Blake Lively exchanged a few messages with Taylor Swift about Justin Baldoni.
According to court documents obtained by TopMob News on January 20th, the actress from It Ends With Us texted Taylor Swift about the film’s director, whom Lively is currently suing for alleged sexual harassment and retaliation.
According to court documents, Lively jokingly called director Baldoni—who has denied all allegations—a “doofus” and a “clown” when she asked Taylor Swift to read over the updated script for the movie based on Colleen Hoover’s book. Lively explained in a deposition that she sent the script to Taylor because the singer was coming over to her apartment, where she and Baldoni were scheduled to meet.
Swift texted back, per court documents, “I’ll do anything for you !!”
Lively also expressed her gratitude to Swift, mentioning she had shared the story with her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
Lively texted, ‘You were amazing today!’ She told Ryan all about it, remembering how he playfully lied about her and cameras, and even called himself her ‘doll.’ She said it was like watching a ‘clown’ fall for his act, but also fight against it.
She added, “You are the worlds absolute greatest friend ever.”
During a July interview under oath, Lively stated she texted Swift that Swift wasn’t obligated to read the script. However, in a recent court filing from January, Lively claimed she wrote that to reassure her friend and avoid making her feel pressured.
In a deposition, Lively explained that she sent the script to Taylor while Taylor was traveling to her place, as Justin was still inside. She asked Taylor to read it, but emphasized that it wasn’t an obligation, and she just hoped Taylor would be willing to.
TopMob News contacted representatives for Lively and Baldoni, but they haven’t responded. A representative for Swift also declined to comment.
Okay, so this whole thing is wild. It’s not the first time Taylor Swift’s been dragged into Blake Lively’s fight with Justin Baldoni, and honestly, I’m obsessed with every detail! Apparently, Justin is claiming Blake used her friendship with Taylor – yes, the Taylor Swift, the one who wrote ‘Fate of Ophelia’ – to try and get more say over the ‘It Ends With Us’ movie. Can you believe it? It’s like, a celebrity feud within a celebrity feud, and Taylor’s somehow in the middle! I’ve been following this so closely, and it’s just… a lot.
In a now-dropped countersuit, Justin Baldoni shared text messages from his Jane the Virgin costar. In these messages, she jokingly compared herself to Khaleesi from Game of Thrones, played by Emilia Clarke, and playfully called Taylor Swift and Blake Reynolds her “dragons.”
Lively explained in a recent document that her dragons are generally a positive force. They don’t just protect her, but also those she defends, ultimately benefiting everyone – and she assures readers they will experience this benefit as well.
A representative for Taylor Swift has stated she had no role in creating the movie It Ends With Us, beyond providing the song “My Tears Ricochet” for its soundtrack.
A spokesperson for Taylor Swift confirmed to TopMob in May that she had no involvement with the movie. They stated she wasn’t part of the casting process, didn’t contribute to the music, and never even reviewed a draft of the film.
For the complete timeline of Lively and Baldoni’s legal battle, keep reading.
Four months after the movie version of Colleen Hoover’s novel It Ends With Us came out, Blake Lively filed a complaint with California’s Civil Rights Department on December 20th. According to The New York Times, the complaint accuses her co-star, Justin Baldoni, and several people connected to his production company, Wayfarer Studios, of wrongdoing.
The complaint, obtained by TopMob News, names Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, its CEO Jamey Heath, cofounder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel and her company RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan and her company The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace, and his company Street Relations Inc. as defendants.
Lively claims that Baldoni and those associated with Wayfarer launched a deliberate campaign to discredit her after she raised concerns about inappropriate behavior on set. She alleges that she and other cast and crew members experienced behavior from Baldoni and Heath that was invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate.
The actress says this alleged campaign caused significant personal and professional damage.
The complaint details accusations of sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to address harassment, aiding and abetting harassment, breach of contract, intentional emotional distress, negligence, invasion of privacy, and interference with her career opportunities.
The following day, The New York Times published a story detailing a supposed smear campaign waged against Lively by Baldoni and his team, referencing her complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD). The article included messages from Baldoni, his publicist Abel, and crisis communications specialist Nathan, all of which were part of Lively’s complaint. The New York Times also made the court documents available on its website. Lively told the newspaper, “I hope my lawsuit exposes these harmful retaliatory tactics and protects others who might be targeted for speaking out about wrongdoing.”
Following Blake Lively’s public complaint, Bryan Freedman, the lawyer representing Taylor Swift’s boyfriend and Wayfarer Studios, strongly refuted her claims. In a statement to The New York Times, Freedman called Lively’s accusations “shameful” and “categorically false,” arguing they were a desperate attempt to repair her reputation after her own statements and actions during the film’s promotion sparked negative online reactions. He described the claims as false, outrageous, and intentionally designed to harm and revive a negative narrative in the media.
Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s decision to hire a crisis manager, clarifying that this happened before the film’s marketing campaign began. He added that Wayfarer’s team didn’t take any proactive or retaliatory steps, only responding to media inquiries to ensure accurate reporting and monitoring social media. He emphasized that the released correspondence only showed internal planning and strategy—standard practice for public relations professionals—and didn’t demonstrate any attempts to manipulate the narrative.
Following the publication of a New York Times article on December 21st, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) ended its relationship with director Justin Baldoni, as confirmed by Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME’s parent company, Endeavor.
WME refuted claims that actor Ryan Reynolds, husband of Blake Lively, was the reason for the split. Baldoni later alleged in a lawsuit against The New York Times that Reynolds had pressured WME to drop him.
WME stated to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1st that Baldoni’s claim of pressure at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere was false. They clarified that Baldoni’s former representative wasn’t even at the premiere and that neither Reynolds nor Lively ever pressured them to end their relationship with Baldoni.
Following Blake Lively’s legal complaint and a New York Times article detailing her allegations, several well-known figures publicly expressed their support. Colleen Hoover, author of It Ends With Us, shared a message on Instagram thanking Lively for her honesty, kindness, and patience, and encouraging others to read the article. Jenny Slate, who played Blake’s on-screen sister, stated she stood with Lively, praising her as a leader, loyal friend, and source of support. Slate described the reported attack on Lively’s reputation as “terribly dark” and commended her bravery. Brandon Sklenar, who played a love interest in the film, shared a link to the complaint published by The New York Times, urging people to read it. Additionally, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars – America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn – announced their solidarity with her.
Liz Plank announced on December 23rd that she was leaving The Man Enough Podcast, which she co-hosted with Matt Baldoni and Justin Heath. In an Instagram post, she thanked listeners for their trust and support, expressing her love for the community they built together over the past four years. While Plank didn’t explain her reasons for leaving, her departure came shortly after Blake Lively publicly accused Baldoni and others at Wayfarer of inappropriate behavior. Plank stated she remained committed to the values the podcast represented and that everyone deserves better. She also indicated she would share more information later and would continue to support those who speak out against injustice and hold people accountable.
Stephanie Jones, a former publicist for Baldoni, and her agency, Jonesworks LLC, are suing Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, and current publicists Abel and Nathan in New York. The lawsuit, obtained by NBC News, claims that Abel and Nathan secretly worked together for months to damage Jones and Jonesworks’ reputation, break contracts, and steal clients. They allegedly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch a negative media campaign against Baldoni’s co-star, then falsely blamed Jones for the campaign when she was unaware of it.
According to Abel’s LinkedIn profile, she used to work at Jonesworks. The lawsuit further claims Abel and Nathan are now falsely accusing Jones as their own misconduct is revealed, and are continuing to damage her reputation within the industry.
Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer clients of Jonesworks, are accused of breaking their contractual obligations and refusing to resolve the dispute through private arbitration. TopMob News has reached out to those named in the suit for comment.
According to a December 23rd report in Variety, Lively’s lawyers received the text messages published in The New York Times through a legal request to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and his colleagues, stated that none of his clients were asked to provide information and that he plans to sue Jones for sharing messages from Abel’s phone with Lively’s legal team.
On December 31st, Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, and Street Relations filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times. The suit claims the newspaper falsely reported on their actions following concerns raised by an actress, referred to as Lively, regarding alleged misconduct on set.
The plaintiffs accuse The New York Times of libel, invasion of privacy, fraud, and breach of contract, arguing the article was based on unverified claims made by Lively. They state that messages cited in the article and a complaint filed by Lively were taken out of context and that the Times relied heavily on her account while ignoring evidence that contradicted it. They claim Lively, not them, engaged in a smear campaign.
The New York Times stated it intends to vigorously defend the lawsuit, asserting its reporting was meticulous, responsible, and based on a thorough review of thousands of pages of documents, including accurate quotes from text messages and emails.
I still can’t believe this is happening! That awful Baldoni and everyone involved – Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, that whole ‘It Ends With Us’ production company, even Nathan and his company TAG and Abel – they’re getting sued by Lively! I’ve been following this so closely, and it’s everything I expected. She’s accusing them of so much – sexual harassment, covering it up, failing to do anything about it, even intentionally causing her emotional distress. It’s all laid out in the court documents – and it’s even worse than what she originally claimed in her complaint to the CRD! And get this – they tried to make it seem like she was the one playing games, like she didn’t really want to sue Baldoni! Her lawyers totally shut that down, pointing out that she did file a federal complaint today! They’re saying this whole thing is a pathetic attempt to discredit her, and honestly, it just proves she was right all along. I’m so glad she’s fighting back!
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit against The New York Times, led by Baldoni, have indicated they intend to pursue further legal action. Court documents reveal they believe others were involved and that this won’t be their only case. In a January 2nd interview with NBC News, Baldoni and Wayfarer’s lawyer confirmed they definitely plan to sue Lively as well.
The controversy surrounding Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni continued to unfold online. Some social media users theorized that Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, subtly referenced the situation in his upcoming movie, Deadpool & Wolverine, through the character Nicepool.
Reynolds hasn’t addressed these rumors publicly, but Baldoni’s lawyer, Freedman, did speak out.
In an interview on YouTube’s The Megyn Kelly Show, Freedman stated, “If your wife experiences sexual harassment, you don’t joke about it – especially not about the person involved. You take it seriously, file complaints with HR, and follow the proper legal procedures. You don’t mock the situation and turn it into a joke.”
Lively’s legal team stated that since she filed her lawsuit, there’s been an increase in negative attacks against her. They emphasized that the case, which involves serious allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation, is supported by solid evidence and isn’t a simple disagreement or a matter of differing opinions. According to the complaint, Wayfarer and those connected to the company allegedly engaged in a deliberate campaign to discredit Lively after she tried to ensure a safe work environment on a film set.
The lawyers also highlighted that attempting to shift blame onto the person experiencing harassment – by suggesting they were responsible, misinterpreted actions, or lied – is a common tactic used to deflect from accusations of misconduct. They warned against portraying the harasser as the victim. They stressed that these strategies downplay serious wrongdoing and that statements made to the media won’t protect Wayfarer from Lively’s claims, which will be pursued in court. They reiterated that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in all workplaces.
In a statement to TopMob, Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Freedman, pointed out the irony of Blake Lively accusing Baldoni of using the media to his advantage, considering her team allegedly sent heavily edited documents to The New York Times before even filing their complaint.
Freedman added that they are releasing evidence demonstrating a pattern of bullying and threats aimed at taking control of the film. He claims Lively has a history of using others to deliver threats and get her way, and they have proof to support these claims.
On January 16th, Heath Baldoni, Wayfarer, publicist Abel, crisis communication specialist Nathan, and the production company It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s firm, Vision PR.
The lawsuit, obtained by TopMob News, alleges civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy against all defendants. Lively and Reynolds are also accused of breaching an implied agreement to act in good faith and interfering with business relationships, both intentionally and negligently, causing economic harm.
The plaintiffs deny Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign. They claim Lively took control of the It Ends With Us film promotion and, with the help of Reynolds, Sloane, and others, launched a negative public relations campaign after facing criticism for her marketing efforts. Lively maintains she followed Sony’s approved marketing plan.
The lawsuit further alleges the defendants collaborated with The New York Times to publish a damaging and inaccurate news report, though the publication stands by its reporting.
According to a statement from the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Freedman, Blake Lively was either misinformed by her team or deliberately misrepresented the truth.
Lively’s lawyers have responded to a lawsuit filed against her, calling it a common tactic used by abusers. They claim Baldoni is attempting to portray her as the problem, alleging she took over creative control and caused issues with the cast – a strategy they identify as DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.
According to Lively’s team, the evidence will demonstrate that other cast and crew members also had negative experiences with Baldoni and the production company. They also state that Sony specifically asked Lively to oversee the final cut of the film, which ultimately proved successful.
Her lawyers strongly criticized Baldoni’s reaction to her harassment claims, accusing him of blaming her and focusing on her actions rather than addressing the abuse itself. They believe this tactic is a desperate attempt to deflect from the evidence and will ultimately fail.
Lawyers for actor Justin Baldoni have released footage from the filming of It Ends With Us, arguing it disproves allegations made by his co-star, Blake Lively. They claim the scene was intended to portray a loving connection between the characters and that both actors behaved professionally and respectfully.
Lively’s lawyers, however, disagree. They state the video actually supports her claims, showing Baldoni improvised actions without her consent or prior discussion. They point out Lively repeatedly asked to simply rehearse the dialogue and that her visible discomfort in the video will be relatable to anyone who has experienced inappropriate touching at work.
The couple asked the judge handling their case to prevent Freedman, the lead lawyer for the other side, from making public statements that could unfairly influence the legal process.
A seven-minute voice memo reportedly sent by director Baldoni to actress Lively during the making of It Ends With Us was leaked online. In the memo, Baldoni seemed to discuss a rooftop scene Lively had revised and how those changes were brought to him in a meeting with Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and singer Taylor Swift. He praised their collaboration, saying, “The three of you together, it’s unbelievable,” and adding that everyone should have friends like them. Baldoni also appeared to apologize for not initially being enthusiastic about Lively’s script, admitting, “I messed up. I will admit and apologize when I fail.”
A court date of March 9, 2026, was scheduled one month after Lively officially sued Baldoni.
According to documents obtained by TopMob News, Stephen Baldoni has updated his lawsuit against Bethenny Frankel, Jason Hoppy, and their PR firm, Vision PR, to also include The New York Times. The updated complaint alleges that Frankel and her team spent months working together to provide false information to the newspaper. Baldoni claims The New York Times selectively used and changed communications, removing important context and deliberately editing them to be misleading.
Baldoni published a website detailing his lawsuit against Lively, including the updated legal complaint and a chronological summary of key events. This summary featured what Baldoni claimed were screenshots of text message conversations between Lively, Reynolds, and himself.
The website went live about a month after Baldoni’s legal team announced they intended to publicly share all text messages between the parties involved.
In an interview with NBC News on January 2nd, Baldoni’s lawyer stated their goal was to reveal all evidence and allow the public to draw their own conclusions based on the facts.
Lively’s lawyers have updated her lawsuit, stating that two other women who worked on the movie It Ends With Us also felt uneasy about Baldoni’s behavior on set.
The updated lawsuit, which TopMob News has seen, claims Lively wasn’t the only one to complain about Baldoni. It states that these complaints, along with Lively’s, were recorded starting in May 2023, and that Baldoni acknowledged them in writing at the time. He was aware that other women besides Lively were uncomfortable with his behavior.
The lawsuit doesn’t reveal the names of these two witnesses, citing a hostile environment of threats and harassment created by the defendants’ response to Lively’s claims.
Baldoni’s attorney, Freedman, responded by calling the updated lawsuit full of unreliable hearsay and suggesting the unnamed women are now unwilling to support Lively’s accusations publicly.
Following accusations from Baldoni that Sloane spread false and damaging rumors, painting him as a “sexual predator,” and ran a negative campaign influenced by Lively, Sloane requested the lawsuit be dropped.
According to legal documents reviewed by TopMob News, Sloane’s lawyer claims the accusations against her are unfounded and that she was brought into the lawsuit only to divert attention from the claims made by Lively.
Lively hired Nick Shapiro, a former Deputy Chief of Staff for the CIA, to help with the legal strategy for the sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit happening in New York. A lawyer from Lively’s firm, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, shared this information with Variety on February 28th.
After serving at the CIA from 2013 to 2015 during the Obama administration, Shapiro moved into the private sector. He held leadership roles at Visa, overseeing global security and communications, and then at Airbnb, leading crisis management. Following three years with Airbnb, he established his own consulting firm, 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.
According to documents received by TopMob News, The New York Times has asked a court to dismiss them from the $400 million lawsuit, which also involves Lively, Baldoni, and the company Sloane and Sloane.
In a court filing, the newspaper asserted that Baldoni’s team was presenting a biased version of events that had attracted significant media attention, but maintained that The Times shouldn’t be involved in the conflict. According to court documents obtained by Deadline, The New York Times’ lawyers also pointed out that Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer initially sued the newspaper for $250 million, but that case was dropped after they included The New York Times in a larger $400 million lawsuit.
U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman has temporarily paused the exchange of information and documents in a case involving The New York Times, following the newspaper’s request. According to court documents obtained by TopMob News, the judge agreed to halt the process while he reviews The New York Times‘ motion to dismiss the case.
Judge Liman stated that the newspaper presented a strong argument that its motion to dismiss should be successful, and he doesn’t believe delaying the exchange of information will unfairly harm the opposing side, led by Baldoni.
A spokesperson for The New York Times said the court’s decision is appreciated and protects important First Amendment rights, adding that the case “should never have been brought against” the newspaper.
Following accusations from Baldoni that Lively was using her friendship with Taylor Swift to gain more control over the film adaptation of It Ends With Us – and after Baldoni’s lawyers attempted to subpoena Swift – a spokesperson for the singer responded.
A spokesperson confirmed to TopMob News on May 9th that Taylor Swift had no involvement in the movie whatsoever. They stated she wasn’t part of the casting process, didn’t contribute to the music, and never even viewed a draft of the film or offered any feedback.
Taylor Swift allowed the film to use her song ‘My Tears Ricochet,’ as her representative explained. Because her contribution was simply licensing a song – something 19 other artists also did – this legal request appears to be an attempt to generate publicity and sensationalize the case using Taylor Swift’s name, rather than focusing on the actual facts.
Baldoni’s attorneys withdrew their request later that month, per Lively’s legal team.
The judge dismissed the lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, their publicist Sloane, Sloane’s company Vision PR, and The New York Times. The judge ruled that Baldoni and his lawyers didn’t provide enough evidence to support claims of defamation or attempted extortion.
After the lawsuit against her was dropped, Lively shared on Instagram that she understands how devastating these kinds of cases can be, especially the public embarrassment they often cause. She also pointed out that many people don’t have the money or support needed to defend themselves when unfairly sued.
She expressed her love and thanks to everyone who supported her, both those she knew and those she didn’t. She promised to always be grateful for and fight for them.
As a longtime follower of this case, I was really surprised to see Lively claiming a win. Baldoni’s lawyer quickly responded to TopMob News, saying that claim is just plain wrong – a predictable, but false, declaration, according to them.
As a longtime supporter of Ms. Lively, I’ve been following this case closely, and it’s incredibly frustrating to see these baseless accusations of sexual harassment thrown around. It’s clear this is all about retaliation, and frankly, the claims are completely made up. Even her accusers admit they can’t trace the supposed ‘smear campaign’ – because there was no campaign! They can’t prove something that simply never happened, and it’s a desperate attempt to damage her reputation.
Lively gave a deposition at her lawyers’ office in New York. Despite reports describing it as a tense confrontation between Lively and Baldoni, her legal team later formally objected to claims that she required a large group of supporting witnesses.
Okay, so here’s what I’ve pieced together – and trust me, I’ve been following this closely. Apparently, according to Blake Lively’s lawyer, Marco Baldoni was actually there in the room with all the other people she’s suing, and their lawyers too! It’s huge, honestly. It means he wasn’t just some distant figure, he was right there with everyone else when… well, you know. I just knew there was more to this!
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2026-01-21 04:53