Why Taylor Swift Is Involved in Bombshell New Lawsuit Filed by Justin Baldoni Against Blake Lively

When attorney Bryan Freedman appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show earlier this month to discuss the lawsuit brought against his client, Justin Baldoni, by his It Ends with Us co-star Blake Lively, he said to stay tuned for more litigation.

Well, that day has come with Baldoni filing a $400 million suit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds. Also dragged into the drama? The couple’s friend, Taylor Swift.

On Friday’s show, Megyn was joined by The Daily Mail’s Maureen Callahan to discuss the countersuit and Swift’s involvement in it.

The Lawsuit

Late last month, Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department claiming Baldoni sexually harassed her during filming and retaliated against her after she raised issues about his on-set behavior. The following day, The New York Times published a detailed report sympathetic to Lively’s accusations.

On New Year’s Eve, the actress formally filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against Baldoni, his publicist, his production company (Wayfarer Studios), and other defendants for “retaliating against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns.” That same day, Baldoni responded with a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times for its reporting on Lively’s allegations. 

Now, the actor is going after Lively directly. Earlier this week, Baldoni filed his own bombshell lawsuit against his co-star in which he made his own headline-making retorts. “Now, Bryan Freedman has filed, on behalf of Justin, a lawsuit directly against Blake, Ryan Reynolds, and Leslie Sloane, their PR hack,” Megyn explained. “They are alleging, not only did our PR team not… do anything to hurt Blake last August when she came under negative press… but you guys were the ones out there generating negative press against Justin.”

Swift’s Involvement

The 179-page filing is populated with details about meetings between Baldoni and Lively that included other famous faces and text messages they believe undermine Lively’s claims. In one instance, the lawsuit states that Baldoni was invited to Lively’s New York City penthouse, where Reynolds and “a famous, and famously close, friend” of the couple were present.

That “a famous, and famously close, friend” is believed to be Swift due screenshots of text messages that were also included. Baldoni alleges Reynolds and the unnamed guest gushed about Lively’s rewrites to the movie’s pivotal rooftop scene. Text messages from after the meeting offer additional color. 

“I really love what you did. It really does help a lot. Makes it so much more fun and interesting. (And I would have felt that way without Ryan or Taylor),” Baldoni wrote. “You really are a talent across the board. Really excited [a]nd grateful to do this together.”

Lively responded with a lengthy note that read, in part: “Both Ryan and [redacted] have established themselves as absolute titans as writers and storytellers outside of their primary gig – just singing or just acting or [redacted] just directing. I’m so lucky to have them as creative barometers. But also to have them as people who prop me up and make sure I’m seen for all I can, and do offer. Because they know firsthand all I contribute. They also know I’m not always as good at making sure I’m seen and utilized for fear of threatening egos, or fear of affecting the ease of the process. They don’t give a shit about that. And because of that, everyone listens to them with immense respect and enthusiasm. So I guess I have to stop worrying about people liking me.”

The suit said that Baldoni believed “the message could not have been clearer” that he was “not just dealing with Lively,” but 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.”

What Comes Next?

Callahan said these dueling lawsuits are “extremely strange” and feels like there is an underlying tension to them. “I can’t believe neither side is giving in. They are digging in further,” she noted. “It feels like a very twisted rom-com to me. The hatred on both sides is so intense, it makes you wonder if there was, like, a deep attraction… whether it was consummated or not.”

Megyn agreed and took issue with the tone and timing of some of the text messages. “If you look at the full complaint, there are texts between them that go on and on about their connection and how he ‘loves this version of her but he loves the other version of her too,’ at 11 o’clock at night,” she said. “It felt flirty to me… I don’t generally text with other men – even men I work with – at 11 o’clock at night, unless there is breaking news.”

What is also wrapped up in all of this drama, Callahan added, is the expected sequel to It Ends with Us, which Baldoni’s production company also owns the rights to. “I think that there is something else they are fighting over because the studio definitely wants a sequel because this movie did really well,” she said. “But first we are going to get the reality show version of this playing out, and I can’t wait.”

One guess Megyn had for the future of the franchise? “You are definitely not going to see the two of them starring in a sequel,” she joked.

You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Callahan by tuning in to episode 985 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.