Taylor Swift, Blake Lively friendship strong despite claim Justin Baldoni lawsuit tearing them apart: insider

Lively filed a sexual harassment suit in December against Justin Baldoni, his Wayfarer studio and former PR reps. The same day Lively filed her suit, Baldoni filed a $250 million suit against the New York Times for a December article about the alleged smear campaign. 

Lively shared a lengthy response, in which she referred to Swift and Reynolds as "dragons" who protect her.

"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 creative barometers," Lively's text, included in the complaint, read. "But also to have them as people who prop me up and make sure I'm seen for all I can, and do offer. Because they know firsthand all I contribute. They also know I'm not always as good at making sure I'm seen and utilized for fear of threatening egos, or fear of affecting the ease of the process. They don't give a s--- about that. And because of that, everyone listens to them with immense respect and enthusiasm. So I guess I have to stop worrying about people liking me."

Baldoni believed "the message could not have been clearer," according to the lawsuit. "Baldoni 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 very difficult for him."

Some of the issues allegedly addressed at an "all-hands" meeting before filming began included no more showing nude videos or images of women to Lively, no more mention of Baldoni's previous "pornography addiction," no more discussions about personal experiences with sex, no more descriptions of their own genitalia, no more adding sex scenes outside what was in the original script, no more discussions about Lively's weight or deceased father and more.

However, Baldoni insisted Lively "falsely" accused him in an attempt to repair her reputation after the fallout around the movie's press tour after she took control of the film.

Judge Lewis J. Liman ordered a trial set for March 9, 2026. An originally scheduled pretrial conference for Feb. 12 was rescheduled for Feb. 3.