Hollywood's secret clique of mean girl A-listers exposed in shock new trove of Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni evidence: Read their toe-curling private texts
It should have been a night of celebration: the opening of the much-anticipated film of Colleen Hoover's megahit book starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.
But the tension in the air at the It Ends with Us premiere could have been cut with a knife.
And the knives have been out between the two stars ever since.
Just months after the awkward late-2024 premiere, Lively dropped a bomb: a 10-claim complaint with the California Civil Rights Department alleging Baldoni sexually harassed her on set and waged an 'astroturfing campaign' against her in the fallout. Baldoni denies the claims.
Now, more than a year later, the explosive battle shows no signs of ending before the May trial, with behind-the-scenes scheming and Lively's roster of A-list allies revealed in a trove of legal documents replete with juicy, private texts.
The case is returning to court today with a conference to try to settle the war and consider Baldoni's bid to dismiss Lively's sexual harassment suit.
Monday's release of the messages gave the first real glimpse of Lively's headspace when the saga began. The day after she filed her complaint, she was celebrating Baldoni being dropped by his powerhouse agent WME - with Taylor Swift at her side.
The opening of the much-anticipated film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's megahit book was overshadowed by whispers of tension on set – but behind-the-scenes footage later uncovered by the Daily Mail suggested Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni still appeared to be on good terms
The tensions were palpable at the It Ends With Us premiere, with Lively and Baldoni avoiding each other and skipping red carpet photos together
It wasn't until Monday that texts released in court papers between Lively and Taylor Swift offered a glimpse of her early triumph, as they celebrated Baldoni being dropped by his talent agency following her 2024 complaint to the California Civil Rights Department
The victory lap texts, exchanged on December 21, 2024, according to court papers, began with Swift telling Lively: 'You won. You did it.'
'You f***ing helped so many people who won't have to go through this ever again,' Swift later added.
After all the negative publicity Blake had received about her 'insensitivity' to the domestic abuse theme of the film during its promotion, Swift said: 'Never has a cancellation been reversed so fast.
'You guys don't understand how rare this is. To have proof and to take the perfect steps to bring that truth to light.'
Lively replied: 'Like. My. God.'
Then: 'I love you so much. I would not be ok through any of this if it weren't for you.'
The 10-claim complaint filed by Lively with the California Civil Rights Department accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on set and of running an 'astroturfing campaign' against her in the fallout; he denied the claims
Texts between Swift and Lively celebrating the turn of public tide after Baldoni was dropped by talent agency WME, with the popstar stating how 'rare' it was for a cancelation of a celebrity to have been 'reversed so fast'
The texts were revealed in a lengthy court document filed in the federal court in New York in which Lively responded to dozens of claims made by Baldoni.
In the file, Baldoni's lawyers wrote: 'On April 12, 2023, Lively asked her friend, the world-famous musician Taylor Swift, for help.
'Referring to Baldoni as "this doofus director of my movie," she went on to describe him as "a clown" who "thinks he's a writer now".
'She asked Swift to endorse the revised script she was proposing even without having read it.'
One text to the singer from Lively read: 'You don't have to read of course.'
In another part, the court document states: 'Swift agreed to do Lively's bidding, texting Lively: "I'll do anything for you !!"'
The texts emerged in a lengthy federal court filing in New York, revealing messages in which the two referred to Baldoni as a 'doofus' and a 'clown'
Baldoni's lawyers pointed at notable names, including Swift, as having been mentioned by Lively as her confidantes on personal and professional issues
Lively's side disputed that she asked Swift to endorse the script without reading it, only that she 'hoped she would'.
Baldoni's lawyers also alleged that Lively 'told famous friends, including Matt Damon, Lucy Damon, and Ben Affleck that she 'rewrote the script. I directed every actor.'
Baldoni has claimed that Lively took over the film and rewrote entire scenes with the help of husband Ryan Reynolds.
And more texts between Swift and Lively detailed how helpful her husband's friends were in pushing for her version of the film, with her praising Bradley Cooper for 'watching it twice,' referring to her cut.
'He has been an absolute f***ing hero,' Lively wrote. 'He has made me feel so good about the cut.'
Swift replied: 'No one. Should ever. Get into a war of wills with you. And I'm so excited to see it.'
Bradley Cooper is good friends with Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively and has been mentioned in the recent filings as a person Lively urged to support her cut of the film over Baldoni's
Lively sent messages to Swift discussing actors Bradley Cooper and Matt Damon supporting her cut of the film, adding how much the It Ends With Us author Colleen Hooper hated Baldoni
The documents include a May 2024 text between Lively, her husband and famous friends.
Reynolds asks the Damons to watch the film and Lively begged them to do so, saying that the movie 'nearly killed me'.
Matt Damon replied: 'We'll give you any help we can. And if this experience hasn't totally destroyed your soul, Blake, you should come direct your next movie at Artists Equity. We're kind of a cult but a really nice one.'
After Lively recounted some of the difficulties with Baldoni, Lucy Damon said it was 'insane the power this guy has with no experience to back him'.
And after being told that Baldoni claimed during filming to have been able to speak to Lively's dead father, Lucy Damon replied: 'What the actual f***?'
She added: 'I'm fascinated by this creep. I think you should do a movie about this guy.'
Matt Damon and his wife Lucy were also involved in pushing for Lively's preferred cut of the film, with Lucy reportedly describing Baldoni as 'a creep' after Lively said he claimed on set that he could communicate with her late father
It was reportedly Reynolds who asked the Damons to watch the film and, in later conversations with the couple about Baldoni, he branded him a 'sociopathic FAUXminist'
Lively replied: 'I already have the name of my doc: Lights, Cult, Action,' an apparent dig at Baldoni's religious faith.
Reynolds chimed in, saying he had 'never seen anything like it' and that Baldoni is a 'sociopathic FAUXminist,' according to the docs.
These texts and documents are a far cry from the audio of one of the film's scenes obtained by the Daily Mail that showed Lively and Baldoni enjoying a cozy conversation about their respective spouses – suggesting that the warring duo once enjoyed an amicable relationship.
Voice memos left by Baldoni hint at the same – with the 41-year-old heard bending over backwards to placate his leading lady and keep her onside.
But by the end of filming all that had descended into acrimony infamously threatening him with her 'dragons' – Taylor Swift and husband Ryan Reynolds – if he refused to make the changes she wanted in the film and humiliating him by forcing him to view the premiere from a basement of the theatre.
Then, in December 2024, Lively sued for $250million – alleging Baldoni had sexually harassed her on set, made comments about her weight and had orchestrated a media smear campaign designed to blacken her name.
By the end of filming, the on-set tension between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni had spiraled into open acrimony, culminating in a bitter showdown over creative control
When Baldoni resisted Lively's demands, she threatened to unleash her 'dragons,' referring to her best friend Taylor Swift and husband Ryan Reynolds
In January last year, Baldoni hit back with a $400million countersuit of his own, accusing the actress of 'hijacking' the movie and of using her greater star power in an attempt to intimidate him into giving way.
But a judge at the federal court in New York dismissed Baldoni's case in June 2025 on the basis that his claims, particularly regarding defamation and civil extortion, failed to meet legal standards.
Since then, the case has seen a welter of claims and counterclaims, while the publicity has come at huge personal cost to both.
Lively's friendship with megastar singer Swift seemingly went up in flames after she was dragged into the case, while both her career and Baldoni's have stalled.
Now as the feud enters the final run-in to what is set to be an explosive trial, sources on both sides say the pair have come too far to back down – even if it costs them.
'Justin did nothing wrong and all the evidence shows that,' one Team Baldoni insider told the Daily Mail. 'Why should he let her bully him in this way?'
In January last year, Baldoni hit back with a $400million countersuit accusing Lively of 'hijacking' the movie and using her star power to intimidate him, though a New York federal judge dismissed the case in June 2025
Sigrid McCawley, who famously advocated for the victims of pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, has joined Lively's legal team as the case prepares to head to trial in May
Lively, meanwhile, sees the case as her chance to stand up for women in the workplace – a fact underlined by her decision to add Sigrid McCawley to her legal team.
Veteran lawyer McCawley famously advocated for the victims of pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, among them tragic Virginia Giuffre who committed suicide last year.
In a statement, McCawley said: 'It is a privilege to get to work with Blake Lively's world class legal team on a case that at its core is about a woman who was subjected to a hostile work environment and is being attacked for standing up to protect herself and other female co-workers.'
The trial, when it happens, promises to be a blockbuster – and with those texts now public, Swift, Reynolds and Lively's star-studded circle may have to confront them on the witness stand.
