Justin Baldoni claimed that Blake Lively leveraged her Hollywood influence, including her friendship with Taylor Swift, to assert control over the set of "It Ends With Us."

According to court documents obtained by Page Six, Baldoni suggested Lively used what he called "the Taylor Swift playbook" to gain leverage during production, framing herself as a victim to negotiate conditions for filming.

Baldoni described feeling constrained by the power imbalance, noting that Lively's demands and her potential to control public perception placed him in a precarious position professionally.

He maintained that her tactics, combined with the support of high-profile friends, created an environment in which he "was spinning" and "reasonable to be concerned about what's possible."

Court​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ documents further disclosed that producer Jamey Heath recorded a series of incidents in a log, wherein it was mentioned that Lively declined to give her consent to a trailer if her edits were not used, and also warned that she would let Swift know so that her song would not be used. The present filings confirm the statement of Baldoni that the actress was the one who controlled the film not only its production but also the ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌promotion.

In deposition documents released Thursday, Baldoni detailed a January 3 meeting during which Lively outlined the requirements she would need to feel safe returning to set.

At the time, she had already spoken to HR, citing discomfort around Baldoni, 41, and Heath.

Baldoni said he confided in friends, including actor Rainn Wilson and singer Andy Grammer, that Lively "had the nuclear bomb. If she doesn't promote the movie, she can leak that I'm a bad person or that she felt unsafe with me and all the stuff she has on me. Then she's the victim. It's the Taylor Swift playbook."

He added that this gave her leverage to "ask for whatever she wants because she knows I know."

The director explained that being "somebody small in the industry" facing a "titan like Ms. Lively and some of the most powerful people in the world, which are her best friends," left him "spinning" during the conflict. He emphasized it was "very reasonable, especially at this point, to be concerned about what's possible and what's not."

Set Demands and Production Control

Lively's list of 17 requirements for returning to the set included having an intimacy coordinator present during all scenes involving nudity or sex, prohibiting improvisation in intimate moments, and restricting comments about her physical appearance outside of her character portrayal. Baldoni also admitted that discussions about his own body occurred in relation to Lively's pregnancy with her now-2-year-old son, Olin, though he said she did not ask him "directly."

Court filings further alleged that Lively threatened to enlist Swift's help to control aspects of the film's release.

According to a timeline submitted by producers to the U.S. District Court in New York, Lively reportedly warned that Swift would refuse to allow her song "My Tears Ricochet" to be used unless her version of the film's trailer was implemented. Baldoni said these threats forced him to cede significant control over the project.

He recounted that Lively's so-called "dragons" — whom he interpreted as including Ryan Reynolds and Swift — could be called upon to enforce her demands, adding that tensions escalated when Reynolds confronted him about how his wife was being treated.

Legal Battles and Counterclaims

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ court battle between Baldoni and Lively has been going on since December 2024, which is the time when Lively made her first complaint accusing sexual harassment and a hostile work environment.

In response, Baldoni filed a $400 million counterclaim. However, his defamation suit was dismissed in June and only officially closed in October.

Lively's lawsuit that comprises of accusations of retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and lost wages is set to be tried in March ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌2026.

On Thursday, Lively requested her "day in court" after Baldoni sought dismissal of her $161 million suit, calling his motion "the latest effort to avoid accountability for the hostile environment" on set, per Page Six.

Lively's attorneys argued that her team had been portrayed as bullies despite being "a mother of four with decades of experience in the industry who simply sought a safe and respectful workplace."

Taylor Swift's Role Clarified

Though Baldoni repeatedly referenced Swift in court documents, her representatives have strongly denied any involvement in the film or the disputes.

A spokesperson said, according to BBC, "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, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history."

Tags
Taylor Swift, Blake Lively