In a major development in the legal conflict surrounding the film It Ends With Us, a U.S. federal court has ruled in favour of actor-director Justin Baldoni, allowing him to review private communications between actress Blake Lively and pop icon Taylor Swift.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman issued the decision on Wednesday, June 18, stating that the messages are admissible as evidence in the case.
The ruling comes after Lively herself identified Swift as someone in her inner circle who may have had discussions or knowledge about the alleged working conditions during the film’s production.
Court Rejects Lively’s Attempt to Block Message Disclosure
Lively had previously filed a motion seeking to prevent the disclosure of her private exchanges with Swift, arguing that the singer’s involvement was not relevant to the case.
However, the judge rejected that argument, noting that Lively had personally named Swift as a potential witness, making the messages potentially critical to the investigation.
Baldoni to Review Messages Related to On-Set Disputes
The court emphasized that Baldoni’s request was “reasonably tailored” to obtain messages that could either support or contradict Lively’s claims of harassment and retaliation. This gives his legal team the right to examine conversations that may shed light on the film’s behind-the-scenes controversies.
According to Baldoni, an incident in 2023 led him to visit Lively’s New York residence to discuss a rooftop scene in the film. He claims to have been surprised to find both Ryan Reynolds and Taylor Swift present.
Allegedly, both supported Lively’s stance on how the scene should be altered and encouraged Baldoni to agree to the changes.
Lively’s legal representatives had proposed a compromise—offering to provide all relevant documents except for the Swift messages—on the condition that Baldoni’s team would hand over unedited footage and messages referenced in their updated filing. However, that proposal was declined, intensifying the legal standoff.
