Judge Grants Justin Baldoni Access to Taylor Swift and Blake Lively’s Messages in ‘It Ends With Us’ Case

A judge has sided with Justin Baldoni in the latest update on his legal case involving Taylor Swift, Blake Lively, and the film It Ends With Us.

In a recent ruling, a New York judge granted the 41-year-old actor’s legal team permission to access messages exchanged between Lively, 37, and Swift, 35, determining them to be “relevant” to the case.

In the June 18 order, Judge Lewis L. Liman stated: “Lively herself has identified Swift as someone likely to have knowledge about complaints or discussions regarding the working environment on the set of It Ends With Us,” according to reports.

Judge Rules in Justin Baldoni’s Favor in Legal Battle Involving Blake Lively and Taylor Swift

Since Lively has indicated that Swift was aware of complaints or conversations related to the working environment on the film—among other matters—the request for their messages about the movie and this case is considered appropriately focused on uncovering evidence that could support or refute Lively’s claims of harassment and retaliation.

However, any correspondence involving the celebrity friend must be protected by a court order to prevent it from being leaked to the media.

A month ago, Baldoni and his legal team attempted to subpoena the pop superstar, alleging that Lively used her connection with Swift to gain greater creative control over the film.

Although Baldoni served as the director, Lively was also a producer on the project.

Baldoni Pushes Forward with Amended Claims After $400M Lawsuit Dismissal

After the request was filed, a spokesperson for Swift issued a sharply worded statement, saying: “Her only involvement was licensing a song for the film—something 19 other artists also did. This subpoena is clearly intended to exploit Taylor Swift’s name for tabloid clickbait, rather than focus on the actual facts of the case. In response to Swift’s statement, Baldoni and his legal team withdrew the subpoena.

This latest development follows just a week after a judge dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million (AUD$613 million) defamation lawsuit against Hollywood couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds—a decision Lively described as “a total victory and complete vindication.

However, Baldoni was still permitted to file an amended complaint—this time accusing Reynolds and Lively of tortious interference with contract, and Lively individually of breaching the implied covenant. He confirmed his intention to proceed with these claims in a statement released a day after the original dismissal.

The Court has granted us the opportunity to amend four of the seven claims against Ms. Lively, allowing us to present additional evidence and more precise allegations,” Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, said in a statement to CNN.

This case centers on false allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation, as well as a fabricated smear campaign,” the statement added.

With the facts backing us, we move forward with the same confidence we had when Ms. Lively and her associates first launched this battle—and I look forward to personally conducting her upcoming deposition.