The legal dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, co-stars and producer/director of 'It Ends With Us', adds a new chapter with the decision of a US federal judge that could have media and judicial repercussions significant.

Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled on June 18 that Lively must turn over relevant text messages she exchanged with her friend Taylor Swift as part of the discovery process in the actress's sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Baldoni.

According to the ruling obtained by Entertainment Weekly, Lively identified Swift as someone who may have knowledge of complaints or conversations related to the work environment during the filming of 'It Ends With Us'. Therefore, the judge believes that reviewing those messages could help prove or disprove Lively's allegations of harassment and retaliation.

When did the legal dispute begin?

The legal battle began in December 2024, when the actress filed a formal complaint with the California Department of Civil Rights accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment on set. Lively also alleged that by threatening to go public with her allegations, she was targeted in a “sophisticated, coordinated, and well-funded” retaliation scheme. A day later, the New York Times published a lengthy investigation titled “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” which singled out Baldoni’s PR team for allegedly trying to damage the actress’s image. On December 31, Lively filed a formal complaint against Baldoni, his Wayfarer Studios, and his PR team. Although Baldoni’s team subpoenaed Taylor Swift as a witness in May of this year, the subpoena was later withdrawn. However, Lively’s legal team claims that the real intention behind the insistence on obtaining the messages with the pop star is not to uncover legitimate evidence,but to fuel a media narrative to clean up Baldoni's image.

Judge Liman, however, dismissed that objection, arguing that “this concern does not justify denying the Wayfarer Parties relevant discovery.”

Despite the setback, the court also denied a request by Baldoni and Wayfarer for Lively to turn over additional documents related to the production, noting that the actress has already produced more documentation than the defendant.

A spokesperson for Lively responded to the ruling by noting that the insistence on including Swift in the case is part of a deliberate strategy by Baldoni and his team to deflect attention.

In their statement, they claim that since August 2024, the crisis PR firm led by Melissa Nathan included Swift in a “Scenario Planning” document, in which they even called her a “stalker” and proposed a strategy to manipulate her fanbase.

“We will continue to denounce Baldoni’s tireless efforts to exploit Ms. Swift’s popularity,” the statement concludes, calling the efforts a distraction from the serious allegations facing the director and his team.

At this time, neither Taylor Swift nor Justin Baldoni have issued any public statements following this new court ruling.