New clip of Justin Baldoni resurfaces, revealing potential involvement of Taylor Swift in ‘It Ends With Us’ casting

While sources have attempted to distance Swift from the ongoing legal battle between the film’s director, Justin Baldoni, and its lead actress, Blake Lively, newly resurfaced statements from Baldoni and actress Isabela Ferrer indicate that Swift had direct influence over casting decisions.

During a past interview with “Access Hollywood,” Baldoni revealed that he consulted both Lively and Swift when selecting Ferrer for the role of young Lily Bloom, the character played by Lively.

“I had actually brought in and showed her casting tape to Blake and Taylor and they were both, like, ‘Yes! Her,’” Baldoni said in the clip, adding, “And that’s a true story.”

Meanwhile, Ferrer confirmed Swift’s involvement in her casting while speaking to Extra at the film’s premiere.

“I don’t even know if I’m supposed to be saying it, but I’m saying it!” she said hesitantly. “Yeah, she was a helpful part of the process of the audition, which I found out later after I got it and that rocked my world. I have no words.”

Beyond casting, Swift also had a direct impact on the film’s soundtrack.

Lively previously stated that she personally reached out to her longtime friend to request permission to use Swift’s song “My Tears Ricochet” in the trailer and soundtrack.

“I think that, for better or worse, she experienced the whole thing with me,” Lively shared during an August 2024 interview with “CBS Mornings.”

Lively also admitted that including Swift’s music in the film was not something she initially thought was possible.

“This was actually, it’s quite a small budget movie. … So we never thought, like, our eyeballs were not that big to think that we could put one of her songs in the movie and it had to be.”

While Swift’s name was already connected to “It Ends with Us” in a creative capacity, Baldoni further brought her into the legal drama by referencing her in his $400 million extortion and defamation lawsuit against Lively.

In January 2025, after Lively accused him of sexual harassment and other claims in a California Civil Rights Department complaint, Baldoni alleged that Swift was indirectly used as leverage against him. According to his lawsuit, Baldoni was invited to Lively’s New York City penthouse to discuss script rewrites with Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and “a famous, and famously close, friend,” referring to Swift.

Following the meeting, Lively allegedly sent Baldoni a text, writing, “If you ever get around to watching ‘Game of Thrones,’ you’ll appreciate that I’m Khaleesi, and like her, I happen to have a few dragons.”

She then reportedly referred to Swift and Reynolds, saying, “For better or worse, but usually for better. Because my dragons also protect those I fight for. So really, we all benefit from those gorgeous monsters of mine. You will too, I can promise you.”

Baldoni’s lawyers argued that the text message sent a clear message of intimidation, claiming that “Baldoni was not just dealing with Lively. He was also facing Lively’s ‘dragons,’ two of the most influential and wealthy celebrities in the world, who were not afraid to make things very difficult for him.”

Following Baldoni’s lawsuit, sources close to Swift spoke out, claiming that the Grammy winner felt “used” by Lively and was unhappy with the “dragons” reference.

A well-connected insider told TMZ that Swift “had no idea” the penthouse meeting involved Baldoni when she was invited over that day.

“She doesn’t appreciate being referred to as one of Blake’s dragons,” another source claimed, suggesting that Swift wants to remain completely uninvolved in the ongoing feud.

Page Six previously reported that the “You Belong with Me” singer is “hurt by this whole situation and feels like a “pawn” in the legal battle, and is “taking a break” from her friendship with Lively.

However, conflicting reports about Swift and Lively’s friendship continue to surface.

A separate source previously told Page Six that the two remain on good terms and that rumors of a strained relationship are “not true.”