Blake Lively tried to protect them. Now Taylor Swift's private text messages are being exposed.

In the never-ending legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, another twist has emerged.

Last week, Blake Lively, 37, and her legal team sought a protective order against Justin Baldoni's camp due to "continuing demands" for her communications with Taylor Swift.

But now, a judge has ruled in Baldoni's favour, deciding the actor can request communications between the pop star and Lively concerning It Ends With Us after Swift's subpoena to appear in court was dismissed.

"The requests for messages with Swift regarding the film and this action are reasonably tailored to discover information that would prove or disprove Lively's harassment and retaliation claims," US District Judge Lewis Liman said, according to court documents obtained by Page Six.

However, there is a catch.

The messages must be about the film or Lively and Baldoni's ongoing legal battle.

Listen to The Quicky explain Judge Liman's decision here. Post continues below.

Lively's lawyers didn't go willingly. They tried to bargain with Baldoni's team, saying they'd hand over any documents his attorneys wanted but not Swift's messages. In return, they asked for "all video footage related to the film and full, unredacted versions of communication" listed in Baldoni's complaint.

But Baldoni's lawyers were not playing ball and denied the agreement.

A spokesperson for Lively told Page Six they will "continue to call out Baldoni's relentless efforts to exploit Ms. Swift's popularity, which from day one has been nothing more than a distraction from the serious sexual harassment and retaliation accusations he and the Wayfrarer parties are facing."

In May, Swift was subpoenaed by Baldoni's team, but the summons was dropped less than two weeks later as, according to a US Weekly source, "information was voluntarily provided" to Baldoni's legal counsel.

Last week, Lively's team asked the court to protect her messages with Swift, arguing they were "not central" to the case.

The actress' attorney, Esra Hudson, claimed that good cause existed for the protective order against Baldoni as it had been a "tactic" of his team "to make Ms. Swift and her fan base central to their media strategy against Ms. Lively".

A spokesperson for Lively also gave a quote to PEOPLE, alleging that Baldoni's "intent to drag Taylor Swift into this was evident as far back as August 2024, when the crisis PR firm led by Melissa Nathan included her in their 'Scenario Planning' document and flagged the 'TS fanbase' as something to take 'extremely seriously'."

They added: "The ongoing attempts to once again try and use the world's biggest star as a PR tactic in this matter reflects a public unravelling of epic proportions — and serves only to distract from the fact that Justin Baldoni's lawsuits against Ms. Lively, Ryan Reynolds, their publicist, and the New York Times have been entirely dismissed."

Earlier last week, Lively reportedly subpoenaed Scooter Braun, 43, and HYBE, his K-Pop corporation, seeking documents regarding crisis PR manager Melissa Nathan, who was previously named as a co-defendant in the legal saga.

Braun was infamously involved in a battle with Taylor Swift over the musician's masters. He acquired them in 2019, much to Swift's ire, but the singer regained control of her music in May this year.

How did we get here?

The court battle between Baldoni and Lively began with the actress making allegations of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign during the filming of It Ends With Us. Baldoni counter-sued for $400 million, claiming defamation, civil extortion, and invasion of privacy, alleging Lively orchestrated a damaging narrative.

After Swift was initially subpoenaed, her team came out swinging against the singer being roped into the legal drama around the filming of It Ends With Us.

"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," the hitmaker's reps said.

"She did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release, and was travelling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history."

Taylor Swift on the aforementioned 'biggest tour in history'. Image: Getty.

Her team claimed the only involvement Swift had in the movie was the licensing of one of her songs for the film and trailer.

"The connection Taylor had to this film was permitting the use of one song, 'My Tears Ricochet,'" the statement continued.

"Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists also did, this document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swift's name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case."

After the subpoena was dropped, Lively's team made some curious comments about Swift.

"We are pleased that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties have withdrawn their harassing subpoenas to Taylor Swift and her law firm," Lively's spokesperson said in a statement to Us Weekly.

Lively's team suggested they worked alongside Swift in order to get the subpoena dropped.

"We supported the efforts of Taylor's team to quash these inappropriate subpoenas directed to her counsel, and we will continue to stand up for any third party who is unjustly harassed or threatened in the process," they continued.

This followed heightened speculation that Lively and Swift are no longer friends, seemingly pouring cold water on the theory.

But the statement wasn't done. The team continued to heap more praise on Swift while linking the subpoena back to Lively's original lawsuit, accusing Baldoni's PR team of carrying out a smear campaign.

"The Baldoni and Wayfarer team have tried to put Taylor Swift, a woman who has been an inspiration for tens of millions across the globe, at the center of this case since day one," the statement read.

"Exploiting Taylor Swift's celebrity was the original plan in [Baldoni's former PR person] Melissa Nathan's scenario planning document, and it continues to this day. Faced with having to justify themselves in federal court, they folded. At some point they will run out of distractions from the actual claims of sexual harassment and retaliation they are facing."

Whether true or not, this statement painted Lively and Swift as being on the same team — united in their opposition to Baldoni and his legal team.

But is it that simple? There's been loads of confusion surrounding Swift's involvement in the film that led to all these lawsuits.

Let's cast our minds back to August 2024 (a simpler time, right?) when the It Ends With Us press tour began.

Watch Blake Lively talk about her Britney Spears-inspired look on the red carpet. Post continues after video.

Lively spoke openly about Swift on the red carpet at the It Ends With Us premiere. She suggested that the 'Love Story' singer was part of the film-making process.

Speaking at a New York screening of the film, Lively said this about Swift: "Honestly, she was with me on this experience the whole time, all throughout it, so she really lived this with me. She's a person who shows up for you, and I'm so grateful to have that love and support."

Lively shared the same sentiment in a TV interview on CBS Mornings. "She was with me throughout this whole process. I think, for better or worse, she experienced the whole thing with me," she claimed.

Taylor Swift and Blake Lively have been friends for years. Image: Getty.

Then there's the claim that Swift was — in fact — involved in the casting process of It Ends With Us, something the singer's team flatly denied.

Baldoni claimed in one interview that Isabela Ferrer, who played the young version of Lily Bloom, was selected by Swift for the main role.

When speaking to Access Hollywood, the reporter said to him: "[Isabela] told me Taylor Swift helped her get the role signed off, on her audition tape," and Justin replied: "I was casting, and I had actually brought in and showed her casting tape to Blake and Taylor, and they were both like: 'Yes, her,' that's a true story."

Ferrer herself has previously confirmed the story to Extra. "I don't even know if I'm meant to be saying it, but yeah, she was a helpful part of the process, of the audition. I found out later, after I got it, and that rocks my world. I have no words."

1/ Did you know Taylor Swift used her influence to help Isabella Ferrer land the role of young Lily Bloom in the movie It Ends With Us? Here’s Isabella admitting Taylor got her the audition:🧵 pic.twitter.com/BTZQpjUHsf

— The Spiritual Shift (@spiritualshift_) January 19, 2025

To be clear, Lively has never said that Swift had any part in Ferrer being cast.

Then there are the claims made by Baldoni regarding Swift's influence on the making of It Ends With Us.

In text messages and interviews cited in legal filings, Baldoni described one incident when he attended a script meeting at Lively's home and found both her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and Swift present.

In a leaked text to Lively about a script rewrite, Baldoni insinuated that he thought Swift's presence was unnecessary.

"I really love what you did. It really does help a lot. Makes it so much more fun and interesting. (And I would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor)," the alleged text read.

In another text exchange leaked, Lively seemingly refers to both her husband and Swift as her 'dragons'.

"If you ever get around to watching Game Of Thrones, you'll appreciate that I'm Khaleesi," her alleged text to Justin read.

"And like her, I happen to have a few dragons. For better or worse, but usually for better. Because my dragons also protect those I fight for. So really, we all benefit from those gorgeous monsters of mine. You will too, I can promise you."

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds at the New York screening of Another Simple Favor. Image: Getty.

In the eternal words of Oprah Winfrey: what is the truth?

Was Swift involved in the decision-making process of this film? And if so, why does that matter?

For what it's worth, Lively has been vocal in her support of her friend, Swift, throughout this process.

After the subpoena was issued by Baldoni's lawyers, Lively's team didn't mince their words.

"This is a significant legal issue, not a mere circus act," Lively's representative said in a statement to People. "The defendants continue to intimidate, harass, and undermine women's rights and reputations publicly."

Lively's team accused Baldoni of turning "a case of sexual harassment and retaliation into entertainment for the tabloids, going as far as suggesting that they sell tickets to a concert venue – Madison Square Garden – to witness Ms Lively's deposition, to subpoenaing Taylor Swift, a woman who has given a voice to millions all over the world," they stated.

But like any high-profile celebrity legal feud, this story turning into a media circus seems inevitable.

The trial between Lively and Baldoni is scheduled to begin in March 2026, and this is where the truth behind these conflicting statements is likely to come to a head.

Attorneys for Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds asserted that the actress will appear in court to tell her side of the story.

"This is a case about what happened to Blake Lively when she raised claims of sexual harassment on the set and the retaliation that followed," said attorneys Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson in a statement to Deadline. "Of course she will testify."

This article was originally published on May 14, 2025 and has since been updated with new information.

Feature Image: Instagram/taylorswift.