Blake Lively's reps have shared a scorching statement against Justin Baldoni's lawyers after they allegedly suggested selling tickets to the actress's deposition, and for subpoenaing Taylor Swift.
The pair, who starred in It Ends With Us as the lead characters Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni) and Lily Bloom (Lively), have been embroiled in legal disputes since December 2024.
Lively had accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and of launching a smear campaign in response to her lawsuit.
Among the issues raised in her complaint, Lively had accused Baldoni of behaving inappropriately during a slow dance scene, to which Baldoni then released raw behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of it, in an effort to disprove her harassment accusations - though Lively argued it supported her claims and called the footage “damning".
In a lengthy statement at the time, sent to Entertainment Weekly, her team slammed the filmmaker for "repeatedly leaning in toward Ms. Lively, attempting to kiss her, kissing her forehead, rubbing his face and mouth against her neck, flicking her lip with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and talking with her out of character," all of which they say was improvised by him "with no discussion or consent in advance, and no intimacy coordinator present".
Baldoni also published a website containing messages between him and the actress, including one where she allegedly invited him to her trailer while she was “pumping". This, he claims, contradicts her lawsuit’s allegation that he walked in on her while she was breastfeeding.
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In her lawsuit, Lively said she once described him to a friend as acting like a “creep,” and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, has since called Baldoni a “deranged predator.”
In retaliation, the director filed a $400 million defamation and extortion suit against Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, denying all allegations and claiming their accusations were false and damaging.
Amid the legal battle, Baldoni's lawyers have subpoenaed Lively's close friend Taylor Swift, despite the singer not having been involved in the production of It Ends With Us beyond licensing her song 'My Tears Ricochet' for use in the film.
A representative for Lively has addressed the latest claims, saying in a statement: "Mr. Baldoni, Mr. [Steve] Sarowitz [co-founder of Wayfarer Studios], and team continue to turn 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.
"This is a very serious legal matter, not Barnum & Bailey’s Circus," the statement savagely continued, as reported by People.
"The defendants continue to publicly intimidate, bully, shame and attack women's rights and reputations. Including in the past month seeking to strike down for all, a powerful California victims' rights law, calling it 'unconstitutional'.
"The disturbing actions by a billionaire, men who made their careers as 'female allies' and their team continue to show their true colors."
Swift's rep also addressed the singer, 35, being subpoenaed on May 9, adding: "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."
Lively's team's statement also referred to a comment made by Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, telling People: "Since Ms. Lively is open to testifying, let’s make it count. Hold the deposition at MSG, sell tickets or stream it, and donate every dollar to organizations helping victims of domestic abuse."
The trial has been scheduled for March 2026, with Baldoni, 41, set to take the stand, though Freedman confirmed there will not be cameras present inside.
Mike Gottlieb, attorney for Lively, 37, confirmed to the outlet that Lively will testify in the upcoming trial, adding: "We think there have been a lot of distractions put up to deflect attention from the retaliation campaign that was launched against her.
"And we expect and hope that in discovery we'll have an opportunity to really focus on what we believe to be the core part of the case, which is that this retaliation campaign was launched against Ms. Lively for her having raised concerns about sexual harassment."