Justin Baldoni’s lawyers reportedly plan to call Taylor Swift as a hostile witness after newly unsealed text messages show the pop superstar was far more aware of pal Blake Lively’s grievances against her “It Ends With Us” director and co-star, laying the groundwork for their more than year-long legal battle.
Insiders told TMZ Wednesday of the 41-year-old filmmaker’s intent to call the Grammy winner, 36, as a hostile witness following the release of the texts — available to view as part of extensive court documents made public Tuesday — which contradict remarks long made by Swift’s team.
“She was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film, she did not even see ‘It Ends With Us’ until weeks after its public release,” a rep for Swift told People in early May, when she was subpoenaed as a witness in the case. The subpoena was withdrawn by month’s end.
In June, 38-year-old Lively filed a motion to keep the texts between herself and Swift away from Baldoni. Liman denied the motion, deeming the correspondence “relevant,” per Deadline.
As the unsealed text exchanges indicate, Lively and Swift communicated several times about the film leading up to Lively filing a civil rights complaint that accuses Baldoni of sexual harassment on set and of launching a retaliatory smear campaign in anticipation of her complaint.
Baldoni denied the claims and filed a $400 million defamation suit against Lively as well as a $250 million libel lawsuit against The Times, both of which have since been tossed.
Weeks before Lively filed her complaint, Swift sent a link from a People article about Baldoni revealing “he was sexually traumatized by an ex-girlfriend.”
“I think this b—h knows something is coming because he’s gotten out his tiny violin,” wrote Swift on Dec. 5, 2024.
“It’s [sic] rings different when he doesn’t end the story by saying ‘Did I always listen when they said no? No.’ like he did with me. But that must not’ve tested well in the focus group,” replied Lively. “He’s being honored at the vital voices for women event on Monday.”
“This is so disgusting and I hate that he’s clever about this s–t,” Swift responded. “He needs to be beaten by his OWN words. … Is everything still on track?”
“Oh yes. A week later tho. But worth the wait,” said Lively.
The day after Lively’s suit was filed, the New York Times published an extensive review of the court filing. Later that day, another exhibit showed Swift texted Lively — and someone listed in Lively’s phone as “Roy Orbison” — to say, “You won,” along with Deadline’s report announcing he’d been dropped by agency WME.
“And you f–king helped so many people who won’t have to go through this ever again,” said Swift. “Never has a cancellation been reversed so fast. You guys don’t understand how rare this is. To have proof and to take the perfect steps to bring that truth into the light.”
“I love you so much,” says Lively. “I would not be ok through any of this if it weren’t for you.”
The filings also include earlier text messages about the film exchanged by Lively and the “cardigan” singer. On April 12, 2024, Lively called on her friend, whom she dubbed the “greatest living story teller,” to sing the praises of her version of a scene so Baldoni would sign on.
That evening, another exhibit shows Lively applauded Swift’s “epically heroic” actions: “You making s–t up about me and lenses. And referring to yourself as my doll. This clown falling for all of it. But also resisting it. You are the worlds [sic] absolute greatest friend ever. I won the lottery.”
On April 23, Lively requested Swift’s opinion on the film’s trailer, which uses her song “My Tears Ricochet,” and asked the singer to poll now-fiancé Travis Kelce for his take.
Once Swift approved the trailer on April 26, Lively said she’d “never felt more like Khaleesi. I have dragons. Except my dragons are bred with Cersei herself,” according to an exhibit no longer available to view on the docket.
“I’m just picturing you muttering ‘dracarys’ and then I fire off those texts to [brother] Austin,” wrote Swift. “By the way. If Justin was strategic, he would be like no Taylor swift in the trailer. Because that gives you more power over the film, that’s your ally not his.”
The “Game of Thrones” references would come up later in the legal battle, as Baldoni’s camp released texts in which Lively reportedly compared herself to the “Mother of Dragons” and dubbed Swift and husband Ryan Reynolds as her own “dragons.”
When asked for comment on the document dump, Swift’s rep pointed the Daily News toward Lawfare senior editor Anna Bower’s tweet linking to the exhibits.
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