Judge Orders Blake Lively to Hand Over Taylor Swift Texts to Justin Baldoni in Ongoing Legal Dispute

Taylor Swift celebrates her birthday with Blake Lively on December 13, 2023 in New York City.

Judge Orders Blake Lively to Turn Over Texts With Taylor Swift in ‘It Ends With Us’ Lawsuit

USA NEWS TODAY- June 19, 2025

Text messages between actress Blake Lively and pop superstar Taylor Swift must be handed over as part of an ongoing legal battle over the production of It Ends With Us, a judge ruled Wednesday.

The texts are considered potentially relevant to Lively’s lawsuit against her co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, in which she accuses him of sexual harassment and retaliation on the film’s set. U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman determined that conversations between Lively and Swift about the working environment during production could provide key evidence.

Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, initially attempted to subpoena Swift directly to obtain the messages, but later dropped that effort. Instead, they pursued the texts through the standard discovery process, requesting them from Lively.

Lively’s legal team opposed the request, arguing last week that the communications were private and irrelevant, and accusing Baldoni of trying to generate media attention by dragging Swift into the high-profile case. However, Judge Liman rejected that claim.

“Given that Lively has represented that Swift had knowledge of complaints or discussions about the working environment on the film, among other issues, the requests for messages with Swift regarding the film and this action are reasonably tailored,” the judge wrote in his decision. He added that the messages could help prove or disprove the core allegations of harassment and retaliation.

Addressing concerns that Baldoni’s team is using Swift's celebrity status for PR purposes, Judge Liman stated that even if media interest is a factor, it does not invalidate the legal request. “A motion or request may be, and in this case often has been, both a legitimate litigation tactic and an attempt to maneuver in the broader court of public opinion,” he noted.

Lively’s spokesperson responded to the ruling by saying the actress has already provided more documentation in the case than Baldoni and accused the actor-director’s team of attempting to exploit Swift’s fame.

“From the beginning, Baldoni and his PR team have tried to drag Taylor Swift into this as a distraction from the serious allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation. We will continue to call out those efforts for what they are,” the spokesperson said.

Baldoni’s representatives declined to comment. Swift’s team did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but in a previous statement issued in May, they asserted that Swift had no involvement with the film and criticized Baldoni’s subpoena as an attempt to generate “tabloid clickbait.”

The legal battle stems from Lively’s allegations that Baldoni created a hostile working environment during the production of It Ends With Us, then launched a smear campaign against her after she reported the behavior. The case is expected to head to trial in 2026.

Last week, Judge Liman also dismissed a countersuit Baldoni filed against Lively, in which he accused her of defamation. The judge ruled the claim lacked legal merit.

As discovery in the case continues, Swift’s name remains part of a legal and media firestorm—one that her team insists she never asked to be part of.