Actress Blake Lively is pushing back against explosive new claims that she attempted to pressure longtime friend Taylor Swift into publicly supporting her amid a bitter legal battle with actor and director Justin Baldoni.
In a letter filed to the court on Wednesday, May 14, attorney Bryan Freedman, who represents Baldoni, alleged that Lively’s legal team tried to coerce Swift’s lawyers into releasing a statement of support for Lively. If they did not comply, according to Freedman’s letter, Lively allegedly threatened to leak private text messages between her and Swift — a move he described as “extortionate.”
Freedman further stated that a reliable anonymous source provided this information, which has not been independently verified. The claim was included in a motion to enforce a subpoena served to the law firm Venable, which represents Swift.
The subpoena aims to obtain any communications between Swift’s legal team and Lively’s regarding the ongoing case — one that has quickly escalated into a high-profile feud involving some of Hollywood’s most recognizable names.
Lively’s attorney, Mike Gottlieb, issued a firm denial.
“This is categorically false,” Gottlieb said in a statement to People on May 14. “We unequivocally deny all of these so-called allegations, which are cowardly sourced to supposed anonymous sources and completely untethered from reality.”
Gottlieb further criticized Baldoni’s legal team for what he described as a pattern of misconduct and media manipulation.
ADVERTISEMENT
“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,” Gottlieb said. “We will imminently file motions with the court to hold these attorneys accountable for their misconduct here.”
The escalating legal war began in December 2024, when Lively, 37, filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, 41 — her co-star and director in the film It Ends With Us — accusing him of sexual harassment and professional retaliation. Baldoni has denied the allegations and countered with a $400 million lawsuit of his own, accusing Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion.
In a further twist, Taylor Swift, 35, was drawn into the legal spotlight earlier this year after receiving a subpoena related to the case. Swift’s representatives were quick to issue a statement denying any involvement in the film’s production or the ongoing legal dispute.
“Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie,” a spokesperson said. “She was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film. She did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history.”
The rep added that Swift’s sole connection to the project was allowing the use of her song “My Tears Ricochet” in the soundtrack — a contribution similar to that of 19 other artists.
“Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, this document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swift’s name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case,” the statement read.
ADVERTISEMENT
Following Swift’s subpoena, Lively’s camp issued a strongly worded rebuttal, accusing Baldoni’s team of exploiting the legal process for publicity.
“This is a very serious legal matter, not Barnum & Bailey’s Circus,” said a spokesperson for Lively. “The defendants continue to publicly intimidate, bully, shame, and attack women’s rights and reputations.”
As the legal fight intensifies, several text messages allegedly sent by Lively have been introduced as evidence, including one in which she referred to Swift and Reynolds as her “dragons” — individuals who defend her against public and legal scrutiny.
Freedman responded to the messaging, stating, “Lively was the one who brought her high-profile friends into this situation without concern for their own personal or public backlash. As the truth shows, she used her ‘dragons’ to manipulate Justin at every turn.”
In a recent appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers to promote Another Simple Favor, Lively touched briefly on the ordeal, saying she has had an “intense year” filled with emotional highs and lows. She declined to comment further due to the pending litigation.
The trial is currently scheduled to begin in March 2026. Both Lively and Baldoni are expected to testify.
As the drama unfolds, the intersection of Hollywood power, friendship, and legal warfare continues to captivate audiences — with many watching closely to see how it will all play out in court.
