The major legal dispute between actress Blake Lively and director Justin Baldoni over their movie It Ends With Us has now grown to include Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman. The lawsuit has expanded because of claims that Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman, who are close friends of Lively and Ryan Reynolds, may have been involved.

According to a source who spoke to the Daily Mail, both Swift and Jackman are expected to receive legal subpoenas this week. This development follows Baldoni’s January 2025 lawsuit, which included what he says was a text conversation between Lively and himself. In these messages, Lively reportedly referred to Swift and Reynolds as her “dragons,” comparing them to the protective character Khaleesi from Game of Thrones.

After the lawsuit began, reports from NY Post claimed that Lively apologized to Swift for dragging her into the legal fight. Sources said Swift accepted the apology and believed it was sincere. Despite their close friendship, Swift and Lively have not been seen together in public since the legal battle started.

Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman are now involved in Blake Lively’s lawsuit

Lively first filed the lawsuit in December 2024, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and spreading false rumors about her. Baldoni then filed his own lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, in January 2025, seeking $400 million in damages. He claims they defamed him, tried to blackmail him, invaded his privacy, and made other false claims.

Both sides deny the accusations made against them. The case is set to go to trial in March 2026. Baldoni’s lawsuit claims that Lively used her connections with Swift and Reynolds to pressure him into making changes to the movie’s script.

He specifically says that Swift was present at a meeting in Lively’s New York City penthouse where they discussed rewriting a rooftop scene in the film. He alleges that Lively used this meeting to intimidate him. Swift’s 2020 song, My Tears Ricochet, was used in a scene and the trailer for It Ends With Us. Baldoni’s lawyer suggested that Swift might be asked to give a formal statement as part of the legal process.

Lively and Reynolds are known to be very close friends with Swift and Jackman. Swift is even the godmother to Lively and Reynolds’ three daughters. Jackman starred alongside Reynolds in the 2024 movie Deadpool and Wolverine. Baldoni’s legal team has argued that the character Nicepool in that film was meant to mock Baldoni, pointing out similarities in hairstyle and a scene that references Lively’s character in It Ends With Us.

The exact role Swift played in making the movie is still unclear. While she was not directly involved in acting or directing, Lively mentioned in a 2024 interview with CBS Mornings that Swift was around during production. There are also reports that Swift may have had a say in casting decisions, including the choice of Isabela Ferrer, who played a younger version of Lively’s character.

According to the Economic Times, Baldoni himself itted in an Access Hollywood clip that Swift was involved in the casting process. Some reports also suggest she may have influenced script changes. Hugh Jackman’s possible involvement comes from his friendship with Lively and Reynolds and Baldoni’s claim that Deadpool and Wolverine included a mocking reference to him.

The expected subpoenas for Swift and Jackman mark a big step forward in the legal case. Whether they will actually testify and what they might say is still unknown, but their involvement could have a major impact as the case moves toward the scheduled trial in March 2026.

The Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni feud has become a drama which currently has no ending in sight, not because each side keeps serving new evidence against the other party. Because they keep countering the presented evidence with proof that makes guessing its authenticity impossible. This time, it’s Blake Lively’s shocking claim that she was not in agreement with the “violative” birthing scene since Baldoni hired his “best friend” for the role who was too close to her “nude genitalia” in the scene.

Okay, that’s a serious accusation, and as per her claims in the complaint (obtained by Page Six), this scene was allegedly a new addition by Baldoni and it “disturved her,” even more so when he “introduced his ‘best friend’ to play the role of the OBGYN, when ordinarily, a small role of this nature would be filled by a local actor.” Lively, in her complaint, further adds that Baldoni’s friend playing this intimate role where “the actor’s face and hands were in close proximity to her nearly nude genitalia for a birth scene, was invasive and humiliating.”

“Mr. [Jamey] Heath and Mr. Baldoni also failed to close the set, allowing non-essential crew to through while Ms. Lively was partially nude from below the chest down with her legs spread wide in stirrups and only a small piece of fabric covering her genitalia.”

That is indeed a grave allegation, one that would have made Lively’s case stronger. “Would have” because the actor she mentioned in the complaint, who allegedly made her uncomfortable in this intimate scene, has come forward to technically dismantle her of what was happening behind the scenes.

In his comments to Page Six, actor Adam Mondschein, the OBGYN who aided in Lily’s delivery in the film, has claimed that his recollection of the scene is “very different than the one she described in her lawsuit.” As per the actor’s description, the actress was wearing a “full hospital gown, black shorts and torso-covering prosthetic to make her appear pregnant in addition to whatever personal garments she chose.”

Mondschein added that despite what Lively said in her complaint, when the scene in question was being shot, she never raised any issue or project that she was uncomfortable because “nothing unusual or improper occurred.”

“It was entirely professional.”

He also didn’t like the Gossip Girl star’s insinuation that he was not fit for the role of OBGYN. As for her assertion that Baldoni should have hired a local actor for the role, Mondschein shared he was a “local hire” since he is from New York and covered his own expenses for the job as per the usual rules of a contract for such roles.

In fact, the actor is willing to testify in court that Lively’s claims about her state in the scene are completely untrue. This would make yet another evidence by the actress whose authenticity is now dicey, just like how she has alleged that Baldoni barged into her trailer and “invaded” her privacy but text interactions shared by the director allegedly painted a different picture — of Lively inviting Baldoni while she was “pumping.”

But no matter how many questions get leveled at her accusations, she is adamant on her claims that Justin Baldoni sexually harassed her during the production of It Ends With Us.

Since the beginning, Taylor Swift‘s name has been attached to the ongoing legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, the stars of It Ends With Us. A close friend of Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and an entertainment powerhouse, Swift’s name was initially mentioned by Baldoni, who claimed she was interfering with the production.

Now, the pop megastar has been roped into court proceedings following a subpoena. If a Mail Online source is to be believed, the music artist will face questioning under oath to clarify her role and insights in the sexual harassment and retaliation case against Baldoni. They also claimed that the first group of potential witnesses that Baldoni’s team wants to hear from have been ed and are due to give evidence at a later date, with other depositions to follow.

Potential witnesses include Swift, It Ends With Us co-stars Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer, staff at Lively’s talent agency, WME, and executives at the distributor, Sony. If deposed, they will answer questions under oath as witnesses, and their responses will be recorded by court reporters.

The bad blood

The news follows months of back and forth after what Lively alleges was a smear campaign orchestrated by star and director Baldoni. The actor claims Baldoni acted inappropriately with her and other women during production, and that he retaliated against her when she reported it in May 2023. She filed an official complaint in December 2023.

A New York Times article later leaked private messages between Baldoni and a crisis management team hired to sway public opinion to Baldoni’s side by painting Lively as a steamroller on set who wanted to take the reins away from Baldoni. If true, they did a stellar job of it, with Lively’s reputation quickly turning to ashes as news trickled out about her alleged antics on set.

Baldoni’s suit against Lively and Reynolds claimed, “A famous, and famously close, friend of Reynolds and Lively, walked into the room and similarly began praising Lively’s script. Baldoni understood the subtext: He needed to comply with Lively’s direction for the script.”

Taylor Swift has been dragged into the Baldoni/Lively legal saga…

In his lawsuit filed today, Baldoni claims that Blake insisted on re-writing part of the script (the rooftop scene). Baldoni claims he was "summoned" to Blake/Ryan's home to discuss Blake's version of the… pic.twitter.com/ruJUlcgCdX

— Elizabeth Wagmeister (@EWagmeister) January 16, 2025

Swift’s alleged involvement in pushing Baldoni around creatively aligns with his narrative; that a more famous and wealthy star decided she didn’t trust his vision, and deployed the powerhouses around her to help get her way. Reynolds also was involved in asking for rewrites, according to Baldoni’s team. Swift has never commented on the lawsuits.

When Swift was initially raised in relation to the drama, Lively’s lawyers countered by saying Baldoni’s people “are trying to shift the narrative to Ms. Lively by falsely claiming that she seized creative control and alienated the cast from Mr. Baldoni.” They also said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, “This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the ab attempts to turn the tables on the victim. This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender.”

The never-ending It Ends With Us saga has just introduced a new antagonist.

Blake Lively had previously filed a complaint against Justin Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging hostile and sexual harassment on the It Ends With Us set. Baldoni lost awards, his reputation, and representation. That all changed when he filed his own lawsuit against The New York Times, alleging libel in their reporting of the story. He sued the publishing giant for $250 million. Since then, both parties have filed additional lawsuits against each other, and nearly everyone has weighed in — even Lively’s own husband made a joke about it during SNL 50th anniversary special.

Now, after two months of Baldoni releasing uncomfortable-to-listen-to voice notes and awkward behind-the-scenes clips, public perception of Lively’s case seems to be shifting. In cases like this, some will always expect the proverbial “perfect victim” — someone who has never done anything wrong at any point in their lives. For that faction of the public, The Hollywood Reporter added fuel to the skepticism with an article questioning whether the conflict between the former co-stars stemmed from a “cultural misunderstanding” of Baldoni’s Baha’i faith. According to the piece, that might explain the alleged “inappropriate hugging.”

Lively’s allegations went far beyond inappropriate hugging, but ironically, it wasn’t even the article’s content that caught her ire — it started with its cover image. In a public condemnation of the publication, Lively’s spokesperson told the Daily Mail, “The framing in this picture is outrageously insulting as it plays into every sexist trope about women who dare file a workplace complaint, turning them into the aggressor, and suggesting they deserve the retaliation that comes their way.”

The picture in question? The Hollywood Reporter’s latest cover, which depicts Baldoni in a Biblical setting, holding a copy of It Ends With Us like it’s Moses’ stone tablet, while behind him, Lively aims a phone in a slingshot at his back.

Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni

An exclusive look behind the battle lines of the #ItEndsWithUs uncivil war: https://t.co/UryXmLrDcT pic.twitter.com/r8VI1SOcNf

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 21, 2025

This saga is boundless, and even the most dedicated fans struggle to keep track of who did what and when. However, one of the most significant revelations came when the New York Times reported that Baldoni had hired the same PR firm Johnny Depp used during his own legal battle — allegedly to plant negative stories about Lively and “bury” her. That article still awaits its day in court, but it raises a question every time a story aggressively targets Lively: Is this just another PR tactic?

Baldoni still alleges that Lively filed false sexual harassment complaints and caused on-set disharmony solely to gain more control over the set. His lawyers plan to prove these claims in court.

Lively, on the other hand, has never wavered in her allegations against Baldoni, and at this point, the situation has spiraled far beyond the two of them. Agencies, publications, families, and even fans — albeit to a lesser extent — are all involved. That’s why cases like this must be taken seriously; the damage left in their wake is immense. With four lawsuits now entangled in this case, it’s impossible to predict the outcome. But one thing is certain: there will be no winners. Justice, however, would suffice.

For now, all we can do is wait for the cases to be heard.

Ryan Reynolds might have a sharp wit, but was SNL’s 50th-anniversary special really the best time to poke fun about his wife’s lawsuit? That’s the question on everyone’s mind after the Deadpool star made light of his and Blake Lively’s ongoing legal battle.

To be honest, no time is good to joke about something this serious, but given that the couple is in the middle of an expensive and highly publicized lawsuit, you’d think Reynolds’ notorious humor would have taken a back seat. That’s why it’s hardly surprising that Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, wasted no time firing back.

The joke that started it all

Reynolds and Lively made their first public appearance together at SNL50 on Feb. 16, since the It Ends With Us controversy kicked off. The couple were seated in the audience when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler invited celebrity guests to ask questions. Reynolds, never one to miss an opportunity for a laugh, stood up and casually claimed that he had a question. Fey and Poehler responded enthusiastically, “Ryan Reynolds! How’s it going?” With a smirk, Reynolds quipped:
“Great! Why? What have you heard?”

The audience laughed, but it was Lively’s reaction that quickly went viral. From cheesing at her husband, to wearing a look of ghastly horror, Lively wasn’t exactly a fan of the moment either. She made it pretty obvious that she was not expecting her husband to go there, but the damage had already been done. Social media immediately jumped at the moment, with fans split between finding it hilarious, and others believing it was a major PR blunder, and both Reynolds and Lively were in on it. Regardless, this “joke” did not go unnoticed by Baldoni’s legal team.

Baldoni’s lawyer claps back

Sure enough, Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s attorney, had some thoughts. While appearing on Hot Mics with Billy Bush, Freedman didn’t hold back his disbelief over Reynolds’ decision to joke about something as serious as sexual harassment allegations.

I’m unaware of anybody, frankly, whose wife has been sexually harassed and has made jokes about that type of situation. I can’t think of anyone who’s done anything like that. So, it surprised me.

Evidently, that’s not exactly the kind of reaction Reynolds was hoping for. While the joke may have been meant to defuse the tension surrounding the lawsuit, it seems to have only fueled the fire. In the wake of the SNL moment, the internet had a lot to say, and many shared Freedman’s sentiment. Some fans defended Reynolds, claiming it was just his way of handling stress. Others, however, weren’t convinced, calling it “cringe,” especially given that Blake looked completely blindsided. They believe that Reynolds was trying to manipulate the public into buying the funny guy act while throwing his wife under the bus.

PR expert Ronn Torossian weighed in, telling Fox News Digital that while the move could be seen as an attempt to humanize Reynolds and Lively, it also showed that both they and Baldoni are more concerned with public perception than the actual legal battle. Despite the backlash, don’t expect Reynolds or Lively to issue an apology anytime soon. The couple is standing firm, even as Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit against them looms. Meanwhile, Lively’s own case against Baldoni remains ongoing, with no resolution in sight.

At this trajectory, the legacy of It Ends with Us won’t be one of sturdy character work, visual storytelling, or its message of comion. No, it’s going to be the drama that’s sprung up between director/star Justin Baldoni and leading lady Blake Lively.

This, is much to the dismay of one Brandon Sklenar, who portrayed the character Atlas Corrigan — Lily Bloom’s childhood love and confidant — in the film. During a recent appearance on the CBS Mornings program, Sklenar — who was also there to promote 1923, where he portrays Spencer Dutton — was asked whether he was on “Team Blake” or “Team Justin,” in reference to either side of the spat.

Sklenar, as he put it, is “Team It Ends with Us.”

I’m Team It Ends with Us… I just want people to why we made the movie in the first place and what it stands for, and just keeping the focus on that. I have someone very close to me who’s gone through what [Lively’s character Lily is] going through for a long time and I’ve been on the front lines helping her navigate that space, so that movie meant a lot to me and it means a lot to her. It was one of the reasons that me doing that movie gave her the strength to change her life. It’s unfortunate that things get taken away from what the ethos of that thing is and it gets convoluted.

Will Brandon Sklenar share the screen with legends Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren in the highly-anticipated second season of #1923TV?

The star, who plays Spencer Dutton, says he doesn’t want to spoil any of the drama — but teases a “profoundly beautiful” season 2 of the… pic.twitter.com/KHSZ8yGmae

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) February 17, 2025

The actor previously came to the defense of Blake Lively when the latter was being lambasted for her handling of the film’s promotion, encouraging people online to look at the heart of the film rather than scrutinizing the celebrities involved with it.

That was only the beginning. Lively’s perceived carelessness eventually lost the spotlight to accusations against Baldoni for on-set sexual harassment, which came in the form of a December 2024 lawsuit from Lively. Additional allegations of Baldoni’s hiring of a PR team to ruin Lively’s public image were published by the New York Times, who were met with a libel lawsuit from Baldoni in response. Meanwhile, a $400 million civil suit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy, was filed by Baldoni just last month.

That’s the SparkNotes of this whole debacle, and if you’re looking for validation that you’re ing the right person in this spat, I’m afraid you’ll find no such thing here. None of us know what happened behind the scenes on It Ends with Us, and none of us know what else happened behind the closed doors of either Lively or Baldoni. As far as we’re all concerned, it might as well just be two alleged adults who are incapable of holding themselves able or reconciling their differences and have made their beef our problem as a result.

And in a world of those people, be like Brandon Sklenar, who’s been making a point to communicate with the world through a lens of love and comion, and has no patience for getting caught up in mean-spirited sensation.

If you thought the imminent arrival of Valentine’s Day might’ve spelled harmony for on-screen love interests Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni… well, think again!

The celebrities, who have been entangled in a bitter legal battle stemming from the set of It Ends With Us, have opted out of mediation in their much-publicized case, laying the groundwork for what could be a potential courtroom showdown. The pair’s refusal to mediate the case was revealed in a letter filed by their respective attorneys in New York federal court. Both sides argued that moving ahead with settlement talks would be “inappropriate” and “premature,” making the case move one step closer to a trial. Is it just me, or does this have the whiff of exactly what Amber Heard warned us about?

It marks perhaps the first time the two parties have agreed on something, even if that agreement is that both of them want to keep disagreeing, and that neither of them are willing to wave the white flag. Perhaps that’s the Valentine’s silver lining in all this mess? The refusal to mediate is applied to both of the pair’s cross-fire lawsuits, in which Lively accuses her co-star and the It Ends With Us director of sexual harassment on set, and Baldoni accuses the leading lady of defamation. The court ordered the pair to begin the dispute-resolution process back in late January, but they have evidently hit a stalemate. 

It marks the latest development in this seemingly never ending feud, which erupted late last year when Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, of orchestrating a PR crisis team-led smear campaign against the actress after her allegations of sexual harassment came to light. Two weeks later, Baldoni fired back, seeking $400 million in defamation damages and naming Lively’s husband, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, as a defendant. 

Along the way, the case has roped in everyone from The New York Times — who Baldoni also sued — as well as Lively’s former co-stars and of Baldoni’s family. Taylor Swift’s name has also floated around amid the media frenzy, with the director claiming the pop star was used manipulatively by Lively to intimidate him into making changes to the script of It Ends With Us. So unending is the chaos that we’ve also seen the leaking of communications between Lively and Baldoni during the shooting of the film, including text message exchanges and voice note recordings. 

What all of it amounts to is a mess that far eclipses the popularity of the film that birthed it, but given the public’s feverish thirst and Hollywood’s quest to satiate it, we should expect that this case will be dramatized for a Ryan Murphy TV series soon enough. As Chelsea Handler joked during her Critics Choice Awards monologue, it’s somewhat nice to have a low-stakes distraction from all the hullabaloo in Washington, though I’m sure Donald Trump is probably annoyed that the two stars are almost getting more press coverage than him. Well, them and Elon Musk. 

Chelsea Handler jokes about the Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively lawsuit at the 2025 #CriticsChoiceAwards pic.twitter.com/z9fUFyS8fW

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 8, 2025

In the meantime, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman cautioned both Lively and Baldoni against litigating through the press, warning that excessive media coverage could lead to an earlier trial date. The trail date is currently set for March 9, 2026. Who knows, though, maybe Valentine’s Day will cast its harmonic spell by then.

Sit up Hollywood gossip fans, because the supremely juicy ongoing Blake Lively drama has just spilled over into an entirely different movie. Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ll know the actress is embroiled in a no-holds-barred legal war against her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, and it’s now also affecting her new film.

Lively recently lobbed a legal hand grenade at Baldoni in the form of a lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni punted that grenade back with counter-allegations of civil extortion and defamation, insisting that Lively seized control of the It Ends With Us production through ultimatums and veiled threats. Since the controversy erupted in Dec. 2024, many have been wondering whether her next movie – the sequel to A Simple Favor – was canceled.

The movie’s director, Paul Feig, shut down those rumors a few weeks ago, telling fans on X that the sequel hasn’t been canceled and was in post-production. On Feb. 5, an announcement was made about the sequel, now titled Another Simple Favor. Prime Video shared a poster on social media revealing that the film will premiere at the SXSW Film & TV Festival on March 7 in Austin, Texas, and will be available for streaming on Prime Video starting May 1.

Many felt the timing was off, given the ongoing controversy surrounding Lively, with the Instagram comments section quickly filling up with scathing remarks from Baldoni ers. Many also noted how on the poster Lively’s name is positioned slightly higher than her co-star Anna Kendrick’s name, prompting one to ask, “Did Blake refuse to work unless her name was slightly higher than Anna’s?” Another wrote, “If we like Anna more Blake will sue Anna saying this is another smear campaign.” 

In Baldoni’s lawsuit, he alleges that Lively seized control of the film, claiming that she demanded to rewrite scenes, insisted on picking her own wardrobe, went behind his back to hire an editor to create her own cut of the film, and tried to squeeze out Baldoni from the premiere. Commenters poked fun at Lively, with one remarking, “Produced, written, directed, edited by and starring Blake Lively,” with another adding, “Did she try to control this movie too?”

Another asked, “Is it Paul Feig’s cut or Blake’s cut?” Feig, who has nothing but praise for Lively, was quick to defend the actress. He took the time to reply to the commenter, writing, “It’s my cut. There is no other cut. Blake has been nothing but ive and a dream to work with. She is the best and an amazing collaborator and I’m her biggest fan. Just wanted to clear that up.”

After Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni in late Dec. 2024, she garnered from the public and fellow celebrities. However, following Baldoni’s lawsuit against her, some fans reversed their stance, pledging to boycott Lively and her films. This fountain of behind-the-scenes drama won’t run dry anytime soon, so sit back, brew a pot of tea, and just wait for the next dramatic twist in the Lively/Baldoni tale to unfold.

A voice note sent to Blake Lively by Justin Baldoni is the latest piece of communication to hit the headlines, as the bitter legal saga between the It Ends With Us co-stars continues to unfold.

The voice memo, which spans nearly seven minutes, was sent to Lively at 2am, reportedly around the time that It Ends With Us was in preproduction. The voice note sees Baldoni apologize to Lively for any hurt feelings he may have caused by his reaction to her suggested rewrites to an opening scene in the film. If you recall, this is the scene that was also the subject of a meeting Lively hosted in her apartment, which Baldoni attended alongside Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and friend, Taylor Swift. 

As such, the voice note is the latest in the back-and-forth between Baldoni and Lively over the opening scene, and appears to have been sent sometime after the meeting. “I’m really sorry I f***ed up,” Baldoni says in the voice memo. “One thing you should know about me is I will it and apologize when I fail.” The actor — who also directed It Ends With Us — goes on to say that he is “far from perfect” and is a “very flawed man,” adding that he is often “going to put my foot in my mouth.” 

“I’m going to piss you off probably, but I will always apologize and find my way back to center,” Baldoni can be heard saying. “That is one thing I can assure you of. I’m sorry I made you feel that way.” Elements of the meeting were also revealed in Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds, which claimed that Lively’s script rewrites “dramatically differed” from the original version, but that Baldoni felt pressured to make the changes in the presence of Reynolds and Swift. 

According to the lawsuit, Lively wasn’t happy with Baldoni’s compromise that they meet “somewhere in the middle” in regards to the script changes, and sent a lengthy email saying that his suggestion “stung” and “didn’t feel so great.” In the same email, Lively recounted feeling stifled by past filmmakers when offering her creative input, which Baldoni addresses in the voice memo. “I am so sorry you have been through what you’ve been through with these other filmmakers and producers,” Baldoni says, before describing said filmmakers as “f**kheads.” 

“I know I don’t need to say it, but that’s not at all going to be, or hopefully has been, the experience with me.” Towards the end of the voice note, Baldoni says that he’s “going to stop rambling” because Lively “probably [has] kids all over you and a baby on your boob and you’re listening to me ramble at two in the morning.” He concluded the message by asking Lively to “give Ryan my love.” Those latter moments of the recording have captured the ire of onlookers, particularly given Lively’s claims that Baldoni sexually harassed her on the film set; the civil lawsuit that kickstarted it all.

“[Baldoni] goes on talking about Blake’s breasts,” one wrote on X, “yeah he definitely sexually harassed her. Let’s wrap this up.” Elsewhere, s described the voice note as “unprofessional” and questioned whether the mention of Lively’s breast “really need[ed] to be said.” Of course, this will be far from the only commentary to swarm this seemingly never ending saga, with the legal battle receiving an official court date just this week. If neither party can resolve their respective suits, the case will go to trail in March, 2026.

The movie may be called It Ends With Us, but when it comes to the drama between co-stars Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight with the two actors locked in a battle for the public’s affection.

Both sides are currently suing each other and neither of them seem poised to back down. But this isn’t just a legal battle, oh no. In an industry where image is everything, the two will have to win in the court of public opinion as well. Lively and Baldoni’s teams are well aware of this, as figures close to the stars, including Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and Justin’s sister, Sara Baldoni, are trying to win some PR points, but they both have their own ways of going about it. 

Sara Baldoni defends her big brother

In a post to Instagram celebrating her brother, who turned 41 on Friday, Sara wrote a heartfelt paragraph that alluded to his recent feud with Lively.

“I love you and I celebrate you – the man you are, the love you embody, the strength of your connection to God, the essence of your being, your dedication to truth, to service and to love – today and all days.”

The “dedication to truth” part certainly seems like a nod of and Sara has previously been pretty vocal about her brother’s lawsuit. Speaking with Variety, Sara called Lively’s side of the story a “one-sided false narrative.” In the comments, fans of the actor expressed their of Baldoni, with one individual writing, “He’s got an army of ers.” Justin also received from his mother on his birthday, who also wrote a message celebrating her son while throwing some subtle shade at Lively.

Ryan Reynolds took a different approach

Deadpool star and generally beloved Canadian (until recently at least) Ryan Reynolds has also been sucked into this whirlpool of controversy; however, he has not been as vocal on the matter, opting to share an Instagram story of his wife baking some adorable dog-themed cupcakes instead. Now a more cynical person might see this as a PR stunt to try and humanize Lively while continuing with a “business as usual” facade. 

Is this actually what his post was aiming to achieve? Who’s to say? But it looks like Reynolds and Lively won’t be publicly addressing their ongoing fight with Baldoni, especially considering Lively’s team is attempting to have a gag order put upon Baldoni, who recently threatened to release more unedited footage and correspondence between the two that would supposedly disprove Lively’s claims.

While it’s too early to come top a conclusive opinion regarding Lively and Baldoni, it seems like the public is already choosing sides based on what they’ve been shown so far. The battle in the courts is a way off yet, but the battle for the hearts and minds of the people is already well underway.

Justin Baldoni is intent on proving his innocence amid Blake Lively’s claims of sexual harassment, and in the latest in this back-and-forth between the two camps, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has released raw footage that aims to refute one of the actress’ claims.

One of Lively’s claims in her lawsuit alleges that while shooting a montage scene with no audio, Baldoni “slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he said, ‘it smells so good.’” Baldoni refuted the claim in his lawsuit, saying that he was only responding to the actress’ comment about the smell of her spray tan. Freedman has now shared unedited footage with TMZ capturing the moment when Lively’s claim supposedly occurred. In the video, Lively and Baldoni are slow dancing while talking to each other, and although the scene required no audio, their microphones were on when it was recorded.

The two, while staying in character and gazing at each other, are casually discussing random topics. At one point, Baldoni leans toward Lively’s neck and asks, “Am I getting beard on you today?” Lively laughs and replies, “I’m probably getting spray tan on you.” Baldoni responds with, “It smells good,” prompting Lively to say, “It’s not that. It’s my body makeup.” Baldoni then spins Lively around and calls out, “Alright, cut!”

Justin Baldoni’s lawyer plans to reveal more information

Baldoni’s lawsuit addressed what took place and read, “Any suggestion that this scene was filmed in any manner other than pure professionalism by Baldoni is unequivocally countered with actual evidence.” Many who have been following the legal saga between the It Ends With Us actors responded on social media, with some saying that the video gives context to each side’s claims. A statement at the start of the 10-minute raw footage reads the scene was shot on May 23, 2023, adding that both Lively and Baldoni acted “within the scope of the scene” where their characters — Lily and Ryle — were supposedly “falling in love and longing to be close to one another.”

In a statement, Baldoni’s lawyer said that his client “has nothing to hide” and he has the right to defend himself. Furthermore, they plan to reveal more pieces of evidence to refute Lively’s claims by setting up a website that will contain “all correspondence as well as relevant videos that quash” Lively’s allegations. While many following the drama are eagerly anticipating more “receipts,” others believe it’s a matter best left to the courts. Lively’s camp has not responded to the release of the footage as of writing.

Meanwhile, Baldoni is taking a break from his legal drama to spend quality time with his family. The actor was spotted with his wife Emily and their two children enjoying a vacation in Hawaii. Baldoni was photographed having fun at a beach and posing for pictures with fans. Prior to that, TMZ spotted him and his family at LAX where he was asked how he was holding up amid his legal battle. Baldoni was all smiles as he said that he was “grateful to be with family” and was getting through the controversy with help from his closest friends, family, and his faith.

Taylor Swift has entered the Blake Lively–Justin Baldoni legal battle, and everyone is calling it what it likely is: a diversion.

To refresh, Baldoni and Lively have sued and countersued each other. Lively alleges that Baldoni sexually harassed her while filming It Ends With Us, which Baldoni co-starred in and directed. After Lively complained, she says Baldoni and others involved in the production orchestrated a smear campaign as retaliation to discredit her in the press.

Until recently, Baldoni’s alleged plot largely worked. While promoting the film, Lively gained a reputation as both difficult to interview and to work with, and though the book adaptation did well at the box office, her light touch publicizing a movie about domestic abuse turned people off.

Taylor Swift and Baldoni’s countersuit

In response to Lively’s sexual abuse accusations, Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, alleging defamation of character. Baldoni’s lawsuit, the director’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said, is based on “an overwhelming amount of untampered evidence detailing Blake Lively and her team’s duplicitous attempt to destroy Justin Baldoni, his team and their respective companies by disseminating grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new and doctored information to the media,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Lively and Swift are friends, and CNN entertainment correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister recently shared on X a portion of Baldoni’s lawsuit in which the pop star is mentioned, though not by name. According to Wagmeister, Baldoni’s litigation reads, “A famous, and famously close, friend of Reynolds and Lively, walked into the room and similarly began praising Lively’s script. Baldoni understood the subtext: he needed to comply with Lively’s direction for the script.” Wagmeister adds she confirmed with a source that Lively’s “famous” friend was indeed Taylor Swift.

In response, Lively’s lawyers said, Baldoni and his legal team “are trying to shift the narrative to Ms. Lively by falsely claiming that she seized creative control and alienated the cast from Mr. Baldoni.” Or, as an X comment put it, “The deflecting tactic is an epic fail. Someone needs to remind him what the serious allegations are, & give him a pacifier to stop [the whining,] while his ‘feminist’ a** ponders.” (Before Lively’s allegations came to light, Baldoni was an outspoken “male feminist” covering the topic in a 2017 TED Talk, podcast, and book.)

Wagmeister concludes her X post on the Swift revelation by saying, “All to say, this is getting messier by the second.” In response to Baldoni’s countersuit, Lively reps told THR in a statement, “This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the ab attempts to turn the tables on the victim. This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender.”

Meanwhile, Swift is connected to the Lively-Baldoni saga in at least one other way: Scooter Braun, a retired music manager whom Swift famously feuded with over her music ⏤ leading to Swift’s “Taylor’s Version” releases ⏤ now co-owns the PR company The Agency Group (TAG), which allegedly Baldoni hired to help drag Lively’s name through the mud.