The ongoing legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively took a new turn Thursday morning as Baldoni filed a lawsuit that includes text messages exchanged between the two.
The texts, which were part of the 179-page filing, feature Lively referring to Taylor Swift as “one of her dragons,” alluding to the superstar’s role as a close friend of Lively.
In the lawsuit, Baldoni alleges that Lively and her husband, actor-producer Ryan Reynolds, took control of the film It Ends With Us, tarnishing his public reputation with false accusations of sexual harassment.
Baldoni is seeking $400 million in damages. While Swift is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, she is mentioned in the text message exchange between Baldoni and Lively, per Variety.
The text messages, included on pages 23 to 25 of the legal filing, highlight a disagreement over a rooftop scene in the film. Baldoni claims that Lively reworked the scene’s script and that he felt the pressure from Lively, Reynolds, and her “megacelebrity friend” (likely Swift) to accept the changes.
“Also was working on rooftop scene today, I really love what you did. It really does help a lot,” Baldoni wrote to Lively in one message. “Makes it so much more fun and interesting. (And I would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor) You really are a talent across the board. Really excited and grateful to do this together.”
The apparent reference to Taylor Swift has left online commenters baffled, with one person taking to social media to ask: “TF has Taylor Swift even got to do with this whole episode?”
Another added: “Dragging Taylor into this just because she complimented her friend is wild ….. and unnecessary.”
A third penned: “I read the lawsuit all Taylor was accused of doing is praising Blake’s script but bro thought he was being ‘pressured’.”
The lawsuit also details a text from Lively, where she mentions Reynolds and another unnamed person (whose identity is redacted) as being “absolute titans as writers and storytellers outside of their primary gig.”
Lively continues, “They also know I’m not always as good at making sure I’m seen and utilized for fear of threatening egos, or fear of affecting the ease of the process. They don’t give a s**t about that. And because of that, everyone listens to them with immense respect and enthusiasm. So I guess I have to stop worrying about people liking me.”
Lively’s lengthy message concludes with a comparison to Khaleesi, the character from Game of Thrones, who commands dragons. “If you ever get around to watching Game of Thrones, you’ll appreciate that I’m Khaleesi, and like her, I happen to have a few dragons. For better or worse, but usually for better. Because my dragons also protect those I fight for. So really we all benefit from those gorgeous monsters of mine. You will too, I can promise you.”
Baldoni’s legal team argues that Lively’s message was meant to pressure him by making it clear that he was not only dealing with Lively, but also with her “dragons,” who are two of the most influential and wealthiest celebrities in the world. “The message could not have been clearer,” the complaint states. “Baldoni was not just dealing with Lively. He was also facing Lively’s ‘dragons,’ two of the most influential and wealthy celebrities in the world, who were not afraid to make things very difficult for him.”
The case has deepened following a previous lawsuit filed by Lively against Baldoni, producer Jamey Heath, and publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel on December 31. Lively’s lawsuit, which followed an initial complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accuses Baldoni and others of conducting a media smear campaign against her after she voiced concerns over alleged sexual harassment on set.
In response, Baldoni filed a suit against the New York Times for allegedly collaborating with Lively’s team to defame him by misinterpreting the text messages. Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has since promised more lawsuits will follow.
This legal confrontation continues to unfold, as both parties seek to address their respective grievances in court.
