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Tensions surrounding the It Ends With Us legal dispute took an unexpected turn this week, as allegations emerged implicating Blake Lively in what Justin Baldoni's legal team describes as a campaign of coercion against longtime friend Taylor Swift. In a court filing dated May 14, Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman alleged that Lively threatened to leak private text messages unless Swift issued a public statement supporting her in the case.
"These communications are not only relevant, they go to the heart of efforts to intimidate a percipient witness," Freedman stated, defending the controversial subpoena served to Swift earlier this month.
The claim follows Lively's attempt to quash the subpoena issued to Venable, the law firm representing Swift. In response, Baldoni's legal team cited an anonymous source "highly likely to have reliable information" who claims that Lively asked Swift to delete personal messages and warned of consequences if Swift refused to publicly back her. In their filing, Baldoni's lawyers also alleged that Lively's attorney contacted Swift's legal team with what was interpreted as an ultimatum: support Blake or face the release of compromising texts. "Inappropriate and apparently extortionate threats," Freedman wrote, "were addressed by Ms. Swift's counsel and are central to our request."
Lively's lawyer, Mike Gottlieb, issued a strong denial to PEOPLE, saying, "This is categorically false. We unequivocally deny all of these so-called allegations... cowardly sourced and completely untethered from reality." Gottlieb further described the legal maneuver as "a smear tactic masquerading as litigation."
Taylor Swift, 35, has publicly distanced herself from the legal fray. Her spokesperson noted, "She never set foot on the set, had no involvement in casting, production, or scoring. Her only connection was permitting the use of her song 'My Tears Ricochet,' just like 19 other artists." The statement dismissed the subpoena as "tabloid clickbait designed to exploit Swift's name."
The underlying legal battle began when Lively, 37, accused Baldoni, 41, of sexual harassment and workplace retaliation. Baldoni has since countersued for $400 million, claiming defamation and extortion. The case has drawn further attention as other celebrities, including Hugh Jackman, were rumored to be on the subpoena list.
Lively and Swift, once publicly inseparable, have not been seen together since late 2024. Their sudden silence now takes on new weight as legal proceedings dig into what once seemed like an unshakable bond. Whether the court will allow these personal exchanges into evidence may set the tone for how far this public unraveling is allowed to go.
