Taylor Swift’s private messages surface in Blake Lively–Justin Baldoni court case

Taylor Swift referenced Justin Baldoni in texts unsealed in Lively lawsuit

Private text messages between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively were unsealed Tuesday as part of an ongoing legal dispute over the film It Ends With Us, revealing that Swift used an expletive to describe actor and director Justin Baldoni, according to court filings.

The messages were made public in connection with Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni, her co-star in the 2024 film, as well as Wayfarer Studios and others.

The litigation, which has continued for more than a year, centers on allegations of misconduct and retaliation during production. Baldoni has denied the allegations.

According to a court document filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Swift wrote in a message to Lively in early December 2024, “I think this bitch knows something is coming because he’s gotten out his tiny violin.”

Lively’s legal team confirmed the authenticity of the quoted text but disputed the defense’s assertion that the message was sent while Swift and Lively were discussing an upcoming New York Times article that reported Baldoni and Wayfarer’s leadership had launched a retaliatory smear campaign against Lively.

Swift is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit and has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Her representatives have previously said that Swift’s only involvement with It Ends With Us was licensing her song “My Tears Ricochet” for the film’s soundtrack. Representatives for Swift did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the release of the filing.

In a statement included in the court submission, Lively’s attorney Sigrid McCawley said the newly unsealed documents contain “damning” accounts from multiple individuals who worked with Baldoni.

“The newly unsealed, damning documents show the consistent reaction numerous women, cast, crew, executives, partners, co-host and even his own PR team had working with Justin Baldoni,” McCawley said.

Baldoni’s publicist and legal representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Lively first filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department in December 2024, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment during filming and retaliation after she raised concerns about his on-set behavior. She later filed a federal lawsuit in New York. Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit, which was dismissed by a federal judge in 2025. Lively’s amended complaint, seeking compensatory and punitive damages, remains pending.