Taylor Swift has been brought into a legal battle involving director Justin Baldoni and actress Blake Lively, specifically concerning the film It’ll End With Us.
Although she only licensed her song “My Tears Ricochet” for the film’s trailer, her name is mentioned in a crucial text message that is part of Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit. Notably, Swift never participated in the film’s production or made creative choices regarding it. She didn’t even see the edits until weeks post-release.
Baldoni’s lawsuit targets Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of taking control of the project and damaging his reputation through false allegations, including claims of sexual harassment. While Swift isn’t directly named in the lawsuit, she is referred to as “a friend of a mega-celebrity,” mentioned in a text related to a scene with Lively. The suit claims that Lively invited Baldoni to her NYC penthouse.
In the disputed text, Baldoni expressed that he would have enjoyed the project regardless of Ryan and Taylor’s involvement, praising Lively’s talent and excitement about their collaboration.
Lively replied, calling Reynolds a “Titan as a writer and storyteller,” and added that she protects those she supports.
Swift’s team has downplayed the subpoena, viewing it as a publicity tactic. They argue that the request, which involves 19 other artists, seems aimed at leveraging Swift’s name for media attention rather than addressing the case’s substantive issues.
Meanwhile, Isabel Feller, another actress in It’ll End With Us, mentioned in an interview that Swift was a significant part of her audition process.
This legal dispute originated back in December when Baldoni filed a harassment complaint with the California Civil Rights Office. Following reports in the New York Times, Baldoni sued the paper for $250 million. In response, Lively has initiated her own legal action against Baldoni, claiming legal violations, which prompted Baldoni’s $400 million counterclaim. Lively and Reynolds have labeled Baldoni’s lawsuit as retaliatory and are seeking to have it dismissed.
