Text messages between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively, in which Swift calls Justin Baldoni a “bitch”, have emerged as explosive evidence in Lively’s ongoing legal battle with the It Ends With Us director.
Court documents obtained by Variety showcase Swift’s assessment of Baldoni in a 2024 exchange with Lively. Discussing a pending New York Times exposé about the director’s alleged misconduct, Swift wrote: “I think this bitch knows something is coming because he’s gotten out his tiny violin.”
The texts form part of a broader pattern of animosity documented in legal filings. A year earlier, Lively had referred to Baldoni as the “doofus director of my movie” in messages to Swift, adding that he is a “clown” who “thinks he’s a writer now”. These exchanges paint a picture of mounting tensions between the lead actress and director that ultimately exploded into public litigation.
Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni centres on allegations of harassment and retaliation, with Tuesday’s court documents detailing inappropriate on-set behaviour that affected multiple cast members.
The actress created her own edit of the film after claiming Baldoni’s version “marginalised the female characters” and “glorified the abuser”, a problematic point, given the movie’s domestic violence themes.
The conflict extended beyond creative differences into promotional strategies. Lively refused to appear alongside Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath during the film’s marketing campaign, stating she was “not willing to endorse Baldoni or Heath personally by appearing alongside or promoting the Film with them”.
In her court declaration, Lively described feeling victimised by the director’s team: “They painted themselves as the victims and me as a bully”. This characterisation directly contradicts Baldoni’s legal response, which dismisses Lively’s complaints as “minor grievances” in a motion to dismiss filed by his representatives.
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The case will proceed to trial on May 18th, with a hearing on Baldoni’s dismissal motion scheduled for Thursday.
The outcome could set significant precedents for how harassment and retaliation claims are handled in Hollywood, especially when they involve detailed private communications between major celebrities supporting the alleged victims.
