Blake Lively’s latest filing obliterates Justin Baldoni’s story that Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman witnessed Ryan Reynolds “aggressively” defending her on the It Ends With Us set—removing two of Hollywood’s biggest names from the director’s defense before the May trial.
Blake Lively has formally dismantled one of the flashiest pillars of Justin Baldoni’s counter-narrative: the claim that global superstar Taylor Swift was in the room when an alleged confrontation between Baldoni and Ryan Reynolds exploded during post-production on the 2024 blockbuster It Ends With Us.
In a sworn supplemental filing entered January 20 and reviewed by USA TODAY, Lively states unequivocally that Swift “was not present” for any heated exchange, undercutting Baldoni’s previous suggestion that Reynolds deployed his wife’s high-wattage circle of friends—including Swift and Hugh Jackman—to intimidate him.
What Baldoni Claimed—and What Lively Swears Under Oath
Baldoni’s camp has argued in prior court papers that Reynolds arrived at the couple’s New York penthouse “aggressively berating” the director for allegedly “fat-shaming” Lively. The director’s attorneys implied the incident was staged to coincide with celebrity drop-ins, noting that Jackman arrived to take Reynolds to lunch and that Swift was “coming in and out.”
Lively’s new account flips that timeline on its head:
- She says Reynolds merely “briefly walked over and joined our discussion” about script tweaks, then “returned back to his own work shortly thereafter.”
- Jackman, she concedes, did arrive—but only to pick up Reynolds for lunch, exchanged “niceties,” and left “for lunch” without witnessing any blow-up.
- Swift, the filing insists, was never on the premises that day.
Stripping two of the most recognizable names on the planet from Baldoni’s story removes the implicit “star-power intimidation” angle his defense has floated since Lively filed her civil-rights suit in December 2024.
The Weight-Loss Consultant Allegation Returns
While dismantling Baldoni’s timeline, Lively also reiterated her claim that the director covertly brought in a “trusted health adviser” supposedly hired for her strep throat but who, she says, “specialized in weight loss.”
“I was disturbed and unsettled that Baldoni was soliciting information about my weight,” the filing reads, adding that he allegedly called her personal trainer “behind my back after I had recently given birth and was still breastfeeding.”
Lively says she confronted Baldoni, calling the move “invasive and inappropriate,” and that the conversation Reynolds joined was about those concerns—not about directorial creative differences.
Swift Texts Enter Evidence, But Not the Penthouse Narrative
Although Swift was not physically present, her friendship with Lively has kept her name in the case. Previously unsealed texts between the singer and the actress show emotional support but do not reference any on-set confrontation, further isolating Baldoni’s claim that Swift was part of a pressure campaign.
What’s at Stake Before the May 18 Trial
Lively’s legal team, led by powerhouse litigator Sigrid McCawley, appears intent on pre-emptively dismantling every element of Baldoni’s defense before the trial opens. With the court having already tossed Wayfarer Studios’ retaliatory countersuit, Baldoni must now defend against Lively’s core allegations—sexual harassment and a coordinated smear—without the optics of A-list witnesses.
The producer-director’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new filing.
Why This Filing Matters
By surgically removing Swift and minimizing Jackman’s involvement, Lively has:
- Shrunk the perceived “celebrity army” Baldoni says he faced.
- Forced the defense to rely on lesser-known witnesses, muting tabloid appeal.
- Re-centered the case on workplace-conduct allegations rather than star-wattage theatrics.
It’s a textbook legal chess move: control the narrative before jury selection even begins.
Bottom line: Baldoni once painted the penthouse meeting as a celebrity ambush. Lively’s new testimony—if believed—turns it into a routine script session with a quick hello from Hugh Jackman and zero Taylor Swift. As opening statements loom, the director’s star-studded shield is suddenly looking very ordinary.
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