In a new development in the ongoing legal dispute over It Ends With Us, a federal judge has ruled that actor-director Justin Baldoni is entitled to access private text messages exchanged between actress Blake Lively and singer Taylor Swift. The ruling, made by U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman on Wednesday, stated that the texts may contain evidence relevant to Lively’s harassment and retaliation claims.
The decision comes weeks after Blake Lively ‘s legal team tried to block access to Taylor Swift ’s messages, arguing they were irrelevant following the dismissal of Baldoni’s previous lawsuit. However, Judge Liman ruled that since Lively had previously claimed Swift was aware of issues on the film set, the messages could help confirm or challenge those claims.
Blake Lively’s legal team had proposed handing over other documents , excluding Swift’s texts – in exchange for unredacted materials from Baldoni. That proposal was rejected by Baldoni’s attorney. Lively had also filed a protective order, but the judge denied it, emphasizing the texts must focus only on the movie or legal claims.
“The requests for messages with Swift regarding the film and this action are reasonably tailored,” Judge Liman stated, adding that concern over publicity does not outweigh the right to relevant discovery.
This ruling doesn’t signal the end of the legal battle. While Baldoni’s $400 million defamation suit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and others was recently dismissed, the core case remains active. A trial is scheduled for March 2026. A spokesperson for Lively criticized the ruling, stating Baldoni is attempting to use Swift’s fame to shift attention away from serious allegations against him.
While Taylor Swift has not publicly responded, her name remains at the center of this high-profile Hollywood dispute.
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