Taylor Swift has been subpoenaed as a witness in the ongoing legal dispute between actress Blake Lively and director Justin Baldoni, escalating a high-profile court battle that has already drawn headlines for allegations of sexual harassment, retaliatory smear campaigns, and defamation claims totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.
Swift's involvement is tangential. Her song "My Tears Ricochet" was licensed for use in It Ends With Us, the film at the center of the dispute, but she had no direct creative input, never visited the set, and was touring internationally during the production. "Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie," a spokesperson for the singer said. "She was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film." The spokesperson added, "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."
The subpoenas are tied to Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against Lively, filed after Lively accused the It Ends With Us director and Wayfarer Studios of sexual harassment and unprofessional behavior during production. Baldoni has denied the claims and responded with allegations of defamation, naming not only Lively but also her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicity team. Court filings from Baldoni suggest that Swift and Reynolds pressured him to accept script changes written by Lively, during a meeting at the couple's penthouse.
Sources close to the case suggest more subpoenas may follow, with actor Hugh Jackman reportedly among those expected to be called. "Anyone that had any knowledge of this situation will be subpoenaed, no matter their celebrity status," said one source.
Baldoni's legal team, led by attorney Bryan Freedman, maintains that Lively led a deliberate campaign to destroy reputations at Wayfarer Studios, accusing her of "approving or authorizing" defamatory public statements. Lively's team has portrayed the subpoenas and legal counteroffensive as an attempt to intimidate a woman who spoke out against misconduct. "This is a very serious legal matter, not Barnum & Bailey's Circus," a spokesperson for Lively stated.
The case has drawn attention for its intersection of Hollywood, high-stakes litigation, and public relations warfare. In earlier documents cited by Lively, Wayfarer's PR strategists discussed the optics of linking Swift to accusations of "weaponizing feminism," and even suggested in jest that Lively's deposition be held at Madison Square Garden. One internal email warned, "BL does have some of the same TS fanbase so we will be taking it extremely seriously."
The legal dispute began in December 2024, when Lively filed suit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, alleging misconduct and retaliation. Baldoni responded with his own claims, including a $250 million defamation suit against The New York Times for its reporting on the allegations.
The consolidated case, Lively v. Wayfarer Studios, is scheduled to go to trial on March 9, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York before Judge Lewis J. Liman.
