Blake Lively, Taylor Swift's Rift Started Before Justin Baldoni Drama? Friendship Fallout Explained

The buzz around Blake Lively and Taylor Swift has heightened as new developments in the case surfaced in January 2026. The rumours of their friendship fallout gained significant traction after unsealed court documents from Blake's lawsuit against Justin Baldoni revealed private text exchanges between the two stars. While the public drama intensified after Taylor Swift was subpoenaed in mid-2025, newly released text exchanges between Taylor and Blake show that the strain in their friendship actually began in late 2024, prior to the high-profile legal filings against Justin. Here's a look at the timeline of Blake and Taylor's alleged rift.

When did Blake Lively and Taylor Swift's alleged rift start?

Blake Lively and Taylor Swift's alleged rift is believed to have started around late 2024. Unsealed text messages from December 4, 2024, show Blake Lively checking in with Taylor Swift, admitting she felt like a "bad friend" for being a "sad sack" consumed by her own legal issues for months. The Fate of Ophelia singer responded that she felt "distanced" and that Blake Lively's texts had begun to resemble "a mass corporate email" rather than personal conversations. Tensions escalated in December 2024 when Blake officially sued her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, for sexual harassment and retaliation.

Justin Baldoni accused Blake Lively of using Taylor Swift's name for clout

During the legal battle, Justin Baldoni's team claimed that Blake used the singer-songwriter's influence as leverage to "hijack" the film. Taylor Swift reportedly felt "used" for clout and was furious about being dragged into the public legal dispute. In court filings, it was revealed that the Gossip Girl actress allegedly referred to her husband, Ryan Reynolds and Swift as her "dragons" in a text to Baldoni, implying they would protect her and could make things difficult for him. Sources claim Taylor Swift was deeply unhappy that Blake would leverage her name in this manner.

The 'final straw' in Taylor Swift and Blake Lively's friendship

Justin Baldoni's lawyers subpoenaed Taylor Swift in May 2025 to testify in the sexual harrasment case, which Blake Lively filed against him. While the subpoena was later dropped, a process server was sent to deliver the documents to her personally. However, things turned messy when the process server was caught red-handed trespassing at Travis Kelce's Kansas City home and was arrested. An anonymous source told Radar Online that this event was the 'final straw' in Taylor and Blake's relationship and that the former felt betrayed by her friend. By October 2025, Page Six reported that Blake Lively and Taylor Swift had "no contact" and had not spoken since the previous winter.

According to the report, Blake Lively stopped engaging with Taylor's major social media posts, including her engagement announcement with NFL star, Travis Kelce. While the Cruel Summer singer and Blake reportedly had a brief text exchange in December 2024 to address their issues, insiders suggest that the issues weren't resolved, and their relationship has remained strained as of January 2026. Now that Blake Lively is preparing for the next trial in the Justin Baldoni case, set for May 18, 2026, Taylor Swift's name will likely remain linked to it.

Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl songs were speculated to be a nod to Blake Lively

Leading up to Taylor Swift's latest album's release, fans speculated that the track, Ruin the Friendship was about her rumoured fallout with Blake Lively. However, later, it was revealed that the song is about a friend from Taylor's high school days who passed away. Many believed that Taylor Swift's song, Cancelled! from The Life of a Showgirl, was a public offer of reconciliation to Blake and a sign that their friendship was on the mend.

The lyrics of the song, which led fans to believe the same, were, "Good thing I like my friends cancelled / I like 'em cloaked in Gucci and in scandal" and "Now you know exactly who your friends are / We're the ones with matching scars." Notably, Blake Lively reacted to the release of Taylor Swift's album, The Life of a Showgirl, by liking the singer's Instagram post celebrating the album's debut with behind-the-scenes photos. The subtle gesture came amid persistent rumours that the two friends had a fallout. It sparked fan theories that the duo's relationship was on the mend. Fans were thrilled at seeing Blake and Taylor's online interaction.

What is the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni drama all about?

In December 2024, Blake Lively sued Justin Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, and a hostile work environment. She accused him of "unwanted improvised kissing," making inappropriate comments about her postpartum weight, and entering her makeup trailer uninvited while she was breastfeeding her son, Olin. She further alleges that Justin Baldoni's team started a smear campaign against her through social media manipulation. According to her, they aimed to destroy her reputation after she raised concerns about Justin's alleged misdemeanour.

In early 2025, he filed a USD 400 million countersuit against Blake and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for civil extortion and defamation, claiming they tried to "hijack" It Ends With Us and orchestrated a character assassination to cover up their own unprofessional behaviour. Justin's defamation suits against Blake and Ryan were dismissed in June 2025, after the court found his claims of extortion did not meet legal standards. In January 2026, the case returned to headlines after unsealed texts between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift revealed that the latter referred to Justin as a "bitch" and a "clown" in texts, while Blake called him a "rabid pig".

What are your thoughts on the messy situation involving Taylor Swift, Blake Lively and Justine Baldoni? Let us know.

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