Taylor Swift 'Backing Away From' Blake Lively As Pop Phenomenon 'Felt Used Like a Pawn' in Actress’ Blistering Lawsuit Against Justin Baldoni
Taylor Swift is reportedly backing away form her friendship with Blake Lively after getting involved in her legal drama.
Jan. 29 2025, Published 11:26 a.m. ET
Taylor Swift is said to be severing ties with Blake Lively after feeling like a "pawn" in the actress' legal mess.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the pop star is "backing away" from Lively after getting caught in the bitter feud between the actress and Justin Baldoni, who accused Lively of using Swift to intimidate him during a meeting with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, over changes to It Ends With Us.
Swift felt like an 'intimidation tactic' after seeing Lively had compared her to her 'dragon.'
Swift, 35, reportedly felt like she was being used as an "intimidation tactic" after Baldoni's $400million lawsuit against Lively – filed earlier this month – claimed Swift's presence made him feel pressured to "comply with Blake's direction for the script."
Lively, 37, later "threatened" Baldoni, 41, by comparing herself to the Game of Thrones character Khaleesi in a string of text messages, referring to Reynolds and Swift as her "dragons."
Lively and Baldoni have been in an ongoing legal battle over since she filed a lawsuit in December.
In the April 2023 texts, which were included in Baldoni's lawsuit, Lively expressed her disappointment at Baldoni's lukewarm response to her version of the film's rooftop scene – which had been praised by her husband and Swift.
Baldoni said in court documents Lively's GOT reference felt like a threat – making him feel like he had to get on board with her changes or else.
The "unnecessary" comparison was said to be the tipping point for Swift, who had never intended to attend the meeting in the first place – but showed up at Lively's New York penthouse to find it still in progress.
A source told DailyMail.com: "For the time being she is taking a step back from Blake because she doesn’t want to get tangled in this more than she already has – which is far more than she ever needed to be.
"Her friends also think that Blake's 'I’m Khaleesi, and like her, I happen to have dragons' text to Justin was uncool and unnecessary because she was essentially used as an intimidation tactic. She was referred to as some kind of pet or possession.
"Taylor shouldn’t even be involved in this at all. She was only going over to visit Blake and Ryan with the understanding that the meeting would be over."
A second insider said: "Taylor has politely backed away from it all. She is conscious of her own image and hates that she was even mentioned."
Swift, whose song My Tears Ricochet is part of the movie's soundtrack, has been friends with the Gossip Girl star for over a decade.
Their last public outing together was in October – on a double date with Reynolds and Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce in Manhattan.
Baldoni filed a $400million lawsuit against Lively earlier this month, which included text messages from her.
The date came two months before Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and fostering a toxic work environment on the set of It Ends with Us.
Around the same time, the New York Times published a story based on her legal filing, alleging Baldoni had led a smear campaign against her.
Swift was then drawn into the drama when Baldoni countered with a $400million lawsuit, accusing Lively and Reynolds of conspiring to ruin his reputation.
Baldoni also claimed Lively hijacked the film's production as he tried to dismantle her accusations.
According to an insider, Baldoni is suing Lively and Reynolds for $400million because the amount is said to be close to their combined net worth – and he wants to bankrupt them.
After Lively filed her lawsuit, Baldoni was dropped by his talent agent and allegedly lost out on money due to the allegations.
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The source said: "Justin Baldoni chose $400 million because of the simple reason that Blake and Ryan's combined net worth is believed to be around that figure.
"If they were successful in their pursuits, Justin would have lost everything he has and everything he has ever worked for. He has already lost jobs, including the podcast, and his agent dropped him. Prior to this, he was flourishing.
Lively's harassment suit against Baldoni is said to have led to him being frozen out of showbiz.
"People close to Justin believe Blake and Ryan deserve to be bankrupted for trying to ruin the lives of Justin and others involved in this legal nightmare."
According to reports, Lively and Reynolds have a net worth of $380million.
