Amidst the bomb allegations reported in Blake Lively The lawsuit filed against “It Ends With Us” co-star and director Justin Baldoni was information about how the actor allegedly planned to exploit Lively's close relationship with pop star Taylor Swift.
According to the lawsuit obtained by Fox News Digital, a “scenario planning document” was sent from the assigned crisis management team to Baldoni, the film's producer Jamie Heath and others, which laid out three possible scenarios that Lively and her team might use and, conversely, how Baldoni's team would react. If she chooses to “make her grievances public.”
Rumors of a feud between Lively and Baldoni had circulated for months, and amplified during the film's press tour, although neither star said anything at the time.
Lively's lawyer alleges in the filing that Baldoni's crisis public relations director, Melissa Nathan, distributed the document on August 2, 2024, to “present misleading counternarratives.”
A “scenario planning” document was included in the lawsuit, which allegedly showed how Justin Baldoni and his team planned to use Blake Lively's relationship with Taylor Swift to their advantage. (Getty Images)
One course of action the team could take, as written in the document, is to “explore planting stories about the weaponization of feminism and how people in BL’s (Lively) circle, such as taylor swift, “They have been accused of using these ‘bullying’ tactics to get what they want.”
It was fast and energetic Close friends Nearly a decade ago. Fox News Digital has reached out to Swift's rep for comment but has not yet received a response.
Blake Lively and Taylor Swift have been close friends for nearly a decade. (Blake Lively Instagram)
According to the document, other ideas to counter any negative rhetoric included citing Baldoni's “excellent reputation among colleagues and industry peers – numerous quotes and interviews sharing positive experiences” and his support for #The “Me Too” movement..
Do you like what you are reading? Click here for more entertainment news
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are photographed on the set of “It Ends With Us” in January 2024. (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images)
The lawsuit also included a text exchange, allegedly between Baldoni, Heath, and Nathan (who are also listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit), in which the actor expressed concerns about the document.
“I'm not impressed with the document they sent – I'm not sure I feel as protected as I did during the call,” the post read, referring to a larger conversation with Nathan's team.
In a conversation between Nathan and Baldoni's publicist, Jennifer Appel (also a plaintiff), which took place that same day, Appel wrote that Baldoni wanted Lively to “feel like she could be buried.” Three days later, Baldoni sent Abel a screenshot of the following post on X, with the tag Hailey Bieber And rhetoric about bullying.
Click here to subscribe to the entertainment newsletter
“This is what we need,” Baldoni wrote in the lawsuit, to which Appel responded, “Yes, I literally just talked to Melissa about this at the break about what we discussed last night regarding social media and digital.” Then in a separate message, “Focus on reddi, TikTok and IG.”
A representative for Bieber did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. In the past, Bieber has spoken out about what she said was a false narrative spread on social media that she was feuding with her husband's ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez.
Rumors of a feud between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively have been circulating on social media. (Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
As Fox News Digital previously reported, Lively is filing a lawsuit against Baldoni and his production company, WayFarer Studios (which produced “It ends with us”) on charges of sexual harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and more in a lawsuit filed with the California Civil Rights Division.
According to multiple reports, Baldoni was dropped by his talent agency, WME, in the wake of the lawsuit. The company also represents Lively. A representative for the agency did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News Digital also reached out to Baldoni's representative but did not receive a response.
Fox News Digital's Cristina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
