It’s a cruel summer for Blake Lively.
US District Judge Lewis Liman ruled on Wednesday that Justin Baldoni can officially access private messages between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift related to It Ends With Us.
According to court documents obtained by The Post, Judge Liman denied Lively’s request for a protective order that would have kept her texts with Swift, 35, hidden from Baldoni, 41, as their legal battle continues.
The ruling noted that because Lively, 37, indicated Swift was aware of complaints or discussions regarding the film’s work environment, the request for their messages is “reasonably tailored” to uncover information that could support or refute Lively’s claims of harassment and retaliation.
However, Judge Liman clarified that only messages relevant to the 2024 film or the legal dispute between Lively and Baldoni are subject to disclosure.
Judge Liman also stated that the parties’ existing protective order would apply to the messages, ensuring they remain confidential and aren’t leaked to the press.
According to the ruling, Lively’s legal team had offered a deal to Baldoni’s side: she would turn over all documents related to the case—excluding her messages with Swift—if Baldoni agreed to provide “all video footage related to the film and full, unredacted versions of communication” cited in his complaint.
Baldoni’s team ultimately rejected the proposal.
Lively’s spokesperson told The Post in a statement: “The Court outright denied the Wayfarer Parties’ motion to compel documents from Ms. Lively, who has produced far more documents in this case than the Wayfarer Parties combined. Additionally, the Court’s protective order ruling is based on the Wayfarer Parties’ admission that they received no information from Taylor Swift, which directly contradicts their ‘insider’s’ claim from two weeks ago.”
Blake Lively at the Another Simple Favor screening in New York on April 27. (WireImage)
“As for the rest, Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties demanded access to Taylor Swift’s private communications—despite having already subpoenaed and then withdrawn that subpoena,” the statement continued.
“Baldoni’s desire to drag Taylor Swift into this has been constant dating back to August 2024, when the crisis p.r. firm led by Melissa Nathan included her in their ‘Scenario Planning’ document, referred to her as a bully, and called for a strategy to influence the ‘TS fanbase.’ We will continue to call out Baldoni’s relentless efforts to exploit Ms Swift’s popularity, which from day one has been nothing more than a distraction from the serious sexual harassment and retaliation accusations he and the Wayfarer parties are facing.”
The Post has contacted Baldoni’s attorney and Swift’s representative for comment.
In May, Swift was subpoenaed as a witness by Baldoni’s legal team amid the ongoing It Ends With Us lawsuit.
However, in a surprising turn, Baldoni’s team withdrew the subpoena on May 22 after Swift’s representative denied her involvement in the dispute.
“Taylor Swift never set foot on the movie set, wasn’t involved in any casting or creative decisions, didn’t compose the score, never viewed an edit or provided notes, and only saw It Ends With Us weeks after its public release. Throughout 2023 and 2024, she was touring globally, headlining one of the biggest tours in history,” Swift’s representative told The Post in response to the original subpoena.
The “Lover” singer was referenced in Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. In it, Baldoni alleges that Lively referred to Swift and Reynolds—48—as her “dragons” and called herself Khaleesi, a nod to Game of Thrones, in a purported text exchange.
Baldoni also claimed that Swift attended a key meeting he had with Lively at her and Reynolds’ NYC penthouse to discuss rewriting the infamous rooftop scene in It Ends With Us.
Later, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, sent a letter to Judge Liman stating that an anonymous source informed him that Lively’s lead lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, allegedly threatened to release Swift’s text messages if the “You Need to Calm Down” singer didn’t publicly back Blake.
Gottlieb denied the allegations, and the judge approved Lively’s motion to strike the letter, describing Freedman’s filing as “improper” and “irrelevant,” according to an order obtained by The Post.
The legal battle has reportedly strained Lively and Swift’s friendship.
“Even though Taylor has completely cut ties with her, Blake hasn’t with Taylor,” a source recently told the Daily Mail, adding that Lively has been “ignoring” her former best friend, who is also the godmother to Lively and Reynolds’ three daughters.
The source also claimed that Swift is distancing herself from Lively, feeling “betrayed” and “exploited” by the Gossip Girl alum.
The legal dispute began in December 2024 when Lively sued Baldoni, alleging he sexually harassed her during the filming of It Ends With Us. She further accused him of orchestrating a smear campaign and causing intentional and negligent emotional distress.
Baldoni, who denies the allegations, filed a countersuit against Lively and Reynolds in January, accusing them of extortion and defamation.
However, Judge Liman dismissed the $400 million lawsuit earlier this month, along with Baldoni’s $250 million defamation suit against the New York Times.
Despite these dismissals, the legal battle remains set for trial in March 2026.
