A trove of text messages and emails sent by Blake Lively, including exchanges with longtime friend Taylor Swift, have been made public by actor-director Justin Baldoni's lawyers as they prepare for trial. Lively sued Baldoni and his crisis communications expert alleging harassment and a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation after she griped about his treatment of her while filming the 2024 romantic drama It Ends With Us. The documents were unsealed ahead of Thursday's arguments before a federal judge in New York City about whether to end their acrimonious yearlong litigation, which has threatened to suck in other big names, per the AP.
Many of the text messages and emails unsealed Tuesday night were included in filings by Baldoni's lawyers, who argued that they show Lively was strategically manipulating Baldoni's public image by leveraging connections with her powerful and famous friends. Swift's messages show that before and after their feud became public, she was advising Lively how to use Hollywood's power dynamics to her advantage. In April 2024, Lively sent Swift a message containing a link to the It Ends With Us trailer, which would be released publicly weeks later, featuring Swift's song "My Tears Ricochet." "Wow I love how they use the song," Swift replied. "Welcome to hollywood Justin."
The women then speculated about how the public would interpret the song's inclusion in the film. "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," Swift wrote. Lively responded: "You are so right. And so wickedly smart to call it." In another text exchange on Dec. 4, 2024, Lively checked in with Swift, writing that she felt "like a bad friend lately because I was such a sad sack" who only talked about her own problems "for months," noting she still had "a feeling something may not be right." Swift replied that she did perceive a shift in Lively's language.
"Your texts have been so nice in their intent but your last few ... it's felt like I was reading a mass corporate email sent to 200 employees," Swift wrote. "I just kinda miss my dark, normal-speaking friend who talks to me as herself." Lively's attorney told reporters that the text exchange isn't relevant. In court, Baldoni's legal team accused Lively of filling her lawsuit with "trivial and petty grievances" that fall short of legal standards for a hostile workplace claim. "A whole bunch of little things can add up to a big thing," the judge responded. The trial is set for May 18. More here.
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