Taylor Swift may be compelled to provide evidence in the long-brewing legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively.
Baldoni’s legal team on Thursday requested that the federal judge in Lively’s case against him and his studio extend the discovery deadline to accommodate Swift’s schedule so she can sit for a deposition.
Lawyers with Venable LLP, a law firm representing the pop star, wrote to federal Judge Lewis J. Liman on Friday to clarify that Swift “has no material role in this action” but offered time in late October if a deposition is necessary. “We take no role in those disputes,” the lawyers added.
Lively’s representative, Michael J. Gottlieb, called Baldoni’s “disrespect for Ms. Swift’s privacy and schedule” “astounding” in a letter to Liman.
The legal saga between the celebrities began on the set of the film “It Ends With Us,” in which Baldoni played opposite Lively as the story’s main love interest (Baldoni also directed the film). Speculation about a possible feud began when the two opted to do press for the film separately when it was released in August 2024.
In December, the “Gossip Girl” star sued Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation for speaking out, accusations Baldoni has vehemently denied.
In January 2025, Baldoni released unseen footage from the film as part of an effort to defend himself. He and his studio countersued Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging defamation and extortion and seeking $400 million in damages. Baldoni also sued The New York Times for reporting on Lively’s accusations. Baldoni attempted to subpoena Swift, claiming Lively had leveraged her friendships with famous people, like the singer, to gain creative control over the film. Swift’s legal teams successfully rebuffed the attempt. At the time, a representative for Swift told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that her involvement in the film was limited to the licensing of one of her songs, adding that “this document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swift’s name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case.” Baldoni’s legal team dropped the subpoena against Swift that same month, and his suits were dismissed by Liman in June. The trial is scheduled to begin on March 9, 2026.
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter and producer for MS NOW. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.
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