Taylor Swift criticized Justin Baldoni in texts to Blake Lively, court documents show
Taylor Swift did not mince words when referring to "It Ends With Us" director and actor Justin Baldoni in a text message conversation with her longtime friend Blake Lively, the film's star, according to a recent court filing.
The messages were included in a filing from Lively's legal team on Tuesday, in connection with her lawsuit against Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios production company.
The filing came in response to Baldoni's and Wayfarer Studios' prior statement of undisputed material facts, which had referenced excerpts of several text messages between Lively and Swift, including one from Swift in which she calls Baldoni an expletive.
"I think this b---- knows something is coming because he's gotten out his tiny violin," Swift writes in the message, according to Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, who claim the two women were discussing "the forthcoming New York Times article," a reference to the Times' Dec. 22, 2024, article, "We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine."
The Times article outlined allegations included in a Dec. 20, 2024, complaint Lively had filed with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of "It Ends with Us" and accusing both Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios of engaging in a "social manipulation" campaign to "destroy" her reputation.
In her response filing, Lively disputes the context surrounding Swift's comment, writing that "the evidence cited does not support Defendants' assertion that '[o]n December 4 and 5, 2024, Lively and Taylor Swift privately discussed the forthcoming New York Times article,'" and directing the court to "the cited source for its complete contents."
A screenshot of the text conversation in question, dated Dec. 5, 2024, shows Swift's message and shows the singer included a link to a People article, in which Baldoni alleged he had been sexually "traumatized" by an ex-girlfriend.
Lively and Swift continued to discuss Baldoni and the news article in an exchange.
Swift and Lively then go on to discuss Baldoni further before Swift asks, "Is everything on track," to which Lively responds, "Oh yes," adding, "A week later tho" and "but worth the wait."
It was not immediately clear to what the two were referring when Swift asked if things were "on track." However, Lively filed her complaint with the California Civil Rights Department just two weeks later, on Dec. 20, 2024, outlining the accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios.
In a separate text exchange between Lively and Swift, dated April 12, 2023, Lively calls Baldoni a "doofus" and a "clown," according to the court document.
Baldoni and Wayfarer allege in their statement of fact that Lively was asking Swift to "endorse" a version of a revised "It Ends with Us" script that Lively had sent to Baldoni days earlier, “even without having read it.”
"On April 12, 2023, Lively asked her friend, the world-famous musician Taylor Swift, for help. Referring to Baldoni as 'this doofus director of my movie,' she went on to describe him as 'a clown' who 'thinks he's a writer now,'" the defendants write.
In her response, Lively did not dispute that the quoted language was accurate in the exhibit, but disputed the context in which it occurred, specifically that she had asked Swift to approve the revised script without reading it.
Lively's team cited a separate exhibit, a transcript of Lively's July 30, 2025, deposition, in which she stated, "...I sent Taylor the script on her way to my apartment because Justin was still there, and I asked her to read them. I told her she didn't have to, I didn’t want her to feel pressured to do that, but I hoped that she would."
A screenshot of the text exchange shows Lively writing to Swift, "If you get here w this doofus director of my movie is still here (i'll be ushering him out), but hope he is still here) can you do me a huge favor. I need help with him."
The message continues, "Can you tell him you're excited for the movie. That you read the book but what you're freaking out over is the pages I sent you. What a magnetic scene that is. Or whatever descriptors you're comfortable w. I'll send you the scene. You don't have to read of course. It's a quick read."
Lively then calls Baldoni "a clown" and says he "thinks he's a writer now and got this rewrite and told me he appreciates my passion. That's it."
"So having the greatest living story teller unknowingly echo to him how much you love what we're doing, (giving him credit as if he wrote it w me) will go such a long way," she adds.
"I'll do anything for you !!" Swift responds, according to the court documents.
Swift and Lively's text message exchanges were included in a large trove of documents the judge overseeing the civil claims ordered unsealed ahead of a hearing this week. Other unsealed documents include a text exchange between Lively and fellow actress Jenny Slate, who also appeared in the film, as well as text message conversations between Baldoni and another actor.
In a statement to ABC News on Wednesday, Baldoni's attorney said, "As stated all along, and reflected in our clients motions, as well as in messages from Sony discussing Ms. Lively's behaviors, the evidence does not support the claims as a matter of law. A simple read of the newly released message exchanges make the truth abundantly clear. We remain confident in the legal process and clearing the names of all of the Justin Baldoni parties."
Lively and Baldoni have been embroiled in a legal battle since December 2024, when Lively filed her complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation. The two later filed dueling lawsuits against each other in New York in the weeks that followed.
Lively formalized her California complaint into a lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios in New York on Dec. 31, 2024, seeking $500 million in damages. The suit, which is ongoing, reiterates Lively's earlier sexual harassment claims against Baldoni and accuses the director and Wayfarer Studios of retaliation. Baldoni's lawyer denied the allegations, stating at the time of filing that they had "evidence which will show a pattern of bullying and threats to take over the movie" by Lively.
Baldoni, meanwhile, filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, the couple's publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane's public relations company Vision PR on Jan. 16, 2025, alleging extortion and defamation, claiming Lively had "robbed" him of control over the film and had destroyed his reputation. Lively's lawyers denied the allegations and called Baldoni's counterclaim "another chapter in the abuser playbook."
A federal judge in New York dismissed Baldoni's suit in June last year, formally ending the counterclaim in October after Baldoni did not refile an amended complaint. Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, said in a statement at the time, "Our clients chose not to amend their complaint to preserve appeal rights. In the meantime, we are focusing on Ms. Lively's claims. We remain fully committed to pursuing the truth through every legal and factual avenue available and look forward to our day in court."
For a timeline of the entire "It Ends With Us" legal battle, click here.
ABC News has reached out to representatives for Swift and Lively for comment on this week's filing.
