KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TAYLOR SWIFT LEGAL DRAMA: The controversial text messages exchanged between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively are now officially part of the legal proceedings surrounding the film It Ends With Us. On June 18, a federal judge located in New York mandated that Lively must provide these messages to Justin Baldoni, her former director and co-star, who Lively accuses of sexual harassment on set, followed by an alleged retaliatory smear campaign after she voiced her concerns. This case illustrates the complexities of Hollywood legal battles and the intertwining of personal relationships and professional conduct.
Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled that Baldoni has a legitimate interest in reviewing the communications between Lively and her close friend Swift regarding It Ends With Us. This decision stems from Lively’s discovery disclosures, which indicated that Swift was aware of her complaints regarding the hostile work environment created by Baldoni during the filming process. Therefore, the text messages may serve as critical evidence that supports or undermines Lively’s allegations of harassment and retaliation.
The legal journey leading to this decision has been anything but straightforward. Baldoni initially attempted to acquire the text messages through subpoenas directed at Swift, igniting significant backlash from representatives of the pop icon who accused him of manufacturing sensational headlines rather than concentrating on the substantive issues at hand. Following this, Baldoni withdrew the subpoenas aimed at Swift and successfully sought to obtain the text messages directly from Lively through the conventional discovery process, showcasing the often tumultuous nature of legal strategies in entertainment law.
Practically, this ruling means Baldoni will gain access to potentially revealing text exchanges between Swift and Lively. However, due to legal confidentiality regulations, Baldoni and his legal team are currently prohibited from disclosing these messages to any third parties. Should the case proceed to trial as planned in 2026—unless Judge Liman resolves the claims based on legal principles or if Lively and Baldoni reach a settlement—these text messages might eventually be presented to a jury, thereby becoming public knowledge for the wider audience.
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EXPLORE OTHER MAJOR STORIES FROM THIS WEEK
LEGAL DISPUTES OVER COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT – The rapper GloRilla is facing a lawsuit from social media influencer Natalie Henderson, known as @slimdabodylast on Instagram. Henderson claims that GloRilla appropriated her viral catchphrase related to Brazilian butt lift cosmetic surgery for a track featured on her hit debut album Glorious. Henderson asserts that her original line, “All natural, no BBL/ Mad hoes go to hell,” inspired GloRilla’s lyrics in the 2024 bonus track “Never Find,” which state, “Natural, no BBL/ but I’m still gon’ give him hell.”
RUMORED RIHANNA PARTNERSHIP SHUTDOWN – The beverage startup The3rdBevco and its founder, Peter Scalise III, consented to pay a hefty $1.1 million in fines to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for allegedly promoting a fictitious collaboration with Rihanna to launch a new brand of alcohol called “RiRi Rum.” While The3rdBevco has reached a settlement with the SEC, they neither admitted nor denied the claims made by the federal investment regulator. Reports suggest that Scalise once attempted to engage Rihanna’s brother to broker a deal with the pop star, but no consulting contract was finalized.
TRADEMARK DISPUTE INVOLVING T.I. – The rapper T.I. has been hit with a lawsuit alleging that his upcoming film, Situationships, has unlawfully taken its title from a web series of the same name. The Atlanta-based producer Cylla Senii claims to have invested years into developing both television and film adaptations of her Situationships series before discovering last fall that T.I. and his company, Grand Hustle Films, were preparing to shoot a film that infringes upon her intellectual property. Senii pointed out the irony, especially given T.I.’s recent success in a separate intellectual property case.
EXPLOSIVE RACKETEERING ALLEGATIONS AGAINST FAT JOE – The rapper Fat Joe is facing serious accusations in an alarming lawsuit filed by his former hypeman, Terrance “T.A.” Dixon. Dixon claims that Fat Joe operated a wide-ranging criminal enterprise involving forced labor and the trafficking of minors. The legal representatives of Fat Joe vehemently denied these allegations, calling them utterly fabricated, and the rapper has initiated a counter-lawsuit against Dixon and his attorney for extortion. The lawsuit has also implicated Fat Joe’s management team, Roc Nation, which swiftly requested to be dismissed from the proceedings, stating that they are not involved in any of these claims.
UPDATE ON R. KELLY’S MURDER PLOT CLAIMS – R. Kelly has been denied his request for release from prison despite raising allegations that jail officials have orchestrated a murder plot to prevent him from disclosing alleged prosecutorial misconduct connected to his sex crime trials. A judge in Chicago stated she lacks jurisdiction over this matter, indicating that any request for release must be filed as a civil rights lawsuit or a habeas corpus petition in North Carolina, where Kelly is serving a lengthy prison sentence exceeding 30 years for multiple federal convictions.
CUSTODY DISPUTE INVOLVING DDG AND HALLE BAILEY – The rapper DDG is seeking court approval to visit his son, whom he shares with singer and actress Halle Bailey, in Rome, where she is currently filming a movie and holds sole custody of their child amidst allegations of domestic violence against him. A Los Angeles judge deemed it “reasonable” for DDG to have visitation rights but mandated that these visits be supervised by an independent monitor, rejecting his proposal to have his mother supervise the visits instead.
LEGAL DISPUTE IN K-POP INDUSTRY – A South Korean appellate court has upheld a previous legal ruling that mandates the K-pop group NewJeans to remain with their label, ADOR. The five-member ensemble aimed to pursue an independent path under the name NJZ, citing alleged mismanagement by ADOR and its parent company HYBE. However, the ruling from Seoul’s High Court noted that ADOR and HYBE acted in good faith, providing significant support for NewJeans’ debut and ascension to fame, which could set a precedent for future artist-label relationships in the K-pop sector.
CHRIS BROWN FACES ASSAULT CHARGES IN LONDON – Chris Brown has entered a plea of not guilty to a criminal assault charge in London, stemming from an incident where he allegedly attacked a music producer with a bottle at a nightclub in Mayfair during 2023. The troubled R&B artist was detained upon his arrival in Europe for his Breezy Bowl XX tour in May and spent a week in jail; he has since been released on a bail package nearing $7 million and is scheduled to perform in the UK throughout June and July.
SETTLEMENT REACHED IN TOURING DISPUTE – A settlement has been achieved to resolve conflicting legal claims between Chicago rapper Polo G and the Dutch concert booking agency J. Noah B.V. concerning a canceled European tour initially planned for 2023. Polo G accused the agency of violating intellectual property laws by continuing to promote shows featuring his name and image after their contract had been terminated. Conversely, J. Noah contended that Polo G improperly canceled the tour after substantial deposits had already been made for venue bookings and production staff.
SMOKEY ROBINSON’S DEFAMATION COUNTERCLAIMS – Four former housekeepers have filed a lawsuit against Smokey Robinson for alleged rape and are now requesting a judge to dismiss Robinson’s defamation counterclaims against them. The women argue that their press conference announcing the significant lawsuit is protected under the litigation privilege established by the First Amendment. They have accused Robinson of retaliating against them through his countersuit for their decision to come forward about an alleged prolonged pattern of sexual assault, which the Motown icon has denied.
