Blake Lively’s request to protect Taylor Swift’s texts from Justin Baldoni has been denied by the court.

In a significant development in the ongoing legal dispute between actors Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, a New York judge recently ruled against Lively’s attempt to keep her communications with pop star Taylor Swift out of the proceedings. Judge Lewis J. Liman denied Lively’s motion for a protective order that would have shielded these communications from scrutiny in the high-profile case that has garnered considerable media attention.

According to court documents secured by Media News Source, Judge Liman determined that the discussions between Swift and Lively regarding “It Ends With Us,” a film directed by Baldoni in which both he and Lively star, are indeed relevant to the case. The judge highlighted that Lively had identified Swift as a potential key witness who might possess information related to complaints or conversations about the working conditions on the film’s set.

The ruling also addressed the claim made by Lively’s legal representatives that the requested communications would be duplicative, following Baldoni’s legal team withdrawing a previous subpoena issued to Swift. Liman countered this argument by stating that the Wayfarer parties, which include Baldoni, had not yet received pertinent communications between Lively and Swift. While the judge ultimately allowed access to these communications, he did limit the scope of Baldoni’s initial request to only cover discussions related to the film or the ongoing litigation.

This case stems from a complaint filed by Lively in December, wherein she accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of “It Ends With Us,” as well as retaliatory actions involving an alleged smear campaign against her online. Baldoni subsequently filed a substantial countersuit, requesting 0 million for defamation and civil extortion against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and publicist Leslie Sloane. Notably, Judge Liman dismissed Baldoni’s countersuit last week, along with a separate 0 million libel action he brought against The New York Times concerning its reporting on the allegations.

As the situation continues to unfold, Baldoni has been afforded until next week to amend his claims relating to breach of implied covenant and tortious interference with contract. The trial is scheduled to commence in March of next year, as both parties prepare for what promises to be a highly scrutinized legal showdown. The court has issued a protective order cautioning the involved parties against leaking details of the case to the media, reaffirming the legitimacy of the legal processes at hand.