Taylor Swift has been issued with a subpoena by Justin Baldoni’s lawyers amid his ongoing legal dispute with Blake Lively.
The feud revolves around accusations of sexual harassment, retaliation and defamation connected to the filming of It Ends With Us, the 2024 film that Baldoni directed and starred in alongside Lively.
In the latest development, Swift – who is a friend of Lively’s – has been named as a witness by Baldoni’s legal team. They allege that the singer was present during discussions between Lively and Baldoni about a scene at the beginning of the film.
According to the lawsuit, Lively invited Baldoni to her New York City residence to talk over possible script changes, and Baldoni was said to have been surprised that Swift along with Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds were there too. He alleges that Swift and Reynolds approved of Lively’s suggested version of the scene in question, pressuring him into accepting the revisions.
Swift’s representatives have reacted to the subpoena by distancing her from the project (via Billboard). “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,” they said.
“The connection Taylor had to this film was permitting the use of one song, ‘My Tears Ricochet,’” they added. “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 new filing also includes text messages that were first reported upon in January, including one in with Lively appears to refer to Swift and Reynolds as her “dragons”: “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. For better of worse, but usually better. Because my dragons also protect those I fight for.”
“The message could not have been clearer,” Baldoni’s lawyers have said in the new suit. “Baldoni was not just dealing with Lively. He was also facing Lively’s ‘dragons,’ two of the most influential and wealthy celebrities in the world, who were not afraid to make things very difficult for him.”
The legal battle began in December, when Lively filed a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint with the California Civil Rights Department against Baldoni. In it, she accused him of “inappropriate and unwelcome behaviour” and claimed he was trying to “destroy” her reputation.
Baldoni has denied all accusations and countersued on January 16, including Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane in the suit. In the aftermath of Lively’s suit, Baldoni was dropped by his talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME). He also had a women’s solidarity award rescinded.