Taylor Swift’s texts revealed in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni lawsuit
Taylor Swift’s text messages revealed in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit.
Blake Lively has reacted to a federal judge’s decision to dismiss 10 of the 13 claims she filed against Justin Baldoni, the director and co-star of the film “Apocalypse.”
On April 2, New York Judge Louis Lehman granted most and denied in part Baldoni and his co-defendants’ motion for summary judgment, which seeks to avoid a trial starting May 18. Of Lively’s 13 claims against Baldoni, including breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation, only three can proceed to trial.
On April 3, the “Gossip Girl” alum took to her Instagram Story to thank the court for allowing her to “present the heart of my case to the jury” at the May 18 hearing. She said she was grateful for the opportunity to “finally” tell her story in full.
“While a lawsuit is the last thing I wanted in my life, I am filing this lawsuit because of the extensive retaliation I have faced and continue to face for seeking a safe working environment for myself and others both publicly and privately,” she wrote. “I hope this court’s decision shows others that they can have a voice, even if it causes immeasurable pain.”
In late 2024, Lively filed a California complaint alleging sexual harassment and retaliation by Baldoni and producer Jamie Heath, and subsequently filed suit in New York federal court, starting an ongoing legal battle. She also claimed that Baldoni and Heath engaged in a retaliatory “social manipulation” smear campaign against her.
Lively urged the public not to dismiss the legal battle as a “digital melodrama” and criticized media reports that branded the lawsuit as a “celebrity drama.” She said sensationalism is irresponsible and aims to “keep you from seeing yourself in my story.”
“The physical pain of digital violence is very real. This is abuse. And it’s everywhere. Not just in the news, but in our communities and schools,” she continued.
Lively’s attorney, Mike Gottlieb, responded to Baldoni’s attorney, Brian Friedman, who spoke to TMZ on Friday, April 3, saying that the defendants are not afraid to reveal the truth and that “none of the defendants, Justin Baldoni, Jamie Heath, or any of the other defendants, were involved in the sexual harassment of Blake Lively.”
In a statement also shared on Lively’s Instagram Story, Gottlieb said Friedman did not understand the court’s “actual ruling.” He said Lehman’s decision to bar state and federal harassment claims from trial was due to “a legal issue rather than an endorsement of the defendant’s conduct.”
“What the court actually determined yesterday is that Blake Lively presented evidence that stands trial on her core claim: that she spoke out against what she believed to be sexual harassment on set and suffered reputational retaliation as a result,” Gottlieb wrote.
Baldoni’s attorneys, Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Buck, said in a statement to USA TODAY that they look forward to the trial and are “very pleased that the court dismissed all sexual harassment claims and all claims brought against the individual defendants, including Justin Baldoni, Jamie Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel.”
“These are very serious allegations, and we appreciate the court’s careful consideration of the facts, the law, and the extensive evidence provided,” the statement said.
Contributor: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
