Taylor Swift Denies Involvement as Legal Battle Explodes Between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni

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Taylor Swift prefers not to be involved in the ongoing legal dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

After the “Karma” singer, Taylor Swift, became involved in Baldoni’s lawsuit against Lively due to allegations of sexual harassment on the set of the 2024 movie “It Ends With Us”, her legal team responded following reports that she had been summoned for the case.

According to Taylor Swift’s representative, it’s important to clarify that Taylor Swift did not appear in this movie at all. She played no role in the casting process, had no input in the creative decisions, didn’t compose the music for the film, and never watched any edits or provided feedback on the production.

The representative pointed out that Swift had not read “It Ends With Us” until several weeks following its publication because she was touring extensively from 2023 to 2024, traveling across the globe as part of her highly successful The Eras Tour.

The bond Taylor had with this movie was granting permission to include one song titled ‘My Tears Ricochet.’ However, her representative clarified, the legal document being subpoenaed is manipulatively using Taylor Swift’s name to generate public interest through sensationalized headlines, rather than focusing on the actual facts of the case, as 19 other artists also did the same.

TopMob News has reached out to Baldoni’s reps for comment but hasn’t heard back.

As a lifestyle advisor, I’d put it this way: In documents submitted to court in January and publicly accessible online, Baldoni claimed that Lively used their close bond with Swift to assert greater creative influence over the movie adaptation of “It Ends With Us”. This included making a subtle threat through a studio executive, suggesting she might reconsider approaching Swift for using her song “My Tears Ricochet” in the film.

According to Baldoni’s submission, this action seemed less about a legitimate professional demand and more like an attempt at blackmail. Essentially, they were threatening to withhold the movie’s promotional strategies in order to obtain creative control.

Baldoni further mentioned that his initial grievance against Lively was the feeling of being coerced into approving her revisions to the famous rooftop scene from the movie, following the involvement of her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and their high-profile friend in a production meeting.

In my own words as a lifestyle aficionado, I’d rephrase it like this: “Today, I was working on a rooftop scene, and I must say, your work truly impressed me! The enthusiasm I felt for it wasn’t influenced by the presence of Ryan or Taylor.

Baldoni is taking legal action against Lively and Reynolds after being accused of sexual harassment by the former ‘Gossip Girl’ actress. In a lawsuit that was filed towards the end of December, Lively claimed that Baldoni created an unpleasant work atmosphere and launched a negative campaign against her when she voiced her concerns.

In his response lawsuit, Baldoni refuted all her claims and asserted that Lively and Reynolds leveraged their celebrity status to collaborate with the media in tarnishing his reputation. (Similarly, Lively and Reynolds both reject these accusations.)

A trial has been set for March 2026.

For more about the legal saga between Lively and Baldoni, keep reading…

Four months following the cinema release of Colleen Hoover’s book adaptation “It Ends With Us”, Blake Lively lodged a complaint with California’s Civil Rights Department (CRD) against her costar Justin Baldoni and his associates on December 20, according to The New York Times.

In the complaint acquired by TopMob News, Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios (Wayfarer), its CEO Jamey Heath, its co-founder 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.

Lively claimed in her complaint that Baldoni and Wayfarer associates initiated a “sophisticated press and digital plan” in retaliation for voicing concerns about alleged on-set misconduct—with Lively stating that she, along with other cast and crew members, had experienced “invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior” by Baldoni and Heath.

The actress further stated that the alleged campaign against her caused “significant harm” to both her personally and professionally.

The charges outlined in the complaint include sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to investigate, prevent, 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, an article emerged in The New York Times, detailing a supposed counterattack smear operation that Baldoni and his companions were accused of launching against Lively – referencing her CRD complaint. In the piece, the publication shared messages sent by Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications expert), which were enclosed in her complaint. Additionally, the website of The New York Times made the related court documents accessible for perusal by readers.

Lively expressed to the outlet, “I hope that my legal action will help unveil these underhanded retaliatory measures aimed at damaging individuals who voice out about misbehavior, and safeguard others who might be targeted in a similar manner.”

 

—Reporting by Sara Ouerfelli

Following the revelation of Lively’s complaint, Bryan Freedman – legal representative for Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their associates – fiercely denied Lively’s accusations. In a statement published on The New York Times website, he stated:

“It’s regrettable that Ms. Lively and her representatives have made such severe and utterly false claims against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their associates, in another desperate attempt to improve her damaged reputation. These allegations were generated from her own comments and actions during the film campaign; interviews and media activities that were publicly viewable, unedited, and subject to internet commentary. These claims are entirely false, excessive, deliberately sensationalized, and intended to cause harm in the media.”

Freedman also justified Wayfarer’s hiring of a crisis manager, stating this was done prior to the movie’s marketing campaign. He later explained:

“The representatives of Wayfarer Studios took no proactive measures nor retaliated; they only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure fair and accurate reporting and monitored social activity,” he added. “What is significantly omitted from the selectively presented correspondence is the lack of evidence that there were no proactive measures taken with the media or otherwise; just internal strategic planning and private communication, which is standard practice among public relations professionals.

As a devoted follower, I’d like to share that after an article by The New York Times was published on December 21st, the talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) parted ways with me, Baldoni. Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME’s parent company Endeavor, confirmed this to the outlet.

However, it’s important to clarify that Ryan Reynolds, my colleague and husband of Blake Lively, was not the reason behind our separation, as I later alleged in a lawsuit against The New York Times (more on that below).

In response, WME, which also represents both Reynolds and Lively, issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1st, stating, “Contrary to Baldoni’s claims in his filing, there was no pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time to drop Baldoni as a client. In fact, Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere.

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

Jenny Slate, who played Ryle’s sister in the series, also expressed her solidarity with Lively. On December 23rd, she released a statement to Today, saying, “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. Blake is a leader, loyal friend, and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her.” She added, “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 romantic interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom, shared a link to The New York Times article along with the caption, “For the love of God read this.”

Lastly, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn also declared their solidarity with her.

Liz Plank recently shared that she’s stepping down from her co-host role on The Man Enough Podcast. In a heartfelt post on Instagram, she thanked listeners for their support over the past four years and expressed her love for the community they built together. Although she didn’t provide a specific reason for leaving, her announcement came shortly after a complaint made by Lively against Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer. Plank emphasized that she remains dedicated to the values they’ve established and looks forward to sharing more as she navigates this transition. She also reiterated her commitment to supporting those who fight for justice and hold accountable those standing in their way.

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, and crisis communications specialist Nathan of conspiring against her for months. The lawsuit claims that they orchestrated a smear campaign against Jones, breached contracts, and stole clients and business prospects. It also alleges that behind her back, they coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to tarnish Baldoni’s film co-star’s reputation, and then used the resulting crisis to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni, while falsely blaming Jones for the smear campaign when she had no involvement. The lawsuit also alleges that Abel and Nathan have continued to defame and attack Jones in the industry even after their own misconduct has been revealed. According to Abel’s LinkedIn profile, she worked at Jonesworks until last summer. The suit further alleges that Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer Jonesworks clients, violated their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refused her attempts to settle the dispute privately through arbitration. When contacted for comment, the defendants did not respond.

In an article published on December 23rd, Lively’s legal team revealed to Variety that they acquired the texts mentioned in The New York Times piece through a subpoena sent to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and Wayfarer associates, further stated that none of his clients were subpoenaed regarding this matter, and he plans to sue Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s legal team.

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.”

In my professional capacity as a lifestyle expert, I’d like to share an update: On that very day, I chose to take legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, his company TAG, and Abel, in the heart of New York City.

The court documents obtained by TopMob News reveal a multitude of charges I’ve levied against these defendants. These include sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to address and rectify harassment, aiding and abetting such actions, breach of contract, intentionally causing emotional distress, negligence in causing emotional distress, and invasion of privacy through false light.

The intricacies of my grievances were initially outlined in the CRD complaint I filed earlier that month.

In response to this lawsuit, Baldoni and his allies have taken legal action against The New York Times—a publication that does not list me as a defendant. In a statement to TopMob, my legal team countered that “the claims made in this lawsuit do not alter the truth of the allegations in my CRD and federal complaints.”

They further stated, “The premise that my administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a strategy to avoid suing Baldoni and Wayfarer is unfounded. As demonstrated by the federal complaint filed by me today, this assertion is false.

In their legal action against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team have indicated that they are far from finished, suggesting there are more parties involved who will face similar litigation in the future. During a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman confirmed they intend to take legal action against Lively as well.

The conversation surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended yet. For example, people on social media have suggested that Reynolds may have joked about Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has not spoken out regarding these rumors; however, Baldoni’s lawyer, Freedman, has expressed his opinion. During an interview on “The Megyn Kelly Show,” posted to YouTube on Jan 7, Freedman stated, “In my view, if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make light of Justin Baldoni’s situation. You treat it seriously, file complaints, and follow legal procedures. What you shouldn’t do is make fun of the person and turn it into a joke.

Ms. Lively’s legal team has stated that since she filed a lawsuit, there have been additional instances of unjustified attacks against her. This lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, concerns allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation, which are supported by substantial evidence. This is not a petty dispute arising from creative differences or hearsay; rather, as outlined in Ms. Lively’s complaint, Wayfarer and their associates engaged in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against her for standing up for herself and others on a film set. In response to the lawsuit, they have escalated their attacks against Ms. Lively.

As the legal process unfolds, they urged everyone to remember that sexual harassment and retaliation are unlawful in all workplaces and industries. A common strategy to divert attention from such misconduct allegations is to falsely blame the victim by implying they invited or caused the harassment, misunderstood the intentions, or even lied. Another tactic is to portray the offender as the true victim.

Lively’s legal team emphasized that these tactics serve to minimize and trivialize serious misconduct allegations. They also pointed out that media statements do not provide a defense for their claims, and they intend to pursue their case in court.


 

On January 16th, Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, Abel (publicist), Nathan (crisis communication specialist) and It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, Leslie Sloane (Lively’s publicist), and Vision PR in New York. The plaintiffs claim that all the defendants are guilty of extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy through false light. Specifically, Lively and Reynolds are accused of breaching good faith, interfering with contracts, and causing economic harm.

The plaintiffs deny Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign. Instead, they accuse her of taking control of It Ends With Us and working with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to damage the plaintiff’s reputation in the media after she faced backlash for promoting the film. (Lively states that she promoted the movie according to Sony’s marketing plan.)

In the lawsuit, plaintiffs claim defendants collaborated with The New York Times to release a sensational yet untrue news story. The outlet maintains its report is accurate. Regarding the matter, Freedman stated, “Either Blake Lively was deceived by her team or she deliberately misrepresented the truth.

A woman presents solid proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the perpetrator then tries to shift the blame onto the victim. This tactic is often referred to as DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.

Additionally, she claimed that he responded negatively after she brought charges against him, arguing that Baldoni is attempting to divert attention from the fact that Lively took over creative direction and reportedly estranged the cast from Mr. Baldoni.

It was further explained that the proof will demonstrate that both the cast members and others had unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Moreover, the evidence will reveal that Sony assigned Ms. Lively to supervise their portion of the film, which they subsequently chose for distribution and turned out to be a major hit.

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

In simpler terms, the defendants’ argument regarding sexual harassment allegations was that she invited it and it was her own fault. They also suggested that her clothing was the reason for the incident, according to her lawyers. Essentially, while the victim emphasizes the abuse, the abuser focuses on blaming the victim. This tactic is a desperate attempt to evade responsibility, as it does not disprove the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and it will ultimately be unsuccessful.

In simpler terms, Baldoni’s lawyer shared unseen footage from the making of “It Ends With Us“, claiming that the actor’s behavior in the video contradicts Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him.

In a statement, Baldoni’s lawyers explained that the particular scene was intended to depict the two characters developing feelings for each other and yearning for closeness. It is evident from their performances that both actors were acting appropriately and professionally within the context of the scene, showing mutual respect throughout.

Nevertheless, Lively’s legal representatives argue that the video aligns precisely with Lively’s account in her lawsuit, suggesting that each scene was spontaneously created by Baldoni without any prior discussion or approval.

In their statement to TopMob News, it was mentioned that the video depicts Miss Lively leaning back and repeatedly urging the characters to simply converse. This action is reminiscent of a feeling many women have experienced when uncomfortable due to inappropriate touch in the workplace.

 

In simpler terms, they wrote to the judge managing their case, asking for Freedman, who leads Baldoni’s legal team, to be silenced during the court process to prevent any unacceptable behavior.

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

He shared with Lively that everyone should be fortunate enough to have friends as imaginative and innovative as them, beyond just their global renown. The trio of you together is simply mind-blowing, he emphasized.

In the recording, it appears that Baldoni also expressed an apology to the actress for not responding favorably to her script, stating, “I made a mistake. A key aspect of my character is that I’ll own up to my mistakes and offer sincere apologies when I fall short.

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

According to reports from TopMob News, Baldoni’s legal team has made changes to their counterclaim filed on January 16 against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane in the U.S. District Court. These alterations now include The New York Times as well.

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

The filing, distinct from the $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, claimed that the paper selectively chose and manipulated communications, removing essential context, and intentionally split these communications to deceive.

Baldoni constructed a site that includes details about his legal action against Lively, which encompasses the initially amended complaint submitted by Baldoni’s team on January 31, as well as a chronology of significant events. The timeline document also reportedly contains screenshots of conversations between Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni that were claimed to have taken place.

One month following Freedman’s announcement, the website was made live, showcasing every text message exchange between the two individuals.

In an interview with NBC News on January 2nd, Baldoni’s lawyer stated that they desire transparency and want all relevant documents to be accessible. They believe individuals should base their judgments on actual evidence or records.

In the updated court filing, Lively’s legal team asserted that two additional female crew members from the set of “It End” had expressed discomfort due to Baldoni’s conduct on the job.

TopMob News obtained a complaint stating that Ms. Lively wasn’t the only one voicing concerns about Mr. Baldoni. The complaint, dating back to May 2023, detailed experiences similar to Ms. Lively’s from other individuals as well. Crucially, unlike the story fabricated by the Defendants, Mr. Baldoni admitted these complaints in writing at the time. He was aware that women besides Ms. Lively had expressed discomfort and made complaints about his conduct.

In the revised lawsuit, the two potential witnesses who were supposedly going to testify, as mentioned by Lively, were not specifically named because of the potentially hazardous environment filled with threats, harassment, and intimidation allegedly instigated by the defendants’ reprisal efforts.

In an interview with TopMob, Freedman criticized the accusations as containing “unverified rumors” and suggested that those involved are no longer eager to speak up or endorse her allegations publicly.

Following Baldoni’s claims that Sloane was spreading “harmful tales” and making him appear as a “sexual offender,” and also alleging that Sloane was running a “defamatory campaign” under Lively’s guidance, Sloan requested to be removed from the lawsuit.

According to documents acquired by TopMob News, Sloane’s lawyer argued that there was no valid foundation for the charges brought against her client, stating instead that she had been unfairly drawn into the lawsuit as a tactic to divert attention away from Lively’s allegations, implying it was a smokescreen or deceptive maneuver.

Nick Shapiro, who previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the CIA, was recently enlisted by Lively to offer guidance on the legal communication strategy regarding a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit currently being handled in the Southern District of New York. This information was shared with Variety on February 28th by one of her litigation team members from Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Shapiro, who served with the CIA from 2013 to 2015 during the Obama administration, later moved on to become Visa’s vice president for global security and communications, followed by a role as Airbnb’s head of global crisis management. Following a three-year stint at the rental company, he established his own consulting firm called 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.

TopMob News reports that The New York Times, currently involved in a $250 million lawsuit with Baldoni, has submitted a request to be released from a separate $400 million lawsuit that additionally involves Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane.

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

After The New York Times filed a motion to dismiss, US District Judge Lewis J. Liman agreed and halted the discovery process at the request of the newspaper, as reported by TopMob News based on obtained documents.

The court granted the request for a temporary hold on the exchange of information or documents between parties, as the judge reviewed the newspaper’s motion filed on February 28th.

According to Liman’s statement in the document dated March 4th, the New York Times provides “solid reasons” and “a convincing argument” that their motion to dismiss could likely be granted based on its merit.

Additionally, the judge stated his viewpoint that Baldoni’s legal team should not face an unfair disadvantage during the court’s consideration of the ongoing motion, while it is on hold (stay).

In response to TopMob News, a representative for the New York Times commented on the recent ruling, stating, “We are grateful for today’s court decision, which acknowledges the significant First Amendment principles involved. The court has prevented Mr. Baldoni from imposing discovery requests on our newspaper in a lawsuit that should not have been initiated against us.

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2025-05-10 02:51