Shortly after lawyer Bryan Freedman assured that Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds would face legal consequences, Justin Baldoni officially filed a $400 million defamation lawsuit. The charges include civil extortion, invasion of privacy, and defamation, all stemming from Blake’s earlier complaint and lawsuit against Baldoni, who she accused of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign.
This escalating legal battle, paired with Baldoni’s $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times for reporting on the alleged behind-the-scenes drama, has the makings of a high-profile public trial akin to the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard case.
Taylor Swift’s Involvement in the Drama
Ryan Reynolds’ association has been quite the talk of the town, including his “fat-shaming” remarks against Blake after giving birth and the pointed inclusion of Nicepool (a parody character mocking Baldoni) in Deadpool & Wolverine. However, what has been really making waves online is another unexpected name associated with the drama-Taylor Swift.
Reporters indicated that Taylor pushed Baldoni toward the revised, crucial rooftop climax of It Ends With Us during which the lead antagonist first met the protagonist; he claims they had a fierce argument over a scene when they challenged him to go to a penthouse the two shared over Blake and Ryan in New York City. During this visitation, Ryan described Blake’s rewritten version of this climactic roof-top scene “beautiful” along with a “megacelebrity friend”.
While the filing does not actually mention Taylor by name, texts reveal clues. Baldoni sent Blake a text message saying, “Also was working on rooftop scene today, I really love what you did. It really does help a lot. Makes it so much more fun and interesting. (And I would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor) You really are a talent across the board. Really excited and grateful to do this together.
Blake responded by praising Ryan and Taylor as “absolute titans as writers and storytellers,” adding, “They also know I’m not always as good at making sure I’m seen and utilized for fear of threatening egos, or fear of affecting the ease of the process. They don’t give a sh*t about that. And because of that, everyone listens to them with immense respect and enthusiasm.”
Blake’s Game of Thrones Reference
In a surprising turn of events, Blake compared herself to Game of Thrones’ Khaleesi, referring to Taylor as one of her “dragons.” She wrote, “If you ever get around to watching Game of Thrones, you’ll appreciate that I’m Khaleesi, and like her, I happen to have a few dragons. For better or worse, but usually for better. Because my dragons also protect those I fight for.”. So really we all benefit from those gorgeous monsters of mine. You will too, I can promise you.”
Well, though Taylor Swift is nowhere to be seen as a defendant in the lawsuit, the drama goes on between Baldoni, Blake, and Ryan. So, for now, fans are enthralled by this whole drama. With its layers of allegations, celebrity involvement, and emotional intensity, the Justin-Blake legal drama shows no signs of slowing down.
