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Blake Lively Accused of Using Taylor Swift in It Ends With Us Feud

Blake Lively Accused of Using Taylor Swift in It Ends With Us Feud
Published 3 days ago on Feb 02, 2025

Blake Lively Accused of Using Taylor Swift to Influence 'It Ends With Us' Production, Justin Baldoni Claims on New Website.

Blake Lively has found herself at the center of a growing controversy involving her longtime friend, Taylor Swift, and co-star Justin Baldoni. According to claims made by Baldoni on a recently launched website, Lively allegedly leveraged her friendship with Swift to exert influence behind the scenes of their film, It Ends With Us.

The website, created by Baldoni, aims to defend the 41-year-old actor against sexual harassment allegations made by Lively. It includes an amended complaint and a detailed timeline of events related to the case. Among the most startling claims is that Lively made a "veiled threat" involving Swift to get more control over the film's editing process.

Alleged Threats and Power Plays

According to Baldoni's website, Lively threatened to withhold her approval of the film's trailer unless she was granted additional time to work on the movie with her personal editor. More controversially, Baldoni alleges that Lively threatened to reconsider asking Swift to allow the use of her 2020 hit song "My Tears Ricochet" from the folklore album in the film's trailer if her demands were not met.

An alleged text exchange between Lively and a Sony executive was posted on the website, suggesting that Lively used her connection to Swift as leverage. The text read:

'Blake is calling Taylor to approve the song. She of course just reached out saying she is asking for time with [REDACTED] her editor. We know it was conditional on signing the contract – but asking if you will reconsider – so [REDACTED] can release this trailer and Blake does not change her mind regarding Taylor Swift.'

Baldoni claims the production team agreed to Lively's demands in May 2024 to avoid further delays. Representatives for both Taylor Swift and Blake Lively have yet to comment on the allegations.

Taylor Swift Takes a Step Back from Blake Lively

The fallout from these claims has reportedly strained the once-close friendship between Swift and Lively. Sources close to Swift revealed to DailyMail.com that the singer has "taken a step back" from her relationship with Lively after feeling used as an "intimidation tactic" in a lawsuit she never wanted to be part of.

Swift was reportedly dragged into the legal battle when Baldoni claimed that Lively brought Swift to a meeting about the film's script edits, making him feel pressured to comply with her creative direction. The meeting took place at Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds' New York penthouse, and Swift allegedly arrived unaware that the meeting was still ongoing.

An insider told DailyMail.com, "For the time being, [Taylor] is taking a step back from Blake because she doesn’t want to get tangled in this more than she already has – which is far more than she ever needed to be."

Another source added, "Taylor has politely backed away from it all. She is conscious of her own image and hates that she was even mentioned."

Swift's decision to distance herself from Lively comes as a surprise to fans, given their decade-long friendship. The two have celebrated numerous milestones together, with Swift even name-dropping Lively's children in her music. However, the controversy surrounding It Ends With Us appears to have driven a wedge between them.

Legal Battle Intensifies

The website's launch follows Baldoni's amended $400 million lawsuit against Lively, accusing her of giving The New York Times advance access to her sexual harassment complaint. Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, stated that the lawsuit was amended due to "an overwhelming amount of new proof" that has come to light.

"This fresh evidence corroborates what we knew all along: that Ms. Lively and her team colluded for months to destroy reputations through a complex web of lies, false accusations, and the manipulation of illicitly received communications," Freedman said.

In response, Lively and Reynolds' attorney, Michael Gottlieb, filed a letter to the judge overseeing the case, expressing concerns over what they described as Baldoni's "extrajudicial misconduct." Gottlieb claimed that Baldoni's website and Freedman's media appearances were part of a campaign to influence both the legal proceedings and public perception.

"The planned website will release what Mr. Freedman self-servingly proclaims will be 'full unedited WhatsApp, text, and email exchanges between Lively and Baldoni,' although neither the media nor public will have any way of knowing which communications Mr. Freedman has selectively omitted from disclosure," Gottlieb stated.

Freedman, however, maintains that the website promotes transparency and denies any selective presentation of evidence. "The aim here is to do the exact opposite of what they did – to not be selective, to not cherry-pick, and to not doctor text messages," a source close to Baldoni told DailyMail.com.

Behind-the-Scenes Tensions on Set

Rumors of discord between Lively and Baldoni began circulating during the promotional campaign for It Ends With Us in August. Baldoni alleges that the tension escalated to the point where he and his family were banished to a cinema basement during the film's premiere on Lively's orders.

In December, Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment, coinciding with a New York Times article detailing her legal complaint. The article accused Baldoni of orchestrating a negative publicity campaign against Lively, further fueling the public feud.

Baldoni responded by suing The New York Times for defamation and later filing a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds. The lawsuit accuses Lively of using her celebrity influence to hijack the film and attempt to sabotage Baldoni's career.

New Evidence Challenges Lively's Claims

Adding another twist to the saga, DailyMail.com recently obtained raw footage from a scene in It Ends With Us that challenges Lively's sexual harassment allegations. Lively claimed that Baldoni had nuzzled her neck and made inappropriate comments during a romantic rooftop scene. However, the footage, complete with audio, shows the actors laughing and joking about unrelated topics, including spray tans and lighting.

The footage was released by Baldoni's production company, Wayfarer Studios, and his attorney Freedman, who insists that Baldoni has "nothing to hide."

As the legal battle unfolds, the once-friendly relationship between Lively, Baldoni, and Swift seems to be unraveling in the public eye. With both sides digging in for a prolonged fight, the controversy surrounding It Ends With Us shows no signs of slowing down.

Representatives for all parties involved have been contacted for further comment, but no official statements have been made at the time of this publication.

Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.

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