Blake Lively’s lawsuit against her It Ends with Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni takes an unexpected turn as Taylor Swift’s name appears in crisis management strategies.
Taylor Swift and Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni (via Getty Images)
On December 21, Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against her It Ends with Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni. The complaint accuses Baldoni of workplace misconduct, including sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.
It also alleges a smear campaign designed to damage Lively’s reputation. Among the allegations, Taylor Swift’s name appears in planning documents linked to Baldoni’s crisis management team, raising questions about her connection to the case.
Taylor Swift, a close friend of Lively, is mentioned twice in the lawsuit. The documents include a scenario planning document prepared by Baldoni’s public relations firm, TAG PR. The document reportedly explored tactics to target Lively using Swift’s name.
One proposed strategy involved planting stories about the weaponization of feminism. This tactic suggested linking Swift to the narrative, claiming she used feminism as a tool to bully others for personal gain.
Another instance involved a message from TAG PR head Melissa Nathan, who shared concern over Lively’s connection to Swift. Nathan acknowledged the influence of Swift’s fanbase, recognizing the potential risk of backlash from the pop star’s supporters on social media.
The lawsuit alleges that Baldoni’s team used social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit to manipulate public opinion. The crisis management plan reportedly included strategies inspired by past online controversies involving Hailey Bieber.
Court documents also suggest Baldoni’s team wanted to exploit Lively’s friendship with Swift to sway public perception. This included creating negative press about Lively, using her connection to Swift as leverage.
Blake Lively and Taylor Swift have been close friends since 2015, with Swift featuring the names of Lively’s daughters, Betty, James, and Inez, in her album Folklore. According to the lawsuit, this connection was viewed by Baldoni’s team as both a risk and an opportunity to shape public narratives.
Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, denied the claims in a public statement, calling them false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious. Freedman argued that the crisis management discussions were limited to internal planning and were never publicly executed.
Despite these denials, Baldoni’s agency, WME, severed ties with him. WME, however, continues to represent Lively. The production companies behind the film, Sony Pictures and Wayfarer Studios, were also named in the lawsuit for failing to address the alleged misconduct during filming.
