Latest news with #ItEndsWithUs
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Taylor Swift vs Blake Lively? Feud explodes as Justin Baldoni's legal win drags pop queen into court drama
Well, well, well... looks like Hollywood's latest drama is not a Netflix limited series but real-life legal warfare, and yes, Taylor Swift is officially involved. The once-inseparable blonde duo—Blake Lively and Taylor Swift—are now the centre of a spiralling court case that has every corner of the internet gagged. The Swift-Lively friendship is hanging by a text thread Thanks to actor-director Justin Baldoni's ongoing legal beef with Blake Lively (yes, this all started on the set of It Ends With Us), a federal judge has just approved his team's request to access private texts between Blake and Taylor. The court says it is relevant to Lively's claims of harassment and retaliation. From explicit content accusations to text subpoenas Blake originally sued Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment on set and a post-drama smear campaign involving her husband, Ryan Reynolds. Baldoni clapped back hard with a defamation countersuit, dragging in not only Lively and Reynolds but even The New York Times. While some of Baldoni's claims got tossed (including defamation), the green light to dig into Swift's DMs? That is a major win. Trouble in pop paradise Sources close to the scene claim Taylor is livid. She reportedly feels used and blindsided, especially after Blake allegedly referred to her as one of her 'dragons,' a term that Swift supposedly found deeply manipulative. 'She wishes she had never even met Blake,' said an insider. Ouch. And Swift's inner circle is not staying quiet. Travis Kelce, a.k.a. Mr. Super Bowl and Taylor's boyfriend, has unfollowed Reynolds on Instagram. The couples' friendship? Currently on ice. Meanwhile, Swift's team is furiously trying to distance her from the entire chaos, insisting she had zero creative role in the film and was merely attached via one song. No set visits. No editing notes. Just vibes, and now, legal fire. Trial set for 2026, brace yourselves With court dates looming and friendships combusting, one thing's for sure: Hollywood's favourite squad just became its messiest storyline. And with Swift's texts under legal review, this drama is only heating up.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Taylor Swift fans spot detail that 'proves' singer was not involved in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni drama
Taylor Swift fans have spotted a clue that they claimed 'proves' the pop star was not involved in ex-friend Blake Lively 's drama with her It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni. The singer, 35, became embroiled in the messy legal saga after Justin, 41, claimed Blake, 37, enlisted her pal Taylor to 'pressure' him into letting her rewrite parts of the script in his lawsuit. In the latest twist, a judge ruled this week that Justin's team will be allowed access to Blake's private texts with Taylor - putting the Cruel Summer songstress right in the middle of the ongoing feud. But now, the popstar's dedicated fans have claimed to have found something that shows she had no knowledge of the bitter battle when it was all going down. In a recent Reddit thread discussing the singer's alleged involvement, Swifties pointed out that the hitmaker allowed her song My Tears Ricochet to be included in It Ends With Us. 'There is no way that Taylor would have let her song be attached to a production where multiple women were being sexually harassed on site,' one user wrote, in part. 'She's very selective about where they are used.' Someone else responded to the post: 'You cracked it for me. I know we're talking about a future song, but I just realized that Taylor would NEVER lend her song if she knew it was being attached to a production where multiple women were being sexually harassed on-site. No way. 'The fact that My Tears Ricochet is in It Ends With Us shows that Blake never told Taylor and her involvement was misrepresented in Blake's initial disclosures.' Another fan said: 'Oh shoot! That just clicked for me too!' 'This is a good point,' wrote a different fan. Taylor's song was part of the film's trailer and soundtrack, but she wasn't directly involved in the production of the movie or the lawsuit itself. As of June, Justin's team are in the discovery phase of the blockbuster legal case. They have subpoenaed Blake for texts, emails and other messages between her and the singer – who she infamously referred to as 'my dragon' during an exchange allegedly intended to intimidate the Jane the Virgin star. But while Justin's team were forced to withdraw a subpoena targeting megastar Swift directly, they scored a victory when Judge Lewis Liman said they will be allowed access to Blake's communications with the singer. Baldoni's lawyers will now be allowed to peruse a tranche of messages exchanged by the pair with all communications related to It Ends With Us now set for scrutiny. The friendship between Blake and Taylor has been said to have gone cold amid the high-stakes lawsuit. The singer is allegedly 'done' with the actress, a source exclusively told the Daily Mail, and their mutual pal Gigi Hadid, 30, is also reportedly cutting ties with Blake. 'There is no recovering from this. Their friendship is done,' the insider said. 'What Blake has done was exploit the Godmother of her children and manipulate the public into thinking that she was watching out for her best interests,' the source added. Taylor is the godmother to Blake's three eldest children with Ryan Reynolds, 48: James, 10, Inez, eight, and Betty, five. 'Taylor is done and Gigi is done with Blake, and she has no one to blame but herself. Taylor is a girl's girl and she loves her friends,' the source added. 'She will bend over backward for them but when that trust is broken there is no going back.' The drama began last December when Blake accused Justin, her It Ends With Us co-star and director, of sexual harassment and coordinating a smear campaign against her. Justin hit back in January, with a $400 million countersuit accusing Lively and her husband Ryan of defamation. All parties have denied the allegations. Last week, the defamation element of Baldoni's lawsuit was scrapped by a judge, although he is still suing for civil extortion and invasion of privacy among other claims. But contained in Justin's filing were screenshots of alleged text messages, in which Blake regularly mentioned Taylor by name. In one now infamous and toe-curling exchange, Blake appeared to refer to herself as the character Khaleesi – from Game of Thrones – and to Taylor as one of her 'dragons.' Elsewhere in Justin's filing is the claim that Taylor was present at a meeting convened by Blake at her New York penthouse to discuss It Ends With Us script changes. Sources close to Taylor have insisted the singer had no knowledge of the meeting and simply turned up to find it underway.
Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Justin Baldoni gets access to Taylor Swift and Blake Lively's texts
'Baldoni's desire to drag Taylor Swift into this has been constant dating back to August 2024' Get the latest from Mark Daniell straight to your inbox Taylor Swift and Blake Lively seen prior to Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas. Photo by Steph Chambers / Getty Images Justin Baldoni has scored a legal victory in his ongoing court battle with Blake Lively when a judge ruled the actor can obtain messages between his It Ends With Us co-star and her pop star pal Taylor Swift. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Lively had been seeking to prevent Baldoni from accessing her personal communications with Swift, but U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ruled that his legal team can access communications between the two as it pertains to their work on It Ends With Us . Last December, Lively, 37, accused Baldoni, 41, of sexual harassment on the set of their 2024 romantic drama and claimed he tried to damage her reputation as part of a smear campaign after a meeting in which she and her husband Ryan Reynolds addressed 'repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour' by the Jane the Virgin star and producers on the film. The New York Times also published an article with the headline 'We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine ,' which was an account of how Baldoni's PR team allegedly tried to ruin Lively's reputation. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Baldoni denied the allegations and countersued Lively accusing her, Reynolds and the Times of defamation and extortion. This combination of images shows Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, and Ryan Reynolds. Photo by AP / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS But his suit hit a snag last week when Liman pronounced Baldoni couldn't sue for defamation because allegations in a legal claim are exempt from libel lawsuits. Liman also nixed Baldoni's claim that Lively stole creative control of the film. The Times were let off the hook because Baldoni had not shown that the paper 'acted with actual malice.' The judge, however, said Baldoni could revise the lawsuit if he wanted to pursue different claims, which he intends to do. But as part of his defence against Lively's lawsuit, Baldoni will be able to obtain access to communications between the actress and Swift. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Given that Lively has represented that Swift had knowledge of complaints or discussions about the working environment on the film, among other issues, 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,' Liman wrote . A representative for Lively denounced the decision in a statement to NBC News. 'Baldoni's desire to drag Taylor Swift into this has been constant dating back to August 2024 … a strategy to influence the 'TS fanbase,'' the spokesperson said. 'We 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 Wayfarer parties are facing,' the spokesperson added, referring to the film's production company. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Cruel Summer hitmaker had been subpoenaed by Baldoni's lawyers as a possible witness in the case, but the legal tactic was dropped last month. Baldoni alleged that Lively referred to Swift as one of her 'dragons' and he has accused the singer of trying to force him to accept Lively's changes to the film's script, which was based on the bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover. After Swift was subpoenaed, a firm representing the Grammy winner said she was irrelevant to the case and insisted her only involvement with It Ends With Us was to allow the use of her song My Tears Ricochet in the trailer and one scene from the movie. '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 travelling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history,' a representative for Swift told Fox News . This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But Liman said that Lively's claim that Baldoni is trying to use Swift to help craft a 'public relations narrative outside of court' doesn't mean he shouldn't have access to the messages as it pertains to their movie. This image released by Sony Pictures shows Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively in a scene from 'It Ends With Us.' Photo by Nicole Rivelli / Sony Pictures 'The mere fact that the request has been discussed in the press does not render it illegitimate,' the judge wrote. As the he said/she said legal drama continues to unfold ahead of a 2026 trial date, sources tell the Daily Mail that Swift has pulled away from Lively. 'Right now, if Taylor had one wish it would be that she never met Blake,' an insider claimed to the outlet . 'Although there have been good times during their relationship, the issues now concerning the Baldoni case have outweighed them.' Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce, also recently unfollowed Reynolds on Instagram. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Taylor and Travis are disgusted with Blake and Ryan and how they tried to use Taylor in their fight against Justin Baldoni,' the source added. 'They're vowing their break from the acting couple is permanent.' Lively's reference to Swift as one of her 'dragons' also didn't sit well with the musician. 'She will forever be furious at how Blake quite clearly was using her for clout and leverage in her dealings with Justin. She really hates that Blake would even think like that, let alone write the things she did in that text,' a source told Page Six . The insider added that they were never even really close. 'They were baking pals, travel pals, home decor pals… and to be totally honest, billionaire pals. They got along because they each lived their lives with the sort of trappings and access and privilege that tons of money brings.' mdaniell@ Read More Columnists Toronto & GTA MMA World NHL
Egypt Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Egypt Independent
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's legal fight isn't over
While Justin Baldoni's suit against Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds has been dismissed, she isn't done fighting her claims against her 'It Ends With Us' director and co-star – and Baldoni isn't done fighting back. Michael Gottlieb, the attorney representing Lively in her civil sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Baldoni, told CNN the actress intends to continue pursuing her lawsuit against Baldoni. In a conversation with Jake Tapper on Monday, Gottlieb said Lively is 'determined to see her claims through and to pursue them to have a full public accountability of what she's alleged happened to her.' His statement came the same day a judge dismissed Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, as well as their publicist. He also dismissed a separate claim from Baldoni against the New York Times, who first reported Lively's allegations. Gottlieb added that the power couple feels 'vindicated' by the ruling, as well as 'grateful to the individuals and organizations that have stood by Ms. Lively as she's pursued these claims.' 'I think that today is a message that these kind of retaliatory lawsuits that are really designed to silence and punish people who speak up won't work. They are not going to work. They won't be tolerated by our justice system and they will not be successful,' Gottlieb added. 'And I think that's an important message for those who want to speak up against the mistreatment that they may face in their workplaces.' Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, responded with a statement provided to CNN on Tuesday. 'Ms. Lively and her team's predictable declaration of victory is false, so let us be clear about the latest ruling,' he said. 'The Court has invited us to amend four out of the seven claims against Ms. Lively, which will showcase additional evidence and refined allegations. This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation and a nonexistent smear campaign,' the statement continued. 'With the facts on our side, we march forward with the same confidence that we had when Ms. Lively and her cohorts initiated this battle and look forward to her forthcoming deposition, which I will be taking. Freedman ended his statement by thanking 'the Internet sleuth community who continue to cover the case with discernment and integrity.' It was yet another chapter in a nearly year-long legal feud between Lively and Baldoni, which grew to include Reynolds, the couple's publicist, Leslie Sloan, and the New York Times. Lively filed a civil rights complaint in December 2024 claiming that she was sexually harassed by Baldoni during production of the film and then was retaliated against for speaking up about her alleged mistreatment. He quickly denied her claims, fling suit against her and Reynolds in January 2025 alleging that the superstar couple sought to 'destroy' him and his career, after hijacking his film, 'It Ends With Us.' Baldoni also sued the New York Times as the first to report on Lively's allegations of sexual harassment alleging that the newspaper published an article 'rife with inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and omissions' that relied on Lively's 'self-serving narrative.' Motions to dismiss filed by Lively, Reynolds, Sloan and the New York Times were all granted on Monday. 'We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting,' a spokesperson for the New York Times said on Monday. 'Our journalists went out and covered carefully and fairly a story of public importance, and the court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism. We will continue to stand up in court for our journalism and for our journalists when their work comes under attack.' In his ruling Monday, the judge held that Baldoni can file an amended complaint on the allegations of tortious interference with contract, relating to Reynolds and Lively, and breach of implied covenant, relating to Lively, by June 23. Gottlieb acknowledged that the judge's ruling allowed for Baldoni to file an amended complaint relating to what he called 'ancillary or side claims,' but he underscored that the core defamation allegations are 'gone from the case.' CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister contributed to this report.
Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
Materialists — Save the date for a witty but biting take on modern relationships
Past Lives filmmaker Celine Song pairs glossy romance with uncomfortably sharp insights on modern dating in Materialists, where a love triangle is shaped by Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans. For the second consecutive year, cinemagoers are being treated to a romance that is more than its shiny exterior and good-looking cast suggest it will be. Last year, it was the Blake Lively-starring It Ends With Us, where the pretty people love triangle actually incorporated toxic relationships, domestic violence and repeated patterns of abuse. Now, in 2025, we have Materialists, which presents as a sleek and smart romantic comedy, only to pierce through the facade like a boba tea straw to reach the juiciest bits at the bottom: sharp-tasting insights about modern dating that can be tough to swallow. Then again, Materialists is released by A24 (in the US at least) and written, directed and produced by acclaimed playwright-turned-filmmaker Celine Song. Song's 2023 big screen romance Past Lives was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars, and was celebrated for its nuanced exploration of the human condition, specifically the complexities of past and present love, which can exist simultaneously. The point is that neither Song nor A24 sticks to the conventional. There's always something creatively ambitious and artful flowing through the veins of their projects, and Materialists is no different. Though it centres on matchmaking, Materialists is no breezy and cute Hitch clone. Lead character Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a successful matchmaker in New York City. While she's great with a sales pitch about finding love, Lucy approaches dating like a business investment. All her behind-the-scenes discussions are about assets, value, probability and maths. She has no interest in relationships of her own, until the wedding of one of her clients — the peak achievement of her profession — brings both dashing millionaire Harry Castillo (Pedro Pascal) and Lucy's struggling actor ex John (Chris Evans) into her life. Who will our heroine choose? Will the film stick to genre expectation, with a 'love is all you need' message, or will it chart its own course? Materialists doesn't dabble with its decision for too long actually, resulting in a final act that feels drawn out, and low on energy. Before that, though, the film excels at showing what dating has become in the 21st Century – a mix of mercenary entitlement and desperation, with marriage the end goal, no matter what. Settling is fine; just make sure it results in you walking down the aisle and coupled up. In Materialists, Song has characters vocalising the unsaid, admitting their most selfish drives in ticking off this particular life box. Viewers should be aware that Materialists is a romantic comedy in the same sense that restaurant series The Bear is considered comic. The humour arrives in momentary pricks. It's dark, sharp and entirely dialogue delivered. Lucy's clients act like they're ordering off a restaurant menu, and while hobbies and political views may get a mention, the vast majority of partner wants are appearance-based and materialistic: age, height, body type, income. No compromise. No consideration of character. It's a shocking and sad commentary on what makes someone a viable life companion today. And yet Song doesn't simply slap a judgment on these superficial priorities. Once more, she presents and then unpacks them, largely through the self-aware character of Lucy. Is it wrong to want financial security? Are you a bad person if love and hope of better days aren't enough to keep you in a relationship? Johnson is an acquired taste as a performer, owing to her subdued delivery (especially in comparison with the warm and effortlessly charismatic Pascal and Evans), but it makes sense for the character of clinical and cynical Lucy. There's also the bonus meta pleasure of remembering that Johnson was Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades films, a woman won over through lavish acts of affection despite her partner's constant red flag behaviour. Lucy appreciates demonstrations of wealth, but her eyes are always wide open, looking out and inward as she assesses her response. There's a sense that critics may appreciate Materialists more than mainstream audiences, because of the film's cerebral and contemplative nature, versus being powered by passion in keeping with romcom tradition. That said, anyone should be able to appreciate the film's perceptiveness, however uncomfortable it is to look in the mirror held up by Song — one that seems gilded from a distance but is actually quite grubby and dirt-flecked on closer inspection, like even the most perfect appearing life. Materialists may be more glossy and escapist than Past Lives, but its observations still ring true. DM
