NEWSJustin Baldoni Claims Blake Lively Held Taylor Swift Song 'Hostage' Until She Got Her Way in the Editing Room Amid Legal Battle
Justin Baldoni claimed Blake Lively used her Taylor Swift connection to sway 'It Ends With Us' edits.
Justin Baldoni just dragged Taylor Swift into his legal war with Blake Lively — again.
In new court filings from January 31 — which were made public by Baldoni himself — the director accused Lively of leveraging her close friendship with Swift to get her way during post-production of It Ends With Us.
Justin Baldoni filed a countersuit against 'It Ends With Us' costar Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
According to Baldoni, Lively allegedly made a "veiled threat" through a studio exec, suggesting she might “change her mind” about reaching out to Swift to secure the use of “My Tears Ricochet” for the trailer if her demands weren’t met. Some of her requests included removing Baldoni’s “film by” credit from posters and giving herself more time in the editing room with her personal editor to oversee the final cut.
"This maneuver felt less like a professional request and more like extortion," Baldoni’s legal filing claimed, "holding the film's marketing efforts hostage to gain creative control."
This isn’t the first time Baldoni has brought up Swift in his legal battle with Lively.
Per legal documents obtained by OK!, Baldoni, 40, originally sued Lively, 37, after she accused him of sexual harassment and attempting to “destroy” her career with a smear campaign.
Justin Baldoni claimed Blake Lively used her friendship with Taylor Swift to get him to 'comply' with her script changes.
Now, he's shedding light on what he calls a pattern of manipulation behind-the-scenes.
During production, Lively — who also served as a producer — wanted to tweak some lines in the film’s rooftop scene. At one point, Baldoni was invited to Ryan Reynolds and Lively’s NYC home, where Swift, 35, also joined. According to his lawsuit, the Grammy winner started “praising Lively’s script.”
"Baldoni understood the subtext: he needed to comply with Lively’s direction for the script," the filing stated.
Following that meeting, Baldoni texted Lively about her script edits, saying, "Was working on rooftop scene today, I really love what you did. It really does help a lot. Makes it so much more fun and interesting."
He added that he "would have felt that way" even if Swift and Reynolds weren’t there hyping her up. "You really are a talent across the board," he told her. "Really excited and grateful to do this together."
The director revealed that the couple once invited him to their New York City pad.
The Shallows star then complimented her Hollywood power circle.
"They are embarrassingly effusive," she wrote of Swift and Reynolds. "I think they wanted you and me to see how they felt about [the rewrites] because they've been by my side for far too many experiences where I've been overlooked.”
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The Gossip Girl star then compared herself to Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones, writing, "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,” she added.
Lively, who initially filed a sexual harassment complaint on December 21, 2024, acknowledged using Swift and Reynolds as her advocates.
"They also know I'm not always 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--- about that," Lively noted. "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."
Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment.
Baldoni’s legal team argued that her message was clear: he wasn’t just dealing with Lively — he was also up against "her dragons," two of the most influential celebrities in the world.
Recently, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, revealed the lawsuit has taken a major toll on his client and others involved in the film, including Wayfarer Studios, producers Jamey Heath and Steve Sarowitz, and publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel.
“Not to sound like a 4-year-old fighting a 4-year-old with ‘they started it,’ but in these kinds of cases, once someone says something, it becomes fact,” Freedman said. “There’s no way to fight against it.”
Meanwhile, Lively’s attorney, Michael Gottlieb, argued that Baldoni’s alleged "retaliation campaign" against her has been "devastating" for the actress.
“The Court granted our request that all attorneys in the matter actually follow the rule of law and not make any statements that could prejudice a jury,” they said in a statement to Page Six. “This case deals with serious allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation. We will hold the defendants accountable, and we are confident that once all the evidence is submitted, Ms. Lively will prevail.”
While Judge Lewis Liman denied a gag order request from Lively and Reynolds, he urged both sides to avoid making public statements that could impact a fair trial, now set for March 2026. The judge also suggested an earlier trial date.
