The ongoing feud between “It Ends With Us” stars has escalated dramatically as Justin Baldoni alleges Blake Lively manipulated her personal relationships—including with music icon Taylor Swift—to strengthen her legal standing in a courtroom clash that has captured public attention.
In a legal document filed on May 14, Baldoni’s attorneys claimed that the actress attempted to coerce Swift into issuing a public statement in her defense, threatening to expose private text messages if the singer did not comply. This revelation marks the latest chapter in a bitter public and legal battle between the two lead actors.
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Lively’s Attorney: Claims Are “Categorically False”
Blake Lively’s legal representative, Mike Gottlieb, forcefully rejected the accusations in a public statement.
“We unequivocally deny all of these so-called allegations, which are cowardly sourced to supposed anonymous sources and completely untethered from reality,” Gottlieb said.
He also confirmed plans to hold Baldoni’s legal team accountable, accusing them of fabricating claims for media attention.
“We will imminently file motions with the court to hold these attorneys accountable for their misconduct here,” Gottlieb added.
Lively’s attorneys filed a formal request to strike the allegations from the court record, describing them as “baseless, improper, and abusive.”
“It should be unnecessary to respond to anonymously sourced, baseless, allegations recklessly leveled without any supporting evidence. It is worth stating for the record, however, that each of the allegations in the Freedman Letter is unequivocally and demonstrably false. As a legal matter, the Freedman Letter is improper,”
Lively’s legal team wrote.
Subpoena of Swift Raises Legal and Public Eyebrows
As the case gains momentum, Justin Baldoni alleges Blake Lively leveraged her close ties with Taylor Swift to exert pressure in the legal fight. Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, justified the subpoena of Swift, claiming that the information she holds is essential to the case.
“The Lively Defendants’ insistence that the Subpoena seeks irrelevant information is wrong,” Freedman stated in the filing.
According to court documents, Freedman cited a reliable anonymous source who claimed that Blake Lively asked Taylor Swift to delete sensitive messages and threatened to release personal content if Swift didn’t publicly support her.
Freedman also alleged that Lively’s lawyers contacted Swift’s legal team “and demanded that Ms. Swift release a statement of support for Ms. Lively.” He also said they were
“intimating that if Ms. Swift refused to do so, private text messages of a personal nature in Ms. Lively’s possession would be released.”
Swift’s Team Denies Involvement in Production
In response, Swift’s spokesperson issued a statement reiterating the singer’s minimal role in the film.
“Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie… She was not involved in casting, editing, or creative direction. Her only contribution was licensing her song, ‘My Tears Ricochet.’”
The spokesperson went on to claim the subpoena was little more than an attempt to exploit Swift’s fame:
“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.”
Despite the denial, Justin Baldoni alleges Blake Lively intentionally invoked Swift’s name to sway legal perceptions and influence public opinion.
“The connection Taylor had to this film was permitting the use of one song, ‘My Tears Ricochet,'” the spokesperson added.
“Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists also 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.”
Background of the Legal Tussle
The legal dispute began following the turbulent 2024 release of “It Ends With Us“. In December, Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on set. A month later, Baldoni countered with a $400 million lawsuit alleging defamation, civil extortion, and abuse of creative control.
In that countersuit, Justin Baldoni alleges Blake Lively commandeered the direction of the film and used the influence of her celebrity friends—including Swift and her husband Ryan Reynolds—to assert dominance over the production.
One key event noted in court filings involves Lively inviting Baldoni to her New York home after a disagreement about a rooftop scene rewrite. Baldoni claims that during this visit, he was subtly pressured by Swift and Reynolds to accept Lively’s version of the script.
“Later, Baldoni felt obliged to text Lively to say that he had liked her pages and hadn’t needed Reynolds and her megacelebrity friend to pressure him,” the complaint stated.
In that message, he wrote:
“I really love what you did… (And I would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor 😊)” You really are a talent across the board. Really excited nd [sic] grateful to do this together,
Baldoni’s text said, according to the complaint.
No Sign of Settlement as Trial Looms
Both parties have shown no interest in resolving the issue privately. With emotions and accusations running high, Justin Baldoni alleges Blake Lively will continue to escalate legal tactics as the case proceeds to trial in March 2026 in a New York courtroom.
Court watchers anticipate the next moves in what has become one of Hollywood’s most contentious and public legal disputes in recent memory.
Conclusion
As Justin Baldoni alleges Blake Lively repeatedly engaged in manipulative and coercive behavior during and after the production of “It Ends With Us“, the entertainment world watches closely. With Taylor Swift’s name now pulled into the fray, the case continues to garner widespread attention. Whether these claims will stand in court or unravel under scrutiny remains to be seen—but the legal drama is far from over.
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