A spokesperson for Taylor Swift on Friday said an attempt to subpoena the pop star as a witness in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s case is “designed” to use the singer’s “name to draw public interest.”
TMZ reported Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman issued a subpoena to Swift in the lawsuits involving the 2024 film “It Ends With Us.” Freedman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday evening.
Representatives for Lively also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Swift’s team rejected the notion she would have any relevant information and should not be involved in the legal tangle.
“Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, 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,” her spokesperson said Friday.
Swift did license music for the film.
“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,” the spokesperson said.
The legal battle between Baldoni and Lively began late last year after Lively filed a civil rights complaint against her co-star and director, accusing him of sexual harassment during filming. She also accused him of retaliation after she raised issues about his on-set behavior. Lively then sued Baldoni, the film’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, and others, alleging they engaged in “a carefully crafted, coordinated, and resourced retaliatory scheme to silence her, and others, from speaking out.”
An attorney for Baldoni has called the allegations “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious” and accused Lively of engaging in a smear campaign.
In December, Baldoni sued The New York Times for libel following the newspaper’s publication of an article detailing Lively’s accusations. The Times, which was first to report on the complaint, has stood by its reporting. That lawsuit is ongoing.
In January, he also filed a lawsuit against Lively, her husband actor Ryan Reynolds, her rep Leslie Sloane and Sloane’s PR firm. Baldoni alleges that the parties engaged in defamation and disregarded contractual claims.
He is seeking $400 million and a jury trial.
A trial is scheduled for March 2026 in New York.
Swift was pulled into headlines regarding the case after Baldoni filed his 179-page suit, which included examples of alleged text messages between him and Lively.
Swift is not named in the suit, save for one text message in which a “Taylor” is mentioned. In the text of the lawsuit, she is referred to as a “megacelebrity friend.”
Baldoni’s team confirmed to NBC News that the Taylor referred to in the lawsuit is Swift, a longtime friend of Lively.
“If you ever get around to watching Game of Thrones, you’ll appreciate that I’m Khaleesi, and like her, I happen to have a few dragons,” one purported text from Lively reads, according to the suit. “For better or worse, but usually better. Because my dragons also protect those I fight for. So really we all benefit from those gorgeous monsters of mine. You will too, I can promise you.”
NBC News’ Saba Hamedy contributed.
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