Blake Lively Slams Claims She Forced Taylor Swift Into Justin Baldoni Drama—What Really Happened?

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Blake Lively is speaking out about recent gossip.

In response to allegations from Justin Baldoni‘s legal team that actress Blake Lively attempted to pressure Taylor Swift to release a supportive public statement during his court battle with the “It Ends With Us” director, Lively’s attorneys strongly refuted these claims.

In response to TopMob News on May 14th, attorney Mike Gottlieb stated categorically that the claims made are false. We firmly reject each and every one of these alleged accusations, as they originate from unidentified sources and bear no resemblance to actual events or circumstances.

The argument continued by suggesting that Baldoni’s legal team has a fondness for acting impulsively, making accusations without proof, and disregarding the individuals they potentially hurt during their actions.

Soon, we plan to submit requests to the court, aiming to bring discipline against these lawyers due to their unprofessional behavior.

TopMob News contacted Baldoni’s legal representatives seeking a response regarding the statement, but we haven’t received one yet.

In a legal document acquired by TopMob News on May 14th, attorney Bryan Freedman communicated to the judge that a source who appears to have credible information has shared with his team that Baldoni’s lawyer had contacted Swift’s attorney and requested a statement of support for Lively. If such a statement wasn’t issued, according to the source, private, personal text messages belonging to Lively might be disclosed.

The letter further claimed that Lively, aged 37, who has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni and in turn been countersued by the former star of “Jane the Virgin” for defamation (and other charges), is said to have requested Swift, aged 35, to erase their text message exchanges.

Previously, the Grammy-winning artist expressed her stance following allegations that she had been summoned by Baldoni’s team. They claimed that Lively had used her friendship with the celeb to gain greater creative influence over “It Ends With Us“.

According to a statement made by Taylor Swift’s representative to TopMob News on May 9th, Taylor Swift had no role whatsoever in the making of this movie. She was not part of the casting process, did not contribute to the creative aspects, nor did she compose the music for the film. Furthermore, she never watched any edits or provided feedback on the final product.

To add more insight, I passionately believe that my beloved singer’s involvement in this legal matter was limited to granting permission for the use of her track “My Tears Ricochet.” I can’t help but feel that including her in this lawsuit was merely a tactic to generate publicity, rather than a genuine collaboration or association.

Since Taylor Swift was part of licensing a song for the movie, similar to 19 other artists, this court summons is more about exploiting Taylor Swift’s name to generate public curiosity and sensationalist headlines rather than delving into the details of the legal case.

And it’s a sentiment Lively’s attorney subsequently echoed.

In response to TopMob News, her representative stated that this issue is a grave legal matter, not comparable to Barnum & Bailey’s Circus. The accused persistently threaten, belittle, humiliate, and undermine women’s rights and dignity in public.

For more on Lively and Baldoni’s legal battle, keep reading.

Four months after the big-screen adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us” graced theaters, I, as a lifestyle expert, found myself in an unfortunate situation. On December 20th, I filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against my costar Justin Baldoni and several associates from his production company Wayfarer Studios, according to The New York Times.

In the complaint obtained by TopMob News, Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios (Wayfarer), its CEO Jamey Heath, its cofounder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel, her company RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, her company The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace and his company Street Relations Inc. were named as defendants.

I claimed in my complaint that Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates retaliated against me with a complex press and digital strategy after I voiced concerns about alleged misconduct on set. My fellow cast members and crew experienced invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior by Baldoni and Heath, according to my statement.

I added that this alleged campaign against me caused significant harm, both personally and professionally. The charges listed in the complaint include sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to investigate, prevent, and/or remedy harassment; aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation; breach of contract; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligence; false light invasion of privacy; and interference with prospective economic advantage.

The following day, The New York Times published a report detailing an alleged counterattack smear campaign orchestrated by Baldoni and his colleagues against Lively, referencing her CRD complaint. In their article, the newspaper quoted messages exchanged between Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), Nathan (crisis communications specialist) and others, which were part of her complaint. On their website, readers could access related court documents as well.

“I hope that my legal action will reveal these underhanded retaliatory strategies used to harm those who expose misconduct,” Lively told the outlet, “and safeguard others who might become targets.

 

—Reporting by Sara Ouerfelli

It’s regrettable that Miss Lively and her team would make such grave and factually incorrect claims against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Productions, and their associates. This appears to be yet another desperate attempt to improve her tarnished reputation, which was earned through her own comments and actions during the film campaign; observations made in real-time, unedited interviews, and press activities that allowed for public scrutiny and opinion formation on the internet. These claims are entirely false, excessive, deliberately sensational, and intended to harm publicly and perpetuate a media narrative.”

Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s decision to engage a crisis manager prior to the film’s marketing campaign. He further clarified that they did not take any proactive measures nor retaliate but only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure fair and accurate reporting, and monitored social media activity. What is notably absent from the selectively presented correspondence, he added, is evidence of a lack of proactive measures taken with the media or otherwise; only internal planning and private communication for strategic purposes, which is standard practice among public relations professionals.

After an article by The New York Times published on December 21, the talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) severed ties with Baldoni. Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME’s parent company Endeavor, verified this to the outlet. However, it was later denied by WME that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband and also a client of WME, played any role in their decision to part ways with Baldoni. This allegation was made by Baldoni in his subsequent lawsuit against The New York Times (which we’ll delve into further below). WME clarified to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1 that the claim in Baldoni’s filing that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere was untrue. Additionally, they stated that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere, and there was never any pressure from Reynolds or Lively to drop Baldoni as a client at any time.

After Lively’s CRD filing and the New York Times article, several well-known personalities expressed their support for her allegations against Baldoni. For instance, Colleen Hoover, the author of It Ends With Us, posted on Instagram Stories, “Blake Lively, you have always been honest, kind, supportive, and patient since the day we met.” She continued, “Thank you for being exactly who you are. Never change. Never wilt.”

Similarly, Jenny Slate, who played Ryle’s sister in the show, expressed her support for Lively. In a statement to Today on December 23rd, she said, “As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation.” She added, “Blake is a leader, loyal friend, and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her. What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.”

Brandon Sklenar, a love interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom, shared a screenshot of the complaint published on The New York Times’ website and linked out to the outlet, writing, “For the love of God, read this.”

Lastly, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn wrote that they stand with her in solidarity.

Liz Plank recently informed her followers and Wayfarer, the producers of The Man Enough Podcast, that she would no longer be a co-host. In an Instagram post, she expressed gratitude for the listeners’ trust, support, and friendship over the past four years. Although she did not reveal the reason for her departure, it occurred shortly after a complaint made against her co-hosts, Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer. Plank emphasized her commitment to the values they had cultivated together and expressed hope that everyone would continue striving for better in the future. She promised to share more about this transition as she processes the situation further, and vowed to continue supporting those who speak out against injustice and hold accountable those who obstruct them.

In a lawsuit filed in New York on Christmas Eve, Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s former publicist, and her agency, Jonesworks LLC, accused Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel, crisis communications specialist Nathan, and others of secretly conspiring for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and her agency, breach contracts, induce contractual breaches, and steal clients. The lawsuit claims that Abel and Nathan coordinated behind Jones’s back with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch a smear campaign against one of Baldoni’s film co-stars, using the resulting crisis as an opportunity to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni and to wrongly blame Jones for the smear campaign. Abel had previously worked at Jonesworks until last summer, and the lawsuit alleges that she is now falsely accusing Jones as her own misconduct is exposed. The suit also alleges that Baldoni and Wayfarer have broken their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and have refused to settle the dispute privately in arbitration. The defendants were reached out to for comment by TopMob News.

As an ardent fan, I’m sharing the inside scoop I’ve learned: In a recent article published by Variety on December 23rd, it was revealed that Lively’s legal team acquired the texts mentioned in The New York Times piece through a subpoena to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and their Wayfarer associates, has expressed his intention to take legal action against Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s attorneys. Importantly, none of Freedman’s clients were subpoenaed in relation to this topic.

Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, Wallace and Street Relations filed a lawsuit against The New York Times Dec. 31.

In the lawsuit obtained by TopMob News, The New York Times is accused of libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud and breach of implied-in-fact contract for its article about a retaliatory smear campaign the plaintiffs allegedly conducted against Lively after she voiced concerns about purported misconduct on set.

Saying the report was “false” and based on Lively’s CRD complaint, the plaintiffs denied the accusations and alleged messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context.

“Despite its claim to have ‘reviewed these along with other documents[,]’ the Times relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative,” the lawsuit says, “lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives.”

They also allege “it was Lively, not Plaintiffs, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign.” She has denied this.

The New York Times said it plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.”

“The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead,” it stated to TopMob. “Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article.”

On that very day, Lively initiated a legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, his company TAG, and Abel, in New York. As per court documents acquired by TopMob News, she is accusing the defendants of sexual harassment, retaliation, neglecting to investigate and address harassment, aiding and abetting such actions, breach of contract, intentionally causing emotional distress, negligently causing emotional distress, false light invasion of privacy.

The accusations in this lawsuit were initially outlined in the CRD complaint Lively filed earlier that month.

In response to the lawsuit Baldoni and his associates filed against The New York Times—which does not name Lively as a defendant—her legal team stated to TopMob that “the contents of this lawsuit do not alter anything about the claims in her CRD and federal complaints.”

“The premise that Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a deception intended to avoid suing Baldoni, Wayfarer, is false,” they added. “As proven by the federal complaint filed by Lively today, this perspective on the Wayfarer lawsuit is unfounded.

As an ardent fan, I can’t help but echo their sentiments: “We’re far from done, my fellow truth-seekers!” That’s what the court documents seem to be saying on Baldoni and his team’s behalf. They’ve got more bad apples in their sights, and let me tell you, this isn’t just a one-time lawsuit. In an interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s legal representative, Freedman, confirmed they indeed have plans to sue Lively as well. So, buckle up, folks! This rollercoaster of justice is far from over.

The chatter surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t subsided, with many on social media suggesting that Reynolds may have joked about Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has remained silent on these speculations, but Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman has shared his thoughts. During an interview on “The Megyn Kelly Show,” posted to YouTube on January 7th, Freedman stated, “In my opinion, if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make light of Justin Baldoni’s situation. You treat it seriously, file complaints, and follow due process. Instead of making fun of the person and turning it into a joke, you address it properly.

In response to your lawsuit, Lively’s legal team asserts that there have been ongoing hostile actions against her rather than a mere disagreement. The case filed in the Southern District of New York alleges severe instances of sexual harassment and retaliation supported by solid evidence. They emphasize that it is not a simple dispute arising from creative differences or a he-said-she-said scenario. Instead, Wayfarer and its associates are accused of engaging in unlawful, retaliatory activities on the film set after Lively stood up for herself and others. Since she filed the lawsuit, these actions against her have intensified.

The lawyers also remind everyone that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal across all workplaces and industries. They warn against common tactics used to divert attention from such misconduct, including blaming the victim or reversing the roles of offender and victim. These strategies aim to minimize serious allegations. They further state that media statements do not serve as a defense for Lively’s claims and reaffirm their commitment to proving her case in court.


 

On January 16th in New York, Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, Abel (publicist), Nathan (crisis communication specialist) and It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, Leslie Sloane (publicist), and her firm Vision PR. The suit alleges that all defendants engaged in civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy through false light. Specifically, Lively and Reynolds are accused of breaching the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contractual relations, and economic advantage, as well as negligent interference with prospective economic advantage. The plaintiffs refute Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign, instead accusing her of seizing control over It Ends With Us, collaborating with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to harm the plaintiffs’ reputation in the media after she faced criticism for promoting the film. (Lively claims that she promoted the movie according to Sony’s marketing plan.)

In their lawsuit, plaintiffs claim that defendants collaborated with The New York Times to release a sensational yet untrue news story. Despite this allegation, the media outlet maintains its report’s accuracy. Regarding the matter, Freedman stated, “Either Blake Lively was misinformed by her team or she deliberately presented false information.

Lively’s legal team described his lawsuit as a common tactic often used by perpetrators, stating in a statement to TopMob News, “This situation follows a familiar pattern: A woman presents proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the abuser tries to shift blame onto the victim. Experts refer to this strategy as DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.

Additionally, she contended that he responded by counterattacking after she brought charges against him, asserting that Baldoni is attempting to divert attention from the fact that Lively took control of the creative aspects and supposedly estranged the cast from Mr. Baldoni.

The speaker went on to explain, “The facts will make clear that the cast, along with others, had unfavorable interactions with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Furthermore, it will be demonstrated that Sony requested Ms. Lively to supervise their portion of the film, which they later chose for distribution and turned out to be a huge success.

Her team went on to slam Baldoni’s reaction to her allegations of harassment.

they claimed she wanted it and it was her fault. Additionally, they pointed out what she wore as an explanation for the incident, according to her lawyers. Essentially, while the victim is concerned with the abuse, the abuser targets the victim. This strategy of blaming the woman is a last-ditch effort, does not dispute the evidence in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and will ultimately fail.

In a disclosure, Baldoni’s attorney shared unseen footage from the set of “It Ends With Us“, stating that the actor’s behavior in the video contradicts Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him.

In a statement, Baldoni’s legal team explained that the particular scene was intended to depict the two characters developing feelings for each other and yearning to be near one another. It is evident from their actions in the scene that both actors are portraying their roles appropriately, with respect and professionalism.

Nevertheless, Lively’s lawyers argue that the video aligns exactly with Lively’s account in her lawsuit, and they claim that every scene was spontaneously created by Baldoni without any prior consultation or agreement.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it this way: “In the video, you’ll see me, [Your Name], subtly distancing myself and repeatedly urging the characters to engage in conversation instead of physical contact, a scenario that many women who have experienced workplace harassment can relate to.” This statement was shared with TopMob News as part of an official release.

 

In their ongoing case, the couple penned a missive to the presiding judge, asking for attorney Freedman, who leads Baldoni’s legal team, to be bound by a court order that limits his public comments during the trial, to prevent any inappropriate behavior.

A seven-minute audio message, supposedly sent by Baldoni to Lively during the filming of “It Ends With Us,” was made public. In this recording, it seems that Baldoni mentioned the movie’s rooftop scene, which Lively had rewritten, and discussed how these alterations were presented to him in a meeting with Reynolds and their friend Taylor Swift.

He shared, “In addition to them being among the most inventive individuals globally, I believe everyone deserves friends as remarkable as them.” Referring to the trio, he said, “Together, your creativity is simply astonishing and hard to believe!

In the recording, it appears Baldoni apologized to the actress for not responding favorably to her script, stating, “I made a mistake. One important aspect of my character is that I’ll acknowledge and apologize when I fall short.

Approximately a month following the submission of Lively’s legal action against Baldoni, a hearing was scheduled for March 9, 2026, in the court system.

Baldoni’s legal team has made changes to their January 16th counter- lawsuit filed at the U.S. District Court against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane, extending it to also include The New York Times, as reported by TopMob News based on obtained documents.

In the revised paperwork, Baldoni alleged that Lively and her associates conspired for several months, disseminating untruths to The New York Times.

In a different case, not related to the $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, it was claimed that the paper selectively chose and manipulated communications, removing important context, and intentionally edited them to deceive.

Baldoni set up a site detailing his lawsuit against Lively, which includes the amended complaint submitted on January 31 by his legal team and a chronology of significant events. This chronology reportedly contains images claimed to be text messages exchanged among Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni.

A little over a month ago, as Freedman announced, I eagerly awaited the unveiling of all the text messages exchanged between the two parties on our site.

In a January 2nd interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s lawyer expressed that they desire transparency and have a strong preference for all relevant documents to become publicly available. They believe that people should reach their own conclusions based on the evidence, as represented by the receipts.

In the updated lawsuit, Lively’s legal team stated that two additional female crew members from the production of “It End” felt uneasy due to Baldoni’s conduct on set.

TopMob News obtained a complaint stating that Ms. Lively wasn’t the only one voicing concerns about Mr. Baldoni. The incidents involving Ms. Lively and others, which began in May 2023, were recorded at the time they happened. Crucially, unlike the story the Defendants have concocted, Mr. Baldoni admitted to these complaints in writing when they occurred. He was aware that women besides Ms. Lively also felt uneasy and had voiced their discomfort regarding his behavior.

In the revised lawsuit, Lively’s claimed witnesses were not mentioned specifically because they were operating in an environment marked by threats, harassment, and intimidation that was allegedly instigated by the defendants’ reprisal efforts.

In a statement to TopMob, Freedman criticized the accusation as being based on “flimsy rumors” and implied that the anonymous individuals who could’ve backed her allegations are now unwilling or hesitant to do so publicly.

Following Baldoni’s allegations that Sloane was spreading malevolent tales painting him as a sexual harasser and coordinating a smear operation at Lively’s behest, Sloane submitted a motion to withdraw from the legal case.

In the papers acquired by TopMob News, Sloane’s legal representative claimed that there was no substantial evidence supporting the allegations against their client. Instead, they suggested that she had been unwarrantedly involved in the lawsuit as a diversionary tactic to shift attention away from Lively’s accusations.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher, one of Lively’s legal team members, informed Variety on February 28 that they had recruited Nick Shapiro, a former Deputy Chief of Staff at the CIA, to provide counsel on the legal communications strategy related to the ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in the Southern District of New York.

Shapiro, who served for the CIA from 2013 to 2015 under President Obama’s administration, later moved on to become Visa’s vice president of worldwide security and communications, followed by Airbnb’s global leader in crisis management. After spending three years at the rental company, he established his own consulting firm, 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.

TopMob News has reported that The New York Times, currently involved in a $250 million lawsuit with Baldoni, submitted a motion aiming to be released from the larger $400 million lawsuit that encompasses Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane as well.

In their submission, the newspaper contended that Baldoni’s team was spinning a “single perspective story” that has generated significant attention, but emphasized that “The Times” should not be involved in this conflict.

In response to a motion for dismissal from The New York Times, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman agreed and halted the process of discovery as requested by the newspaper, as reported by TopMob News based on the obtained documents.

The court granted a request for a temporary hold on the exchange of information and documents between the parties, following the newspaper’s motion filed on February 28, which the judge is currently reviewing.

In the March 4 document, Liman stated that the New York Times provides “solid reasons” and “a convincing argument” suggesting that their motion to dismiss could probably win on the basis of its merit.

Additionally, the judge mentioned his doubt that Baldoni’s legal team would suffer any unfair disadvantage during the court’s consideration of the ongoing motion, if a stay were to be granted.

In an interaction with TopMob News, I expressed our gratitude for the court’s verdict today, as it underscores the significant First Amendment principles involved. The court has now prevented Mr. Baldoni from imposing discovery demands on us in a lawsuit that, quite frankly, should never have been initiated against The New York Times.

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2025-05-15 01:21