Taylor Swift and Blake Lively have long been considered one of Hollywood’s most iconic celebrity friendships, but new legal developments tied to Lively’s ongoing lawsuit with actor/director Justin Baldoni have cast a shadow over that bond.
Earlier this week, court filings from Baldoni‘s legal team alleged that Lively attempted to pressure Swift into taking her side publicly during the escalating legal feud.
According to the documents submitted on May 14, the Gossip Girl alum allegedly threatened to leak years of “private text messages” from Swift if the singer refused to publicly back her.
The revelation sent shockwaves across fan communities and industry insiders alike, reigniting long-held suspicions of friction between the two A-listers.
According to RadarOnline.com, the contents of these private messages may include sensitive discussions about Swift’s current relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, as well as controversial details about past romances-including her much-publicized breakup with Calvin Harris in 2016.
Rumors swirl around Taylor Swift’s leaked messages
A legal letter detailing the alleged coercion was submitted to the court by Baldoni‘s attorneys, but the presiding judge ruled it “improper” and “irrelevant” to the case, barring its admission.
While the decision was a small legal win for both Swift and Lively, the damage may already be done. The ruling did little to quell public curiosity surrounding the text messages or to repair the public image of a friendship now seemingly strained.
To make matters worse, Baldoni’s lead attorney, Bryan Freedman, included a sworn affidavit claiming that a source “very close” to Swift informed him in February that Lively’s legal counsel made direct threats to Swift’s representatives.
The affidavit suggests that Swift was placed in an uncomfortable and potentially compromising position, further distancing herself from the legal proceedings-and perhaps, from her longtime friend.
Despite attempts to remain neutral, Swift has been subpoenaed by the court. Her publicist issued a pointed statement aimed at clarifying the singer’s non-involvement.
“Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film. She did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release,” it read.
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