The ongoing legal battle surrounding It Ends With Us has taken another dramatic turn — and this time, it involves two of the most famous women in entertainment. Newly unsealed court documents reveal private text messages between longtime friends Blake Lively and Taylor Swift, pulling one of pop culture’s most powerful friendships into the center of a high-profile lawsuit.
The messages were unsealed on Tuesday, January 20, just days ahead of a scheduled summary judgment hearing set for January 22. At the center of the dispute is It Ends With Us actor and director Justin Baldoni, whose legal team alleges that Taylor Swift was present during a meeting about script rewrites and applied pressure for changes that Blake Lively supported.
Swift’s representatives have strongly denied those claims — and they’ve been consistent about it.
In a statement released in May 2025, Taylor’s rep said she “never set foot on the set of this movie, 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, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history.”
The rep added that Swift’s only connection to the film was approving the use of her song “My Tears Ricochet,” accusing Baldoni’s team of using her name “to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case.”
Still, the unsealed documents offer a detailed look into private conversations — and they’re messy, candid, and unmistakably personal.
One text exchange from April 12, 2023 shows Blake asking Taylor to read two versions of the script. In the message, Blake refers to Baldoni as “this doofus director of my movie” and a “clown” who “thinks he’s a writer now.” She added that Taylor didn’t have to read the scripts, writing, “you don’t have to read of course.”
In her deposition, Blake explained the context:
“I sent Taylor the script on her way to my apartment because Justin was still there, and I asked her to read them. I told her she didn’t have to, I didn’t want her to feel pressured to do that, but I hoped that she would.”
Taylor responded enthusiastically, writing, “I’ll do anything for you !!”
After the meeting, Blake followed up with a glowing message thanking her friend for support:
“You were so epically heroic today. I recapped every moment to Ryan. I kept remembering stuff- You making shit 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 absolute greatest friend ever.”
Blake’s legal team disputes Baldoni’s claim that Swift “agreed to do Lively’s bidding,” “met with Baldoni,” or “endorsed the revised draft.”
Another portion of the documents references Blake sharing an article with Taylor in which Baldoni discussed consent and disclosed his experience as a victim of sexual abuse. Blake’s attorneys stated it is “undisputed” that “Lively shared an article with Swift about Baldoni.”
Texts from April 26, 2024 show the two discussing the use of Swift’s song in the film’s trailer. Taylor wrote, “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.” Blake replied, “You are so right…He should’ve run from your music…How stupid. This was his only shot at having the appearance of an upper hand.”
The documents also reveal that Taylor’s close friend Ashley Avignone connected Blake with Justin’s former publicist Stephanie Jones. A text from Taylor reads, “Can you believe she just called and was like this pr chick wants to get info to blake.” Blake’s team says Avignone informed her that Jones had messages on a phone that were “the most disturbing messages she’s ever read in her 20 to 30-plus-year career.”
In December 2024, Taylor allegedly referred to Baldoni as a “bitch,” texting, “I think this bitch knows something is coming because he’s gotten out his tiny violin.” While Baldoni’s team claims this referenced an upcoming New York Times article, Blake’s attorneys deny that interpretation.
The texts don’t stop there. Blake also messaged Ben Affleck, telling him she “rewrote the script. I directed every actor,” and called Baldoni a “chaotic clown.” Ryan Reynolds, for his part, texted Matt Damon, describing Baldoni as “a malignantly vein[sic], sociopathic FAUXminist with almost no sense of boundaries or shame. I cannot believe he hasn’t gone to jail…”
As the case continues, one thing is clear: private conversations between Hollywood’s most powerful players are now part of the public record — and the fallout is only beginning.
