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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Blake Lively reportedly called Justin Baldoni a “doofus” and a “clown” in a text to Taylor Swift on April 12, 2023, while asking Swift for help with a revised script for It Ends With Us. The exchange later appeared in court filings and became public through news reports. The parties dispute what Lively was asking Swift to do.
What did Blake Lively text Taylor Swift?
ABC News reported that, in the April 12, 2023 exchange, Lively described Baldoni as “this doofus director of my movie.” She later called him “a clown” who “thinks he’s a writer now.” Lively was referring to Baldoni, who directed and co-starred with her in the film It Ends With Us.
In the reported messages, Lively asked Swift for help while Baldoni was at her apartment. She suggested Swift could tell him she was excited about the movie and liked the pages Lively had sent. Swift reportedly replied, “I’ll do anything for you !!” These are excerpts from messages described in court documents and reported by ABC News, not a complete transcript of the exchange. ABC News’ report on the messages.
Why the meaning of the request is disputed
The defendants characterized Lively’s request as asking Swift to endorse a rewrite without having read it. Lively disputed that interpretation. ABC News reported that, in her response, Lively pointed to her July 30, 2025 deposition: she said she sent Swift the script on the way to her apartment, told Swift she did not have to read it because she did not want her to feel pressured, and hoped she would read it.
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According to ABC News, Lively did not dispute that the quoted language appeared in the exhibit; she disputed the defendants’ account of what the exchange meant. The reported excerpts alone do not resolve that disagreement. ABC News’ account of the competing characterizations.
When the texts were sent and how they became public
The “doofus” message was sent on April 12, 2023—not during the public legal dispute that began in 2024. Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department on December 20, 2024, ABC News reported. On December 31, she formalized her complaint as a New York lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios. The messages became public in January 2026 through reporting on court filings.
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The Associated Press described the release of a broader trove of messages and other communications as part of the litigation. Selected texts are evidence of what the parties said in particular exchanges; they are not a judicial finding on the broader claims. The Associated Press report on the messages and case.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the exchange fits into the larger case
Lively’s case concerns allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation connected to the film. Baldoni has denied the allegations through counsel. The “doofus” texts concern Lively’s relationship with Swift and her revised script; they do not, by themselves, prove or disprove the harassment and retaliation claims.
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In January 2026, the Associated Press reported that Baldoni’s countersuit had been dismissed and that arguments on Lively’s case were pending, with a trial then scheduled for May 18. That was the procedural picture reported at that time, not a verified account of the case’s status on October 8, 2026. AP’s January 2026 procedural account.
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