Justin Baldoni appears to have underestimated the fallout from dragging Taylor Swift into his ongoing legal dispute with Blake Lively. According to TMZ, Baldoni’s crisis PR firm, Street Relations Inc., requested a higher monthly fee last year due to concerns that Lively’s close friendship with the pop superstar could ignite backlash from Swift’s fiercely loyal fan base.
An email dated August 7, 2024, revealed a member of Baldoni’s team writing, “The social team are now worried about Blake activating the Taylor Swift fan base, which is a major concern… they have now changed the fee to $30,000 per month due to the uptick in social chatter.” The following day, Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni’s production company, was reportedly billed the same amount.
The legal battle between Lively, 37, and Baldoni, 41, stems from allegations Lively made in December 2024, claiming Baldoni sexually harassed her on the set of It Ends With Us. Baldoni denied the accusations and countersued, but a judge dismissed his $400 million case in June 2025.
Taylor Swift, 35, became entangled in the case when Lively referred to her and husband Ryan Reynolds as her “dragons” in a text cited in Baldoni’s January filing. Swift’s representatives quickly clarified that she was not involved in the dispute and remained focused on her Eras Tour.
The incident underscores the potential PR risks celebrities face when their high-profile networks intersect, with even casual references to major stars like Taylor Swift creating ripple effects in legal and social media landscapes.
