Did Taylor Swift Call Justin Baldoni a 'B*tch'? Alleged Texts In Blake Lively Case Come to Public View

Taylor Swift is no stranger to headlines, but now she and her texts have become the subject of internet discourse. A fresh court filing has dragged Taylor Swift right back into Blake Lively's legal battle with Justin Baldoni, placing alleged private texts under public scrutiny as the case moves closer to trial.

The dispute centres on a letter filed on 20 January 2026 by Blake Lively's legal team to Judge Lewis J. Liman, responding to a motion for summary judgment submitted by Justin Baldoni's lawyers. Within the filing, excerpts of alleged text messages between Lively, 38, and Taylor Swift, 36, were quoted as part of the wider legal argument. One of the most widely reported messages dates to early December 2024, in which Swift allegedly referred to Baldoni, 41, using the word 'bitch'.

According to the filing, Swift allegedly wrote, 'I think this bitch knows something is coming because he's gotten out his tiny violin'. Lively's lawyers did not dispute that the quoted wording appears in the cited source. However, they stated that the message did not support the defence claim that Swift and Lively had prior knowledge of a New York Times article that later detailed the dispute when it was published on 21 December 2024.

Context Of The Lively And Baldoni Case

Lively's legal conflict with Baldoni is scheduled to go to trial in May 2026. The actress has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation, allegations that he has denied.

The quoted texts are being used by Baldoni's legal team to argue that discussions about him took place privately between Lively and Swift. Lively's lawyers have countered this by stating that the messages do not establish coordination or foreknowledge of media coverage. For now, the court has not ruled on the significance of the texts as of yet.

Messages About Script Support And Friendship

Additional alleged messages quoted are dated around April 2023. Baldoni's legal team claims that Lively asked Swift to endorse a revised version of a script she was proposing, even though Swift had allegedly not read it. Swift is said to have replied, 'I'll do anything for you !!', according to the filing.

Following that exchange, Lively allegedly sent Swift a message praising her support. In the quoted text, Lively reportedly described Swift as 'so epically heroic today' and said she had recapped the events to her husband, Ryan Reynolds. Another alleged message from Lively described Swift as 'the worlds absolute greatest friend ever'.

'Dragons' And Legal Strategy

In alleged texts included in that countersuit, Lively referred to Swift and Reynolds as her 'dragons', a reference drawn from Game of Thrones. One quoted message read, 'I happen to have a few dragons. For better or worse, but usually for better'.

Lively allegedly continued by saying that her 'dragons' protect those she fights for and suggested Baldoni would benefit from that protection as well. These messages have been cited by Baldoni's legal team as evidence of perceived pressure. Lively has maintained that the language was informal and personal rather than threatening.

Baldoni's Response And Next Steps

In June 2025, Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman said his client wanted to be vindicated. He stated, 'He knows who he is. He knows what he's done. He knows what he hasn't done'. Freedman added that Baldoni was waiting for his opportunity to address the allegations in court.