promoting their film, Ferrer attempted to recall Lively's middle name in an Instagram clip, "Oh my God, you've said it before," Ferrer exclaimed, clearly struggling.
Lively decided to provide some hints, stating, "If you write diary entries [it's] the first part of my middle name." Ferrer guessed "Ellen," a logical attempt given that in the 2016 novel "It Ends with Us," the character Lily Bloom often writes to Ellen DeGeneres in her diary entries. However, this guess was only partially correct.
Ferrer continued her guesses, mentioning names like "Elenor" and "Elenora," but none were the exact match. Lively added another clue, saying it's "kind of, but with a 'D'." She jokingly said her mom likely created the name by accident - it wasn't a word and didn't exist in the dictionary.
Finally, after much guessing, Lively revealed her middle name as "Ellender." Ferrer compared it to the famous wizard from "Harry Potter," saying "Dumbledore." Lively laughed and corrected her, emphasizing, "I'm not Dumbledore, it's Ellender." Throughout her childhood, Lively admitted, "I always hated it," and then apologized to any viewers named Ellender.
But Reynolds, 47, found something charming in the name. He believed it sounded like "lavender," which Lively said made her appreciate it more. Ferrer excitedly agreed, adding the name had a regal and elegant ring to it, suggesting it sounded like "Lady Ellender III."
This playful interaction between Lively and Ferrer sheds light on how personal names can take on new meaning when seen through the eyes of loved ones. With "It Ends with Us" now in theaters, fans have even more reason to celebrate Lively and her unique charm.
