Podcaster Zack Peter recently weighed in on the alleged rift between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift, suggesting that Swift’s decision to distance herself from Lively may be understandable given the ongoing legal turmoil involving Justin Baldoni.
In the No Filter with Zack Peter podcast episode dated August 1, 2025, Peter reacted to reports claiming that Lively had been left "distraught" over her deteriorating friendship with the pop star. From Swift’s perspective, Peter said the move to step away made sense emotionally.
"I would be pissed, too. I would want to distance myself from Blake Lively just as much, as it appears Taylor Swift wants nothing to do with her right now," Peter said.
During the episode, Peter also cited an exclusive report by RadarOnline.com, published on August 1, 2025.
According to the report, Blake Lively was allegedly in "full damage control mode" after Swift reportedly "froze" her out of her inner circle. This fallout was triggered by Lively’s alleged role in dragging the singer into her legal dispute with Justin Baldoni.
The Radar Online report quoted one insider saying that the actress was determined to save the friendship, reportedly telling friends she wouldn’t let Swift cut her off.
"An insider said she's heartbroken about how everything has unfolded. She can't accept their friendship has ended and is pleading for an opportunity to make things right…She's distraught," Peter added, citing the Radar Online report.
However, according to the podcaster, Swift’s choice to distance herself from someone so close was significant in itself. The fact that the pop icon, who was also the godmother of Lively’s children, had chosen to remain distant was, in Peter’s words, the "most telling piece." He explained that from an outsider’s view, it spoke volumes.
"You have somebody like Taylor Swift who's the godmother of your children (and she ) literally wants nothing to do with you (referring to Blake)," Peter added.
What else did Zack Peter say about Blake Lively’s alleged “rift” with Taylor Swift

During the aforementioned episode, Zack Peter remarked that he believed that the alleged "rift" between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively existed. He further claimed that the two celebrities were "not on good terms."
Peter then brought up how Swift was initially dragged into Lively’s legal battle with actor and producer Justin Baldoni.
Previously, in his now-dismissed $400 million defamation case, Justin Baldoni had named Taylor Swift, alleging that Blake Lively had leveraged her close relationship with the Grammy winner in an attempt to take control of the 2024 film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel.
According to court filings, Baldoni had claimed that Lively brought Swift and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, into a private script meeting, referring to them as her "dragons," which allegedly pressured Baldoni into conceding to significant script changes (per a Page Six report dated May 22, 2025).
In May 2025, Taylor Swift was formally subpoenaed, prompting a swift denial from her representatives, who insisted the singer had "no involvement in any casting or creative decisions" tied to the project. However, Baldoni’s legal team later withdrew the subpoena without offering further explanation.
During his podcast episode, Peter suggested that the fallout between Lively and Swift may have stemmed from this very incident.
He pointed to Swift’s silence as a sign that she might not have appreciated being dragged into the legal battle without her consent. He speculated that if he were in Swift’s position, referred to as a "dragon" without approval, and then expected to defend or support a friend publicly, he’d be far from pleased.
"If your best friend...has not only not spoken out publicly, but doesn't appear to be by your side in all of this, refuses to hand over or refuses to like help in the legal drama now that she's being dragged in, I would be pissed. If I were Taylor and I saw that like you were referring to me as your 'dragon' and all this, I would not be happy with that," he explained.
He also cited the Radar Online report where a source close to the pop star had said that Swift "would never think of herself as Blake's dragon, or protector." As per the source, Swift felt uncomfortable being allegedly portrayed that way in the ongoing lawsuit.
Peter also suggested that Blake Lively was emotionally impacted by the situation, pointing to her alleged distress over the breakdown in her friendship with Swift.
"I believe that Blake is having a meltdown because obviously not having Taylor in her court is huge," he added.
He further added that the fallout between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively was the latter’s fault. According to him, "Blake ruined their friendship."
At present, Taylor Swift is spending time away from the spotlight following the conclusion of the European leg of her Eras Tour. While her name was initially dropped from the legal proceedings after Judge Liman dismissed Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit, a recent development has pulled her back into the spotlight.
As reported by Page Six on June 18, 2025, as per a recent ruling, Baldoni’s legal team can access private messages between Blake Lively and Swift relating to the film, bringing the All Too Well singer further into the ongoing dispute.
On the other hand, the Gossip Girl alum remains entangled in a heated legal battle with her It Ends With Us director and co-star, Justin Baldoni. The conflict began when Lively filed a s*xual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni, also accusing him of launching a smear campaign in retaliation.
As of now, the case is in its discovery phase. Most recently, on July 31, 2025, Lively’s deposition was conducted at her attorney’s office in Manhattan. The trial is currently set to begin on March 9, 2026.