As Blake Lively’s best friend and confidant, Taylor Swift has so far managed to exclude herself from the ongoing Justin Baldoni narrative.
That was, until January 16, when Baldoni filed his long promised lawsuit against Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds, including claims of extortion and defamation and requesting $400m in damages.
So why does it appear Taylor Swift is being named as part of the actor and director’s case against Lively and Reynolds?
Below, a deep dive into the allegations that seemlingly reference Swift on multiple occasions.
What Does The Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Say About Taylor Swift?
According to the 179-page complaint, Baldoni’s issue began in the pre-production stage when Lively allegedly asked if she could “take a pass” at writing the rooftop scene in It Ends With Us, in which the two main characters meet for the first time.
Baldoni outlined his reluctance to hand control of the “pivotal scene” over to Lively “rather than a union screenwriter,” but allegedly felt like he had no choice but to let her try.
Later, after the re-write was submitted, Baldoni was “summoned” to a meeting at the actress’s New York Penthouse to discuss the changes.
Once he arrived at the penthouse, Baldoni claims he was joined by her husband, and later, a “famous, and famously close, friend of Reynolds and Lively.”
The filing goes on to describe the “famous friend” who “walked into the room and similarly began praising Lively’s script.”
Such praise was interpreted by Baldoni, according to the filings, as pressure to agree with the edits, revealing he “understood the subtext: he needed to comply with Lively’s direction for the script.”
Where Is Taylor Swift Mentioned?
It was the alleged pressure of their post-edit meeting that prompted Baldoni to respond to Lively with a text message that noted his enthusiasm for her edited version.
Though the text doesn’t name Taylor Swift explicitly, it does mention “Taylor” alongside Reynolds as not having any bearing on his decision.
The related passage in the court documents reads: “Later, Baldoni felt obliged to text Lively to say that he had liked her pages and hadn’t needed Reynolds and her megacelebrity friend to pressure him.”
Lively responded with a text that read: “As for [redacted] and Ryan (and [redacted] for that matter). I’m the luckiest motherfucker on the planet to have them as my “Dance Moms” level stage moms. They are embarrassingly effusive.”
Further along, the Gossip Girl alum notes how they had each “checked in so many times” to see how Baldoni had responded, followed by a note that read: “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 my creative barometers.”
Did Blake Lively Call Taylor Swift Her “Dragon”?
As part of the text exchange between Baldoni and Lively where they discussed her proposed edits of the key scene, the actress signed off with a reference to Game of Thrones protagonist Daenerys Targaryen. Namely likening the character’s mythological protectors to her own protective force.
After receiving the above response, Baldoni noted in the filings that “the message could not have been clearer.”
The It Ends With Us director was “not just dealing with Lively. He was also facing Lively’s “dragons,” two of the most influential and wealthy celebrities in the world, who were not afraid to make things difficult for him.”
So call it what you want, but as we know all too well, there’s little point in filling in the blank space left by Swift’s alleged – then redacted – inclusion.
Instead, it’s best to see how things play out in the end (game).
More updates to come.
Related articles:
- Justin Baldoni Sues Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds For $400m
- Justin Baldoni Files $250 Million Lawsuit Against The Times
- The ‘It Ends With Us’ Lawsuit Fallout Continues For Justin Baldoni
