Court Filing Reveals Private Texts Between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift Amid Baldoni Lawsuit
A newly unsealed court filing has revealed a deeply personal text exchange between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift, offering rare insight into the strain the actress faced while navigating a high profile legal battle tied to the film It Ends With Us.
The messages, dated December 2024, were included as part of Lively’s ongoing lawsuit against her former co-star Justin Baldoni, whom she has accused of sexual harassment and retaliation. The exchange centers on Lively’s emotional state, her fear of isolation, and the toll the controversy took on her closest relationships, including her friendship with Swift.
Although Swift’s name was initially redacted in the filing, Lively’s legal team later identified her directly in a court document addressing the texts. The filing was first reported by USA TODAY, and Newsweek confirmed it reached out to representatives for both women for comment. Neither had responded as of publication.
A Friendship Strained by Crisis
The exchange begins with a long, emotionally vulnerable message from an individual identified only as “B,” later confirmed to be Lively. In the text, she expresses concern that she has been a “bad friend” and worries that something between them feels off.
“I felt like a bad friend lately because I was such a sad sack who only talked about my own s* for months… I always want the opportunity to be a better friend if there’s something I unintentionally did.”
Swift responds candidly, acknowledging a sense of emotional distance while emphasizing that it was not rooted in resentment.
“I think I’m just exhausted in every avenue of my life… it felt like I was reading a mass corporate email sent to 200 employees. You said the word ‘we’ like 18 times.”
Swift adds that she missed hearing from Lively directly, rather than through what felt like a collective or managed voice, and reassures her that no apology was necessary.
“I just kinda miss my funny, dark, normal-speaking friend… Just come back please.”
Fear, Paranoia, and Fallout
Lively’s response offers a stark window into her mental state during the period. She explains that after being exposed to thousands of private messages as part of legal discovery, she became paranoid that all digital communication could become public.
“I’ve internalized that everything digital may be public… So yeah, I’ve been texting like I’m writing. Not like me talking.”
She also describes what she calls an “identity crisis” brought on by the allegations against Baldoni and the public reaction to them.
“The thing that spooked me most… wasn’t the bad guys being bad guys, it was the good guys, my lifelong friends who quietly dipped. I’ve never felt more alone.”
The exchange briefly lightens in tone, with Swift responding to one of Lively’s jokes by saying:
“First paragraph took me OUT.”
The two end the initial conversation on affectionate terms, reaffirming their friendship.
Texts Reference Baldoni Allegations and Media Coverage
The filing also includes later messages between the two women reacting to media coverage of Baldoni, including a screenshot of a People article in which Baldoni discussed being “sexually traumatized” by an ex-girlfriend. Lively criticizes what she characterizes as selective storytelling and image management.
“It rings different when he doesn’t end the story by saying ‘Did I always listen when they said no? No.’ like he did with me.”
Swift responds bluntly:
“This is so disgusting and I hate that he’s clever about this s*.”**
The two also discuss Baldoni being honored at a women’s advocacy event, with Swift remarking:
“He needs to be beaten by his OWN words.”
Legal Context and Why It Matters
The text exchange is part of evidence submitted in Lively’s lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and retaliation tied to the production of It Ends With Us, a film that opened to a $50 million box office debut. Baldoni previously countersued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds for defamation and extortion, but a judge dismissed that case in June, leaving open the possibility for Baldoni to refile under different legal theories related to contractual interference.
While the texts do not introduce new legal claims, they offer contextual insight into Lively’s emotional and psychological state during the period, a factor that could carry weight as the case continues. More broadly, the disclosure underscores how deeply personal communications can become part of public legal records in high-profile disputes, even when they involve third parties with no formal role in the litigation.
For Swift and Lively, the exchange reveals not scandal or infighting, but something far more human: a friendship strained by crisis, managed image-making, and the isolating pressure of being publicly believed, or doubted, in real time.
