Taylor Swift's spokesperson blasts subpoena in Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni case
Taylor Swift's spokesperson blasts subpoena in Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni case
It appears Taylor Swift is the subject of a document subpoena in the Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively legal battle.
When asked on May 9 about news reports of the court filing, a spokesperson for Swift emphasized the singer's minimal involvement with the pair's film "It Ends With Us."
"Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists also did, 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," a spokesperson for Swift said in a statement.
Swift's "Folklore" song "My Tears Ricochet" was used in the movie, where the issues between Baldoni and Lively began. Swift and Lively have long been friends.
"Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie," her spokesperson 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. She did not even see 'It Ends With Us' until weeks after its public release, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history."
Tension between Lively and Baldoni was rumored during the press tour in August for the blockbuster based on a Colleen Hoover novel.
Four months later, The New York Times published a detailed report about Lively's accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation by Baldoni, who starred in and directed the film. Lively said Baldoni hired a crisis communications firm that coordinated a public relations campaign against her. On New Year's Eve, she sued him for sexual harassment.
Baldoni then filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of defamation and extortion.
In his lawsuit, Baldoni mentioned an interaction with Swift when he met with Lively and Reynolds to discuss a scene.
According to Baldoni's lawsuit, Reynolds "launched into enthusiastic praise" for a version of the scene written by Lively. Toward the end of the meeting, the lawsuit states, "a famous, and famously close, friend of Reynolds and Lively, walked into the room and similarly began praising Lively's script."
A source close to the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed Swift's identity in Baldoni's lawsuit to USA TODAY.
In later text messages, Lively referred to her husband and another unnamed person, seemingly Swift, as her "dragons" and "'Dance Moms' level stage moms."
The trial is set for March 9, 2026, in Judge Lewis J. Liman's courtroom in the southern district of New York.
Contributing: Jay Stahl, USA TODAY
Don't miss any Taylor Swift news; sign up for the free, weekly newsletter This Swift Beat.
Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
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