Taylor Swift has once again found herself at the center of the high-profile legal clash between actor-director Justin Baldoni and actor Blake Lively. According to court filings reviewed this week, Baldoni’s legal team claims the pop star has ‘agreed’ to sit for a deposition but only after October 20, citing prior professional commitments, reported CNN.
However, in a letter obtained by the outlet, an attorney for Swift said the Grammy winner had not agreed to be deposed and would only do so if her presence was required by the court.
Swift’s twelfth album, The Life of a Showgirl, is scheduled to release on October 3, and her team insisted that she cannot testify before the date. For the deposition to proceed, Judge Lewis J Liman must first approve the extension, as all discovery was originally due to close on September 30, stated another USA Today report.
Also Read: Blake Lively deposition date revealed as legal battle with Justin Baldoni take an interesting turn
Why Taylor Swift matters in the case
As per a USA Today report, Swift’s involvement in the case stems from her limited connection to It Ends With Us, a film directed by Baldoni and starring Lively, in which her song My Tears Ricochet was licensed. Although the singer has consistently denied any creative role in the production, Baldoni previously has argued that Lively previously leveraged her friendship with Swift and husband Ryan Reynolds to influence the film.
Court records also reveal Lively herself identified Swift as someone who may have knowledge of conversations on workplace conditions, prompting Baldoni’s lawyers to seek her testimony.
Blake Lively’s lawyers push back
Lively’s legal team, however, strongly opposed the latest request, arguing that Baldoni’s camp is using Swift’s name as part of a wider ‘media strategy.’ In a filing submitted on September 12, her attorneys described the move as an attempt to generate headlines rather than uncover relevant facts. They also accused Baldoni’s team of employing delay tactics and noted that the discovery process was already under duress as the March 9, 2026, trial date is fast approaching, the USA Today report added.
A history of subpoenas and withdrawals
This is not the first time Swift was pulled into the lawsuit. In May, Baldoni’s attorneys issued subpoenas to Swift and her law firm, Venable LLP, only to withdraw them two weeks later after criticism from both Lively and Swift’s teams, the CNN report noted.
It stated that Swift’s spokesperson, at the time, stressed that her only connection to the film was licensing one track among many and called the attempt to subpoena her ‘tabloid clickbait.’
What happens next?
Liman has allowed Justin Baldoni’s side to see certain text messages between Lively and Swift, indicating that the texts could be relevant to claims of harassment and retaliation. Whether the judge will allow for the deadline for discovery to be extended to permit Swift’s deposition is uncertain.
FAQs
Q1: Why is Taylor Swift being deposed?
Swift was identified by Blake Lively as someone with knowledge of conversations about workplace conditions on the film set of It Ends With Us.
Q2: Did Taylor Swift work on the film?
No. Her only involvement was licensing her song My Tears Ricochet. She had no role in casting, editing, or production.
Q3: Why can Taylor Swift not testify before October 20?
Her legal team cited professional obligations tied to the release of her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, on October 3.
Q4: Has she been subpoenaed before?
Yes. Swift was subpoenaed in May, but the request was later withdrawn following objections from both her and Lively’s teams.
