Taylor Swift “feels horrible” because her close friend Blake Lively has been dealing with the explosive accusations the actress has now publicly made against her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, sources reveal.
The 37-year-old actress starred alongside the 40-year-old actor in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book of the same name.
Over the weekend, the Gossip Girl star made headlines around the world when she alleged in legal documents that Baldoni sexually harassed her during the making of the film and then engineered a smear campaign against her.
As the world reacted to the shocking claims made by Lively in the 80-page lawsuit, inside sources revealed to DailyMail.com that the star’s close friend Swift has been “encouraging” her to get to the bottom of the situation.
“Taylor is shocked by the revelations surrounding Blake Lively’s takedown and is encouraging Blake to get to the bottom of it,” the source explained.
The source confirmed that the singer was saddened by the situation her friend was caught in, adding: “She supports Blake and feels horrible that she had to go through all of this.”
Taylor Swift ‘feels horrible’ because her close friend Blake Lively has been dealing with explosive accusations made against her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, sources say
The Gossip Girl star made headlines around the world when she alleged in legal documents that Baldoni sexually harassed her during the filming of the film.
For nearly a decade, Lively and Swift have fostered a close friendship, leading to the singer being named godmother of the Savages star’s children.
The Bad Blood hitmaker even included the names of Lively and Reynolds’ three oldest children in her track, Betty, from her 2020 album Folklore.
While accepting his third Album of the Year award in 2021, he greeted Lively’s children during his speech.
“I want to thank James, Inez and Betty and their parents, who are the second and third person I play on every new song I write,” he gushed.
Over the past two years, Lively has taken her daughters to multiple Eras Tour shows to see Swift perform live.
In 2022, Swift tapped Lively to direct the music video for her song, I Bet You’re Thinking About Me.
The pair are regularly seen hanging out at fun girls’ nights out, showing support for each other at major professional events, and Lively has even been seen cheering on Swift’s man Travis Kelce at Kansas City Chiefs games.
It Ends With Us tells the story of Lily Bloom (Lively), a woman dealing with the trauma of domestic abuse inflicted by her husband, Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni).
Inside sources have revealed to DailyMail.com that the star’s close friend Swift has been “encouraging” her to get to the bottom of the situation.
The source explained: “Taylor is shocked by the revelations surrounding Blake Lively’s takedown and is encouraging Blake to get to the bottom of it.”
The book was inspired by Hoover’s experience with domestic violence.
The film was mired in controversy even before the lawsuit, after fans noticed tensions between Lively and Baldoni when they were promoting the film before its release.
Discussing the filming process, Lively alleged that Baldoni showed her explicit videos and photographs of other women, spoke openly about his struggles with pornography, and made inappropriate comments about her appearance.
It also included allegations that Baldoni made inappropriate comments about her weight, her late father, and other members of the cast and crew.
Other details allege even more troubling behavior, with court documents claiming Baldoni “improvised physical intimacy” during a scene without prior discussion or choreography.
One incident reportedly involved Baldoni “discreetly biting and sucking on Ms. Lively’s lower lip” during multiple takes, allegedly insisting on repeatedly reshooting the scene despite Lively’s clear discomfort.
The lawsuit alleges that Baldoni asked sexual questions, including asking Lively if she and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, experienced simultaneous climaxes, a question she found intrusive and refused to answer.
Another complaint described Baldoni as having “cried” over Blake’s appearance early in production.
The source added: “She supports Blake and feels horrible that she had to go through all of this.”
For nearly a decade, Lively and Swift have fostered a close friendship, leading the singer to become godmother to the Savages star’s children.
In articles obtained by The New York TimesLively also accused the former Jane The Virgin star of entering her trailer while naked and letting her ‘friends’ watch her filmed sex scenes, along with other activities that created a ‘hostile work environment.’
Lively has claimed that Baldoni hired a crisis PR team to engage in a “multi-level” scheme to “destroy” her reputation after she and Reynolds48, complained about “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior” on set.
The explosive lawsuit claims that Baldoni’s smear campaign also affected his business and inflicted “severe emotional distress” on his family.
Elsewhere, the actress described missed work opportunities, such as hosting the premiere of Saturday Night Live’s 50th season in September, which came a month after the film’s release.
“The effects on Ms. Lively’s professional life were immediate and substantial,” the suit says, via Just Jared.
“Given the ongoing nature of the campaign and the associated negative public sentiment, Ms. Lively did not believe she could proceed with public appearances or events without being forced to openly discuss what happened on set,” the document states.
It added: “For example, Ms. Lively canceled a critical Target corporate event for her hair care company and withdrew from her role scheduled to host the premiere episode of the 50th anniversary season of Saturday Night Live in September. 2024”.
Instead, the hosting job went to Hacks actress Jean Smart.
Lively alleged that Baldoni showed her explicit videos and photographs of other women, spoke openly about his struggles with pornography and made inappropriate comments about her appearance.
Since the lawsuit was filed, WME, a California-based talent agency that represented both actors, dropped Baldoni as a client.
The decision was made by WME bosses early Saturday morning, with the organization opting to support the mother-of-four during the ongoing dispute.
Hoover, 45, who wrote the novel, immediately shared his support for Lively, despite having worked closely with both stars on the film.
The author wrote on Instagram the same day Lively’s complaints surfaced: ‘Blake, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met.
‘Thank you for being exactly the human being that you are. Never change. Never wither.’
Lively found fame in the hit coming-of-age film, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, alongside Barbie star America Ferrera, Gilmore Girls actress Alexis Bladel and Amber Tambyln.
Her three co-stars, who have known Lively since she was 18, have since issued a joint statement.
They denounced Baldoni’s “hypocrisy” when they wrote: “As friends and sisters of Blake for over 20 years, we stand in solidarity with her as she fights against the alleged campaign undertaken to destroy her reputation.”
It Ends With Us tells the story of Lily Bloom (Lively), a woman dealing with the trauma of domestic abuse inflicted by her husband, Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni).
The film hit theaters on August 9 and was preceded by a tense press tour in which Lively and Baldoni notably avoided each other.
“Throughout the filming of ‘It Ends with Us,’ we saw her muster the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and her colleagues on set, and we are horrified to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that followed to discredit her voice.
‘What is most disturbing is the blatant exploitation of domestic violence survivors’ stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astonishing.
“We are shocked by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated and resourceful as our friend Blake, she can face harsh retaliation for daring to ask for a safe work environment,” the statement continued. “We are inspired by our sister’s courage to stand up for herself and others.”
The actress gained further support when it emerged that she had made 30 demands on Baldoni and others on set.
After filing a lawsuit against Baldoni, Lively said, “I hope my legal action helps lift the curtain on these sinister retaliation tactics to harm people who report misconduct and help protect others who may be targeted. “.