Even the most seemingly unshakable celebrity friendships are not immune to Hollywood’s fragile ecosystem of scandals. Following the never-ending controversies surrounding It Ends With Us stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, Taylor Swift was reportedly taking a step back from her friendship with Lively—a move prompted by the actress allegedly pulling the popstar into the fray.
At the heart of the controversy is a series of alleged texts filed in Baldoni’s $644 million countersuit against Lively, in which the director claims he was pressured to comply with Lively’s rewrite of a pivotal rooftop scene in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel.
While Swift’s full name was never explicitly mentioned, a text exchange depicts the director agreeing with the changes as Lively seemingly gushes over Reynolds and Swift, calling them “absolute titans” and referring to them as “dragons” who protect her in her battles.
In his suit, Baldoni argues that he “felt obliged to text Lively to say that he had liked her pages and hadn’t needed Reynolds and her mega-celebrity friend to pressure him.”
“The message could not have been clearer,” his legal representation stated. “Baldoni was not just dealing with Lively. He was also facing Lively’s ‘dragons,’ two of the most influential and wealthy celebrities in the world, who were not afraid to make things very difficult for him.”
Fans quickly speculated Swift was one of the ‘mega’ celebrities, reportedly leaving the songstress unimpressed. So much so that it is believed she intentionally did not invite Lively back as a Superbowl guest.
According to insiders, Swift was “really hurt” by the situation and feels like she’s been used as a “pawn” in the ongoing legal battle between the actress and her co-star/director.
“Taylor wants nothing to do with this ordeal,” a source told Page Six earlier this year, adding that the singer is “keeping her distance” from Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. Still, there was hope that the two could rekindle their friendship… until now.
It appears the former BFFs may never make amends, with an insider shedding some light on how much the comments affected Swift.
“She will forever be furious at how Blake quite clearly was using her for clout and leverage in her dealings with Justin,” a source explains to Page Six. “She really hates that Blake would even think like that, let alone write the things she did in that text.”
“The damage Justin did by revealing those texts—the ‘dragons’ text most especially, and by his initial subpoena, even though he dropped it—is lasting and probably permanent,” they continued. “The truth is, the text wasn’t even accurate. That’s not the kind of friendship they ever had… Taylor would never think of herself as Blake’s ‘dragon,’ or protector, or someone who would interfere on her behalf… For her to see Blake use her name in that context was really hurtful.”
A friendship spanning nearly a decade, Swift and Lively have long been a tight-knit duo, their bond frequently documented through joint holiday celebrations and Lively’s directorial debut with Swift’s ‘I Bet You Think About Me’ music video. But for now, it seems the singer is choosing distance over drama, despite throwing the actress a raucous 37th birthday party last year.
As tensions only continue to swirl around It Ends With Us, one thing is clear: Swift has no interest in being a supporting character in a Hollywood feud.
