Blake Lively is even more recently embroiled in a legal fight with her former co-star Justin Baldoni. Underlying the dispute are allegations of pervasive sexual harassment and a pattern of extortion and defamation. The event has seen unprecedented media coverage. At the center of the legal battle is Lively’s close friendship with pop icon Taylor Swift.
Baldoni fanned the flames to the public dispute by suing Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and others involved. She painted them as villains for trying to use their high-profile connections to monopolize and unfairly affect the film industry. His complaint alleges that Lively called Swift and Reynolds her “dragons.” That would indicate that she weaponized her personal connections to the industry against anyone who dared to thwart the production of “It Ends With Us.”
In a major reversal, Lively’s attorneys now claim that Baldoni’s conduct forced Lively to apply pressure on Swift to retract text messages exchanged in the conversations. This claim intensifies the legal drama, as it suggests an attempt to manipulate the narrative surrounding the case. In response, Lively’s legal counsel, Mike Gottlieb, has filed motions to strike Baldoni’s documents, labeling them “unnecessary, improper, and abusive.”
“Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists did, this document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swift’s name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case,” said Taylor Swift’s spokesperson.
Swift has been an indirect player in the case. And, perhaps most importantly, she gave her song “My Tears Ricochet” for use in the film. Her spokesperson reiterated that Swift had no artistic involvement in the creation of the film. In direct response to that question, they affirmed, “Taylor Swift never stepped foot on the set of this film. She didn’t even watch It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release.”
The clash became heated after Lively lodged a complaint with the new California Civil Rights Department. She charged Baldoni with sexual harassment that took place on the set during production. In response to her opposition, Baldoni’s lawsuit alleges that Lively attempted to use her connections with powerful people to intimidate Baldoni and shakedown the production.
The two sides are due to face off in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Save the date for March 9, 2026! As the legal process continues to play out, Gottlieb vigorously denied Baldoni’s allegations.
Gottlieb responded flatly, “This is categorically false. We deny all these alleged so-called allegations in unequivocal fashion. He continued that they’re often based on cowardly anonymous sources and are just totally unmoored from reality.
Baldoni’s attorneys claim Lively misused her relationships with big names to strong-arm everyone else on the project. This claim has resulted in a haphazard back and forth slugfest of legal suit and countersuit between the two parties.
She preserved her wit as she continued to fight the more than forty lawsuits still filed against her.
As this epic legal saga continues to play out, the potential of Swift’s involvement just makes the story all the more interesting. The entertainment industry is closely watching as both sides prepare for battle in court. This case dramatically mixes personal relationships with professional reputations, and everyone is virtually breathless to see what happens next.
