Taylor Swift privately branded Justin Baldoni a “clown” while Blake Lively plotted script changes, according to explosive texts unsealed 48 hours before the next courtroom showdown.
The gloves are officially off. On January 20, a federal judge unsealed a trove of text messages between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively that reveal the pop superstar mocking director Justin Baldoni and strategizing how to wrestle creative control of It Ends With Us away from him.
The messages land just two days before a summary-judgment hearing that could decide whether Lively’s original harassment lawsuit against Baldoni ever reaches the May 18 jury trial. Swift is listed as a potential witness for Lively.
The 7 Most Damning Lines From the Group Chat
- “This doofus director of my movie” – Lively’s label for Baldoni in a July 2023 text to Swift.
- “I’ll do anything for you!!” – Swift’s reply when Lively asked her to endorse rewritten scenes sight-unseen.
- “You are so right… He should’ve run from your music.” – Lively agreeing with Swift that using My Tears Ricochet in the trailer handed Lively leverage.
- “I think this b**** knows something is coming.” – Swift, December 2024, hours before Lively’s New York Times exposé dropped.
- “I’m Khaleesi… I happen to have a few dragons.” – Lively’s alleged warning to Baldoni that Swift and husband Ryan Reynolds were her protective “dragons.”
- “You were so epically heroic today.” – Lively gushing to Swift after the singer showed up at Lively’s apartment to pressure Baldoni on script notes.
- “A chaotic clown.” – Lively’s description of Baldoni in front of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, according to Baldoni’s filing.
Why These Texts Could Sink—or Save—Either Side
Baldoni’s legal team argues the exchanges prove a coordinated smear campaign designed to seize authorship credit and tank his reputation. Lively’s camp counters that the messages are cherry-picked banter between friends and never amount to the alleged harassment she endured on set.
Judge Lewis J. Liman, who already tossed Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit in June, must now decide whether the new evidence warrants keeping any defamation claims alive. The January 22 hearing will also determine how much of Swift’s private correspondence can be shown to jurors if the case proceeds.
The Stakes Beyond the Courtroom
Hollywood power brokers are watching to see whether a star’s group-chat venting can be weaponized as legal strategy. If Baldoni prevails on even a slice of his claims, studios may rethink how much informal actor input they allow in post-production. A win for Lively could embolden talent to air grievances publicly without fear of multi-million-dollar retaliation.
Meanwhile, Swift—who is rehearsing the European leg of her record-breaking Eras Tour—has distanced herself through a rep, insisting she “never set foot on set” and only learned of the film’s final cut “weeks after release.”
What Happens Next
- January 22: Summary-judgment arguments; judge rules which claims survive to trial.
- May 18: Jury selection starts if any portion of Baldoni’s counterclaims remain.
- Swift’s deposition: Could be taken in March if the judge green-lights her as a witness.
- It Ends With Us sequel: Sony has paused development until the cloud lifts.
Regardless of the outcome, the leak has already cemented a new celebrity litigation playbook: never underestimate the paper trail hidden inside iMessage.
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