Blake Lively Accused of Extortion Attempt Involving Taylor Swift Amid Justin Baldoni Lawsuit
In a dramatic escalation of the legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni over their film It Ends With Us, Baldoni’s legal team has accused Lively’s attorney of attempting to coerce Taylor Swift into publicly supporting Lively by threatening to release private text messages between the two friends.
Alleged Coercion Involving Taylor Swift
According to court documents obtained by Page Six, Baldoni’s attorneys claim that Lively’s lead counsel, Michael Gottlieb, “demanded that Ms. Swift 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.”
Gottlieb has emphatically denied these allegations, calling them “categorically false” and stating, “We unequivocally deny all of these so-called allegations, which are cowardly sourced to supposed anonymous sources, and completely untethered from reality.”
Baldoni’s legal team also alleges that Lively requested Swift to delete their text messages, citing information from an anonymous source “who is highly likely to have reliable information.”
Swift’s Involvement and Response
Taylor Swift’s legal team has responded to the subpoena issued by Baldoni’s attorneys, asserting that Swift had “nothing to do with the film at issue or any of the claims or defenses asserted in the underlying lawsuit.” They further stated, “There is no reason for this subpoena other than to distract from the facts of the case and impose undue burden and expense on a non-party.”
A spokesperson for Swift emphasized that her involvement with the film was limited to licensing her song “My Tears Ricochet” and that she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, did not score the film, and never saw an edit or made any notes on the film.
Background of the Legal Dispute
The legal conflict began when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni in December 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment and emotional distress. Baldoni countersued in January 2025, alleging defamation and extortion, and involving Taylor Swift in the case.
Baldoni’s complaint includes a text message he allegedly received from Lively, in which she referred to Swift and her husband Ryan Reynolds as “dragons” who “protect” her in all of her battles. The message was sent after a meeting they had over script re-writes.
“The message could not have been clearer. Baldoni was not just dealing with Lively. He was also facing Lively’s ‘dragons,’ two of the most influential and wealthy celebrities in the world, who were not afraid to make things very difficult for him,” Baldoni’s lawyers argued in the lawsuit.
Legal Proceedings and Next Steps
Following the reveal of these allegations, Lively’s legal team filed a motion to strike the accusations, criticizing Baldoni’s actions as distractions from the real issues. Gottlieb stated, “This is what we have come to expect from the Wayfarer parties’ lawyers, who appear to love nothing more than shooting first, without any evidence, and with no care for the people they are harming in the process.”
The trial is scheduled for March 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Both parties continue to deny the allegations against them.
As the legal battle unfolds, the involvement of high-profile individuals like Taylor Swift and Ryan Reynolds adds a layer of complexity and public interest to the case. The entertainment industry and fans alike will be watching closely as more details emerge in this high-stakes legal drama.
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