Private text messages between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift have been unsealed in a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, revealing strategic discussions and personal support amid allegations of harassment and power dynamics in Hollywood. The texts, made public by Baldoni’s legal team, show Swift advising Lively on navigating the industry’s power structures and offer a rare glimpse into their close friendship during a high-stakes legal battle.
The Lawsuit and the Texts
Blake Lively sued Justin Baldoni and his crisis communications expert, alleging harassment and a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation after she complained about his treatment of her while filming the 2024 romantic drama It Ends With Us. The lawsuit has since escalated into a high-profile legal battle, with Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios production company countersuing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for defamation and extortion. Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed the countersuit last June, but the trial remains scheduled for May 18, 2026.
The unsealed documents include a trove of text messages and emails sent by Lively, including exchanges with her longtime friend Taylor Swift. These messages were made public by Baldoni’s lawyers, who argue that they show Lively strategically manipulating Baldoni’s public image by leveraging her connections with powerful and famous friends.
Swift’s Strategic Advice
In April 2024, Lively sent Swift a link to the It Ends With Us trailer, which featured Swift’s song My Tears Ricochet. Swift’s response was telling: “Wow I love how they use the song. Welcome to hollywood Justin.” The women then speculated about how the public would interpret the song’s inclusion in the film.
“If Justin was strategic/He would be like no Taylor Swift in the trailer/Because that gives you more power over the film, that’s your ally not his,” Swift wrote. Lively responded: “You are so right. And so wickedly smart to call it. He should’ve run from your music. I never thought about that. But holy s(asterisk)(asterisk)t. How stupid. This was his only shot at having the appearance of an upper hand.”
Personal Support and Public Scrutiny
In another text exchange on December 4, 2024, Lively checked in with Swift, writing that she felt “like a bad friend lately because I was such a sad sack” who only talked about her own problems “for months.” Swift replied that she did perceive a shift in Lively’s language, noting that her texts had begun to feel like “a mass corporate email sent to 200 employees.”
“I just kinda miss my dark, normal-speaking friend who talks to me as herself, not like. A plural unit,” Swift wrote. The following day, Swift sent Lively a link to a People magazine story about Baldoni, writing: “I think this b(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk) knows something is coming because he’s gotten out his tiny violin.”
Weeks later, Swift told Lively, “You won” and “You did it,” while sharing an article saying Baldoni had been dropped by his talent agency. “Never has a cancellation been reversed so fast,” Swift wrote, after telling Lively that she “helped so many people who won’t have to go through this ever again.”
The Legal Battle Continues
In court, Baldoni’s attorney Jonathan Bach accused Lively of filling her lawsuit with “trivial and petty grievances” that fall short of legal standards for a hostile workplace claim. However, Judge Liman responded that “a whole bunch of little things can add up to a big thing.”
Lively’s lawyer, Esra Hudson, countered with allegations of repeated unwanted physical touching or humiliating incidents on the set, including an unscripted moment when she said Baldoni leaned in and kissed Lively, putting his face on her face. “She’s clearly having her boundaries crossed in that moment. It was a surprise. No one discussed it before,” Hudson said.
When the judge said he was “still having trouble” determining how the question of consent fits on the set of a movie, Hudson urged him to look at the “totality of circumstances,” including when Lively was unexpectedly made to “crawl on all fours” and simulate a sex act.
The Implications
The unsealing of these text messages has raised questions about the levers of power, influence, and gender dynamics in Hollywood. The trial, scheduled for May 18, 2026, could be star-studded, with potential witnesses including model Gigi Hadid, actors Emily Blunt, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, and Hugh Jackman, influencer Candace Owens, media personality Perez Hilton, and designer Ashley Avignone.
After the hearing, Lively’s attorney Sigrid McCawley told reporters that the text exchange isn’t relevant, and that Lively has done “everything she can to protect her friends from not being brought into that.” “What’s relevant is her claims that she was sexually harassed in the workplace and the witnesses that were there to see that,” McCawley said.
For fans of Lively and Swift, the texts offer a rare glimpse into their close friendship and the personal support they provide each other during challenging times. The legal battle also highlights the complexities of power dynamics in Hollywood and the importance of addressing allegations of harassment and misconduct.
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