Baldoni team wants to call Taylor Swift as hostile witness in Lively trial amid text dump

"Justin Baldoni's lawyers reportedly plan to call Taylor Swift as a hostile witness after newly unsealed text messages show the pop superstar was far more aware of pal Blake Lively's grievances against her It Ends With Us director and co-star, laying the groundwork for their more than year-long legal battle. Insiders told TMZ Wednesday of the 41-year-old filmmaker's intent to call the Grammy winner, 36, as a hostile witness following the release of the texts available to view as part of extensive court documents made public"

"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, a rep for Swift told People in early May, when she was subpoenaed as a witness in the case. The subpoena was withdrawn by month's end."

"As the unsealed text exchanges indicate, Lively and Swift communicated several times about the film leading up to Lively filing a civil rights complaint that accuses Baldoni of sexual harassment on set and of launching a retaliatory smear campaign in anticipation of her complaint. Baldoni denied the claims and filed a $400 million defamation suit against Lively as well as a $250 million libel lawsuit against The Times, both of which have since been tossed."

Unsealed text messages show Taylor Swift discussed Blake Lively's grievances about Justin Baldoni. Baldoni's lawyers plan to call Swift as a hostile witness. Swift's representatives denied her involvement in casting, scoring, edits, or creative decisions and said she saw the film after release; she was briefly subpoenaed and the subpoena withdrawn. Lively sought to keep the messages sealed but a judge ruled them relevant. Lively filed a complaint alleging on-set sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign; Baldoni denied the claims and filed defamation and libel suits that were dismissed. Weeks before the complaint, Swift criticized coverage of Baldoni.

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