Pop sensation Taylor Swift will not be deposed in the ongoing legal battle between It Ends With Us co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, after a US District Court judge rejected Baldoni’s request to extend the discovery deadline, People magazine reported.
On Friday, September 12, Judge Lewis J Liman ruled against Baldoni’s attempt to schedule Swift’s deposition beyond the September 30 cut-off date. The judge said that Baldoni’s counsel failed to show “appropriate diligence” and thus the requested extension was denied, according to People.
How Taylor Swift’s name entered the Lively vs Baldoni case
According to The Independent, Blake Lively filed a lawsuit in December 2024 against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment on set. She also alleged she faced retaliation in the form of a smear campaign. Baldoni denied the claims and launched a $400 million countersuit for defamation, which was dismissed in June.
Swift’s name surfaced in the dispute after Baldoni claimed he was summoned to Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds’ New York penthouse to discuss script rewrites. Baldoni claimed Swift was present at the meeting and acted as one of Lively’s ‘dragons’ in the meeting, The Independent reported.
Baldoni’s lawyers also sought to subpoena Swift in May, demanding text exchanges with Lively about working conditions on set. Swift’s representatives condemned the move as “tabloid clickbait” and the subpoena was withdrawn the same month.
Taylor Swift’s legal team pushes back
Swift’s attorney firmly rejected suggestions that the singer agreed to sit for a deposition. In a letter, her lawyer consistently maintained that Swift has no material role in the case.
The filing clarified that Swift had only indicated her schedule could accommodate a deposition in late October if compelled by the court, but she never voluntarily agreed to it. “We take no role in those disputes,” the letter added.
Baldoni’s current efforts to engage Swift come at a time when the pop sensation is gearing up for the release of her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, which comes out on October 3. The director-actor’s team claimed Swift’s “existing professional commitments” meant she would not be able to testify until after October 20, which the court refused to accommodate.
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What will happen next?
While Lively got a minor extension of her own discovery deadline to October 10, Baldoni’s team will not get any additional time to pursue Swift. This ruling indicates it is likely that Swift will play no further role in the case.
As has been previously confirmed by her reps, Swift’s only connection to It Ends With Us consisted of one of her songs, My Tears Ricochet, being used on the soundtrack. She “never set foot on set” and had “no involvement with casting, production or editing,” her spokesperson said.
Also Read: Justin Baldoni breaks silence on co-star Isabela Ferrer’s bullying allegations against him
FAQs
Why did Justin Baldoni want to depose Taylor Swift?
Baldoni’s lawyers believed Swift may have had text exchanges with Blake Lively about working conditions during It Ends With Us.
Did Taylor Swift agree to testify?
No. Swift’s lawyers clarified that she never agreed to a deposition and has no material role in the case.
What did the judge decide?
Judge Lewis Liman denied Baldoni’s request for a 30-day extension to depose Swift, citing lack of diligence.
