A contentious legal battle has engulfed Hollywood as actor-director Justin Baldoni and actress Blake Lively find themselves embroiled in escalating lawsuits stemming from their collaboration on the film *It Ends with Us*.
The conflict, which began with Baldoni filing defamation and extortion claims in January 2025, has now expanded to include Taylor Swift’s private communications as potential evidence.
Judge Lewis Liman delivered a significant ruling this week, denying Lively’s motion to protect text messages exchanged with her close friend Swift from being examined in discovery. This decision comes after Baldoni’s legal team initially filed, then withdrew, a subpoena seeking access to communications allegedly showing Swift was leveraged to pressure Baldoni during production disputes.
Judge’s ruling forces Lively to surrender Swift texts that may reveal behind-the-scenes pressure tactics during film production.
“The court finds these communications potentially relevant to establishing the timeline of events,” Judge Liman stated during the proceedings.
The legal saga began unfolding when Baldoni accused Lively of threatening false sexual harassment claims and systematically excluding him from creative decisions during production.
Lively promptly countersued, alleging sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios.
Swift’s representatives have vehemently denied any involvement in production decisions, stating, “Ms. Swift had no role whatsoever in casting, creative direction, or production matters.”
On January 30, 2025, Judge Liman consolidated the competing lawsuits into a single case scheduled for trial on March 9, 2026.
The consolidation followed a 90-minute court session where legal teams from both sides presented initial arguments under increased scrutiny regarding “pretrial publicity and attorney conduct.”
Baldoni’s team has taken an unusually public approach by launching a website featuring amended complaints and an event timeline.
Meanwhile, allegations continue to escalate, with Baldoni claiming Lively orchestrated smear campaigns to force him from the project, while Lively maintains Baldoni engaged in inappropriate conduct throughout filming and promotion.
This escalation follows the judge’s earlier dismissal of Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds on June 9, 2025.
The widely successful film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel has grossed $350 million worldwide, complicating the high-profile legal battle with substantial financial interests at stake.
As discovery proceeds, Judge Liman has instructed both parties to limit public commentary, noting, “This court will focus on evidence, not media narratives.”
