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Metro
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
What's happening with Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni lawsuit ahead of series
The controversy surrounding It Ends With Us continues as Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's lawsuit is set to be examined in a Discovery+ series. Baldoni vs Lively: A Hollywood Feud is set to come to screens in the coming months and will examine the explosive fallout between the former co-stars. Their feud began in August 2024 when Lively, 37, faced intense criticism in after claims the two leading stars were embroiled in a bitter feud. While doing press for the film, the pair stayed largely silent with Baldoni, 40, saying in a 'movie like this', there is 'always friction'. Lively then launched legal proceedings against the director in December 2024, with claims of sexual harassment stemming from the production of the film. Baldoni then sued the New York Times for $250million (£185m) for their story about Lively's harassment claims. He then sued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds in January for $400m (£235m), citing defamation, extortion and more – which was tossed by a judge on June 9. Now, Taylor Swift is involved and is set to hand over her text messages. Here's what you need to know about the complicated fallout and what's been happening for the past few months. Lively is suing Justin Baldoni, the director of It Ends With Us, who also starred in the movie as the abusive love interest, Ryle Kincaid. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He made his acting debut in the soap opera The Young and the Restless in 2004. One of his most popular roles came in 2014 when he starred as Rafael Solano in the sitcom Jane the Virgin alongside Gina Rodriguez. In 2018, he starred as a young Barry Manilow in the biopic Con Man, which tells the story of the famous musician. He went on to direct the 2019 romantic drama Five Feet Apart, starring Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson. In 2020, he directed the biopic Clouds covering the life of musician Zach Sobiech. Baldoni wed Swedish actress Emily Foxler in 2013 after two years of dating. The couple share two children. Blake Lively sued her It Ends With Us co-star Baldoni for sexual harassment in a legal complaint. Legal documents obtained by The New York Times allege that Baldoni treated Lively like a 'sexual object' and claims he entered her trailer while she was nude. In the complaint for damages, which precedes a lawsuit, Baldoni, his publicists and Wayfarer Studios are listed among the defendants. Baldoni and his team have denied the allegations. The papers also allege the former Jane The Virgin star let his 'friends' watch Lively film sex scenes, which created a 'hostile working environment.' The filing also claims Baldoni was concerned with Lively' body, saying: 'On the second day of filming, for example, Mr. Baldoni made the rest of the cast and crew wait for hours while he cried in Ms. Lively's dressing room, claiming social media commentators were saying that Ms. Lively looked old and unattractive based on paparazzi photos from the set.' Lively claims Baldoni 'routinely degraded' her appearance, with the filing saying she told the director: 'That she should look authentic in the scenes depicted in the photos, which were just after her character had been abused by her fictional husband, rather than 'hot.'' She claims the director contacted her fitness instructor and demanded she 'lose weight in two weeks.' In another incident, Lively alleges she felt 'ogled and exposed' after she says Baldoni asked her to remove her coat in a bar to see her outfit. A woman, who witnessed the exchange, allegedly comforted Lively and shared similar experiences she had had with Baldoni. The suit claims Baldoni was accused by another woman who felt uncomfortable on set after he said the leather pants she was wearing looked 'sexy', and refused to apologise when the woman confronted him. It claims that when another actress complained about Baldoni's comments during production, he wrote that he would 'adjust accordingly' in a written acknowledgement. Lively said that on June 8, 2023, the same actress told her that she 'actually cannot talk to Justin at all.' The papers claim Baldoni became suspicious of the two women's friendship and thought they might be 'colluding against him.' Lively's complaint claims that during filming, the atmosphere on set became so uncomfortable that an all-staff meeting was called. The filing claims the resolution was that Baldoni would obligate the cast and crew's alleged demands that he stop showing Lively nude videos and images of women and no longer talk about sexual interactions in front of the actress. This was in addition to stopping all discussions of her weight, and her deceased father, as well as no discussions of the cast and crew's genitalia. Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, who co-wrote some scenes, was in attendance at the meeting, the lawsuit claims. It was also noted that there were to be 'no more adding of sex scenes, oral sex on camera climaxing by BL (Blake Lively) outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project.' The film did have intimacy coordinators on set, whose job is to choreograph intimate scenes so those involved feel safe and comfortable. Another demand listed in the complaint was that the cast and crew were not to mention Baldoni's alleged 'pornography addiction' that he had suffered from in the past. The listed demands were allegedly approved by the studio, but tension continued through the marketing of the film. Lively claims her conflict with Baldoni caused 'severe emotional distress' to her family and her business. Since her complaint, texts have reportedly emerged between Baldoni and his PR crisis management team, discussing a social media smear campaign against her. Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios are accused of embarking on a 'multi-tiered plan' to damage Lively's reputation following a meeting to address accusations against Baldoni and a producer of the film of 'repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour', according to the legal document shared by The New York Times. The complaint claimed Baldoni's team conducted their own marketing campaign that was more like 'social manipulation' to 'destroy' the actress' reputation. It also unearthed texts reportedly from Baldoni's publicist to the studio, Columbia Pictures Wayfarer Studios' publicist, claiming he 'wants to feel like [Ms. Lively] can be buried.' One exchange between public relations executives said to be involved in the campaign depicts them gleefully discussing how 'easy' it was to turn people online against Lively. After feedback from Baldoni's team, Melissa Nathan — who worked with Johnny Depp during the Amber Heard trial — allegedly said: 'We can't write, we will destroy her.' In a statement to the New York Times, Lively said: 'I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.' Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its representatives, said the claims were 'completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious', adding that the studio 'made the decision to proactively hire a crisis manager prior to the marketing campaign of the film.' He added: 'There were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; just internal scenario-planning and private correspondence to strategise, which is standard operating procedure with public relations professionals.' Baldoni denied all claims put forward against him and filed a countersuit against her, husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicist, Leslie Sloane – alleging extortion and defamation and an attempt to 'destroy his reputation and career'. On June 9, it was announced by People that Judge Lewis J Liman has granted a motion to dismiss the $400m countersuit, as well as the defamation filing against the publication. Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, then shared a lengthy message over the ruling with Metro: 'Ms Lively and her team's predictable declaration of victory is false, so let us be clear about the latest ruling. 'While the Court dismissed the defamation-related claims, the Court has invited us to amend four out of the seven claims against Ms Lively, which will showcase additional evidence and refined allegations. 'This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation and a nonexistent smear campaign, which Ms Lively's own team conveniently describes as 'untraceable' because they cannot prove what never happened. 'Most importantly, Ms Lively's own claims are no truer today than they were yesterday, and with the facts on our side, we march forward with the same confidence that we had when Ms Lively and her cohorts initiated this battle and look forward to her forthcoming deposition, which I will be taking. 'We are grateful for the organic show of support from the public and for the dedication of the Internet sleuth community who continue to cover the case with discernment and integrity.' Lively's bestie Taylor Swift has been pulled into the ongoing battle with Baldoni's lawyer claiming that Lively threatened to leak private messages with Swift if the Fearless singer didn't release a statement supporting her. Lively's lawyers denied these claims. Baldoni's legal team previously subpoenaed Swift and her legal team, but a spokesperson for the singer released a statement saying she had nothing to do with the film beyond licensing the use of her song My Tears Ricochet. Baldoni's team withdrew the subpoena, and Lively's team sought to close off the issue, but the judge decided against this. On June 19, Variety reported that a judge has ruled that Swift and Lively's texts can be obtained by Baldoni. '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 to discover information that would prove or disprove Lively's harassment and retaliation claims,' Judge Liman decided. Lively's Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants co-stars America Ferrera, Amber Rose Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel have written a letter titled: 'In support of our sister, Blake.' The letter reads: 'As Blake's friends and sisters for over twenty years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation. 'Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensured to discredit her voice. 'Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors' stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. 'The hypocrisy is astounding. We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment. 'We are inspired by our sister's courage to stand up for herself and others. 'For anyone seeking more information or engaging in this important conversation online, please read the full legal complaint in the investigative reporting by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire and Julie Tate for the New York Times. 'America Gerrera, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel.' Lively has been defended by her sister, Robin, who shared screenshots from the New York Times piece that alleged messages sent in the lawsuit, and wrote: 'FINALLY justice for my sister @BlakeLive.' More Trending It Ends With Us author Hoover has also defended Lively, posting: '@blakelively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. 'Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.' She then linked to the New York Times article at the centre of the feud titled We Can Bury Anyone: Inside A Hollywood Smear Machine. A version of this article was originally published in December 2024. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: TV chef Anne Burrell's death being investigated as 'possible overdose' MORE: Truth behind Robert Irwin and Shawn Mendes romance rumours rocking the internet MORE: Friends and Spider-Man star Jack Betts dies aged 96
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Judge denies Blake Lively's motion to keep texts with Taylor Swift confidential
Some of Blake Lively's text messages with friend Taylor Swift could be disclosed in court, in a recent development of the actor's winding legal battle against her "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni. U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman on Wednesday filed an order denying the "Gossip Girl" alumna's request to keep her messages with Swift out of litigation, according to legal documents reviewed by The Times. "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 to discover information that would prove or disprove Lively's harassment and retaliation claims," reads the order. Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios filed a request for production connected to the Lively-Swift texts in February, asking for "'all documents and communications related to or reflecting Lively's communications with Taylor Swift" about their 2024 romantic drama and subsequent legal proceedings. Read more: Judge tosses Justin Baldoni's lawsuit against Blake Lively and New York Times The "It Ends With Us" co-stars have engaged in a legal back-and-forth for months after Lively accused director Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the film and accused his team of orchestrating a smear campaign against her in December. The allegations first surfaced in a report from the New York Times. She formally sued Baldoni in federal court on Dec. 31. Baldoni and nine other plaintiffs — including his crisis PR team and executives at Wayfarer Studios — hit back that same day with a $400-million countersuit against Lively and her husband, "Deadpool" star Ryan Reynolds, and a separate defamation complaint against the New York Times. Liman dismissed Baldoni's complaints, which failed to meet legal standards, earlier this month. The judge said in his Wednesday order that "Lively's motion is rooted in the broader concern that the Wayfarer Parties are using demands for communications with Swift not 'to obtain information relevant to claims and defenses in court, but to prop up a public relations narrative outside of court.' " Wednesday's order also denied Baldoni's cross-motion to compel Lively to produce documents connected to the production. Read more: Blake Lively drops two claims of emotional distress against Justin Baldoni Baldoni's team subpoenaed Swift earlier this year but eventually withdrew it after the singer and her legal reps dismissed it as an "unwarranted fishing expedition," according to Variety. In a statement shared with multiple outlets, a representative for Lively reacted to this week's order, claiming, "Baldoni's desire to drag Taylor Swift into this has been constant dating back to August 2024" and is an effort to influence the singer's fan base. In the past, the devoted league of Swift supporters known as Swifites have banded together to criticize the singer's high-profile exes and in recent years, rallied against Ticketmaster over allegations of fraud, price-fixing and antitrust violations. "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 spokesperson added, according to People. Representatives for Swift and Baldoni did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment. Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Express Tribune
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Judge allows Blake Lively and Taylor Swift texts in Baldoni harassment case
A U.S. judge has ruled that private messages between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift can be included in the ongoing legal battle between Lively and actor-producer Justin Baldoni. According to court documents, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman determined the communications may be relevant to Lively's claims of sexual harassment and retaliation on the set of It Ends With Us, a film produced by Baldoni's Wayfarer Studios. Lively's legal team previously attempted to block Baldoni from accessing the messages, arguing they were irrelevant. However, the judge stated that because Lively claimed Swift had knowledge of the working environment on set, the messages are 'reasonably tailored' to the case. Baldoni's lawyers had earlier tried to subpoena Swift directly, but dropped the request after her team objected, calling it an 'unwarranted fishing expedition.' Lively's team then sought to prevent access through the normal discovery process but was unsuccessful. Lively originally sued Baldoni in December 2024, accusing him of harassment and a smear campaign. Baldoni countersued for defamation, though that case was dismissed. A spokesperson for Lively criticized the decision, accusing Baldoni's team of exploiting Swift's fame for publicity. They also denied rumors that Lively's representatives threatened Swift regarding public support. Judge Liman rejected the publicity argument, saying it does not override the need for relevant discovery. Taylor Swift's representatives have not commented. The case is scheduled to go to trial in March 2026. This development adds a high-profile twist to an already contentious case involving some of Hollywood's most prominent names.
Los Angeles Times
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Judge shakes off Blake Lively's motion to keep texts with Taylor Swift confidential
Some of Blake Lively's text messages with friend Taylor Swift could play in court, in a recent development of the actor's winding legal battle against her 'It Ends With Us' co-star Justin Baldoni. U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman on Wednesday filed an order denying the 'Gossip Girl' alumna's request to keep her messages with Swift out of litigation, according to legal documents reviewed by The Times. '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 to discover information that would prove or disprove Lively's harassment and retaliation claims,' reads the order. Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios filed a request for production connected to the Lively-Swift texts in February, asking for ''all documents and communications related to or reflecting Lively's communications with Taylor Swift' about their their 2024 romantic drama and subsequent legal proceedings. The 'It Ends With Us' co-stars have engaged in a legal back-and-forth for months after Lively accused director Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the film and accused his team of orchestrating a smear campaign against her in December. The allegations first surfaced in a report from the New York Times. She formally sued 'Jane the Virgin' alumnus Baldoni in federal court on Dec. 31. Baldoni and nine other plaintiffs — including his crisis PR team and executives at Wayfarer Studios — hit back that same day with a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, 'Deadpool' star Ryan Reynolds, and a separate defamation complaint against the New York Times. Liman dismissed Baldoni's complaints, which failed to meet legal standards, earlier this month. The judge said in his Wednesday order that 'Lively's motion is rooted in the broader concern that the Wayfarer Parties are using demands for communications with Swift not 'to obtain information relevant to claims and defenses in court, but to prop up a public relations narrative outside of court.'' Wednesday's order also denied Baldoni's cross-motion to compel Lively to produce documents connected to the production. Baldoni's team subpoenaed Swift earlier this year, but eventually withdrew it after the singer and her legal reps dismissed it as an 'unwarranted fishing expedition,' according to Variety. In a statement shared with multiple outlets, a representative for Lively reacted to this week's order, claiming 'Baldoni's desire to drag Taylor Swift into this has been constant dating back to August 2024' and is an effort to influence the singer's fan base. In the past, the devoted league of Swift supporters known as Swifites have banded together to criticize the singer's high-profile exes and in recent years, rallied against Ticketmaster over allegations of fraud, price-fixing and antitrust violations. '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 spokesperson added, according to People. Representatives for Swift and Baldoni did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment.
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ryan Reynolds drops awkward reference to Blake Lively's legal battle as her Taylor Swift texts set for release
Ryan Reynolds stirred buzz at the Cannes Lions 2025 festival on Thursday after making a remark that many interpreted as a nod to the ongoing legal firestorm surrounding his wife Blake Lively, and her former co-star Justin Baldoni. The legal saga began in December 2024 when Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of sexually harassing her on set — claims he denied — prompting Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to sue Lively, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and Ryan Reynolds for defamation. Baldoni later escalated the fight with a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times over its explosive New Year's Eve exposé detailing Lively's allegations. Earlier this month, a judge dismissed Baldoni's defamation case in a major blow to the actor, though his legal team will still gain access to Lively's private text messages with Taylor Swift — whom Blake infamously referred to as 'my dragon' in an exchange allegedly meant to intimidate Baldoni — after withdrawing a subpoena aimed at the singer directly. Now, at Cannes Lions, Reynolds took the stage at Stagwell's Sport Beach to promote his soccer team, Wrexham AFC — and raised eyebrows with an unexpected quip. While handing a water bottle to someone in the crowd, the Deadpool star joked, 'I'm not throwing this. I've been around lawyers. You can walk up here and grab it,' according to Page Six. Earlier this month, a judge dismissed Baldoni's defamation case in a major blow to the actor, though his legal team will still gain access to Lively's private text messages with Taylor Swift — whom Blake infamously referred to as 'my dragon' in an exchange allegedly meant to intimidate Baldoni — after withdrawing a subpoena aimed at the singer directly; (Lively seen on June 9) He also took a moment to reflect on how sports can bring people together in a world fractured by division, per the outlet. 'We live in a world right now that is so… identity politics… almost a religion,' Reynolds said. 'For that to be checked at the door in sports, in theatrical film, and in music, concerts, we all walk in, we go together.' Reynolds added, 'We're all feeling the same thing at the same time and the same moment. 'You have this bonding mechanism — and I don't mean to over romanticize it, but it's romantic. 'It's a beautiful thing to watch people come together, especially when we feel so divided in every other aspect of our life.' The panel comes after exclusively learned that Baldoni's lawyers will be allowed to peruse a tranche of messages exchanged by Blake and Taylor, with all communications related to It Ends With Us now set for scrutiny. Swift and Lively's relationship has cratered in recent months, with the singer left furious at being dragged into the case. And she is not the only Swift to be dragged in: last week the Daily Mail revealed the subpoena against her had been withdrawn because Baldoni's team had managed to acquire the information they were seeking – from none other than her dad Scott, 73. 'Scott Swift did not want his daughter to be dragged into this any further and he voluntarily gave up this information as part of a deal that would include [Baldoni's team] withdrawing their subpoena for Taylor,' the source explained. The pop star's doting dad - who has played a key role in building Swift's billion-dollar empire as her financial advisor - came to his daughter's rescue after she was allegedly blackmailed by Lively's lawyers. That 'blackmail' revelation appeared in a legal letter filed last month by Baldoni's lawyers, who alleged that Lively's team had attempted to 'coerce' Swift to issue a public statement in support of her. The filing claimed Lively's lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, had contacted Swift's team and demanded she 'release a statement of support for Ms. Lively, intimating that, if Ms. Swift refused to do so, private text messages of a personal nature in Ms. Lively's possession would be released.' Swift's team allegedly responded to Gossip Girl star Lively's 'inappropriate and apparently extortionate threats in at least one written communication' sent to Gottlieb, according to the letter. 'It is those communications that [Baldoni's team] seeks to obtain by way of subpoena, as they would evidence an attempt to intimidate and coerce a percipient witness in this litigation,' the letter stated. Scott seemingly didn't take this alleged attempt to extort his 35-year-old daughter lightly, and decided to take matters into his own hands by cooperating with Baldoni and Bryan Freedman in order to protect Swift from any further legal involvement. 'Plain and simple – they tried to extort Taylor by threatening to release private information about her so that she would support a narrative that she was not a part of,' our source added. In a statement to People magazine, Gottlieb described the suggestion that Lively's lawyers had threatened Swift as 'categorically false.' Lively's lawyers later filed a motion asking the court to strike the accusations from its docket as 'baseless, unnecessary, improper and abusive.' The motion to dismiss the letter was granted. However, the drama sheds further light on the collapse of the pair's close friendship, which has gone cold amid the actress's high-stakes lawsuit. The drama began last December when Lively, 37, accused Baldoni, her It Ends With Us co-star and director, of sexual harassment and coordinating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni, 41, hit back in January, with a $400 million countersuit accusing Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48, of defamation. All parties have denied the allegations. Last week, the defamation element of Baldoni's lawsuit was scrapped by a judge, although he is still suing for civil extortion and invasion of privacy among other claims. But contained in Baldoni's filing were screenshots of alleged text messages, in which Lively regularly mentioned Swift by name. And she is not the only Swift to be dragged in: last week the Daily Mail revealed the subpoena against her had been withdrawn because Baldoni's team had managed to acquire the information they were seeking – from none other than her dad Scott, 73; The pair pictured May 18 in NYC In one now infamous and toe-curling exchange, Lively appeared to refer to herself as the character Khaleesi – from Game of Thrones – and to Swift as one of her 'dragons.' Elsewhere in Baldoni's filing is the claim that Swift was present at a meeting convened by Lively at her New York penthouse to discuss It Ends With Us script changes. Sources close to Swift insisted the singer had no knowledge of the meeting and simply turned up to find it underway. Nonetheless, the whole furor reportedly left Swift - who is godmother to Lively's three daughters – feeling 'exploited' by her pal of ten years. Scott, a former stockbroker and financial advisor for Merrill Lynch, has long been credited as smoothing his daughter's path to financial success. A disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission lists him as linked to 10 companies affiliated with his daughter, according to Bloomberg. Last year, he was accused of assaulting a photographer who was 'waiting' for Swift's arrival off a luxury yacht in Sydney following the Australian leg of her Eras Tour. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia at the time, a rep for Swift described the photographers as 'aggressive' and her father later avoided charges. Scott isn't the only member of Swift's inner circle to defend the pop star amid the legal drama. Her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, recently unfollowed Ryan Reynolds on Instagram while supermodel Gigi Hadid, another of Swift's closest friends, has reportedly 'iced out' Lively in solidarity. In a statement released to the Daily Mail, a spokesman for Lively accused Baldoni's lawyers of repeatedly attempting to drag Swift into the case and attempting to 'exploit' her popularity. It continued: '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. 'Further, the Court's protective order ruling rests on the Wayfarer Parties' admission that they received nothing from Taylor Swift, which is exactly the opposite of what their 'insider' claimed two weeks ago. 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. Baldoni's desire to drag Taylor Swift into this has been constant dating back to August 2024, when the crisis PR firm led by Melissa Nathan included her in their 'Scenario Planning' document (Lively Amended Complaint, Exhibit D), referred to her as a bully, and called for a strategy to influence the 'TS fan base '. 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.
