Taylor Swift has been unexpectedly drawn into the escalating legal dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, after newly unsealed court documents revealed private messages exchanged during the production of It Ends With Us.
What began as speculation around awkward red carpet moments during the film’s press tour has now evolved into one of Hollywood’s most closely watched legal showdowns, with allegations of harassment, reputational sabotage and coordinated PR tactics. The case is scheduled to go to trial on 18 May.
How Taylor Swift became involved
During court proceedings earlier this week, a tranche of private messages between Lively and members of her inner circle was made public. Among them were texts sent by Swift, who appears to have acted as a personal confidante to Lively during the film’s production.
In one exchange, Swift allegedly encouraged Lively to push for her own version of the script. Another message shows Lively asking Swift to publicly support her revised script, even without reviewing it first. Swift’s response reportedly read: “I’ll do anything for you.”
Baldoni’s legal team has seized on the messages, arguing that they demonstrate a coordinated effort by Lively and those close to her to undermine his authority as director. His lawyers have characterised the behaviour as a calculated campaign rather than an isolated creative disagreement.
Swift is not named as a defendant in the case.
Lively’s harassment claims revisited
Lively’s legal team has also expanded on the harassment allegations underpinning her $160 million lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios.
According to court filings, Lively alleges that Baldoni created a hostile work environment, including initiating an unscripted kiss that crossed professional boundaries. Her team has also revived claims that Baldoni commented on her weight following pregnancy, which they describe as body shaming. Baldoni has previously denied this, stating the comment related to safety concerns during a lifting scene.
Claims of online manipulation
At the heart of the lawsuit is Lively’s claim that Baldoni and his studio employed digital crisis firms to influence public opinion during the film’s release.
Her legal team alleges that a surge of TikTok videos criticising her promotional approach, including marketing her haircare brand alongside a film about domestic violence, was not organic but deliberately engineered. Baldoni’s lawyers deny this, maintaining that the backlash reflected genuine public reaction to Lively’s branding decisions.
Set tensions extended beyond the leads
The dispute has widened further following reports that co-star Jenny Slate raised concerns in internal emails. Slate allegedly described the atmosphere on set as disturbing and questioned Baldoni’s public image as an ally.
With the trial approaching, the potential witness list is attracting attention. High-profile names including Ryan Reynolds, Gigi Hadid, Hugh Jackman and Taylor Swift herself could be called to testify about the culture surrounding the production.
As legal arguments intensify and celebrity involvement grows, the case is shaping up to be one of the most explosive entertainment industry trials of the year.
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Featured Image: Getty
