The tension between the duo escalated when Baldoni, who is currently facing a sexual harassment lawsuit from Lively, involved Swift in his response by mentioning her in his own legal counterclaim against his co-star from “It Ends With Us.”
In a recent development, the legal team representing Justin Baldoni has taken steps to require Taylor Swift to participate in a deposition to address various aspects of the case.
Article continues below advertisement
Taylor Swift Wants ‘No Part’ In Blake Lively’s Legal Drama
After years of being friends, Swift and Lively have reportedly “halted” their relationship.
“Their friendship has halted,” a source close to Swift told People Magazine. “Taylor wants no part in this drama.”
The ongoing legal dispute between Lively and her “It Ends With Us” colleague, Baldoni, involves serious allegations of sexual harassment. Lively initiated the lawsuit in December 2024, accusing Baldoni of launching a defamatory campaign against her.
Baldoni then fired back with a multi-million-dollar counterdefamation suit, in which he named Swift as one of the people Lively referred to as her “dragons” in a text message to seemingly intimidate him.
Article continues below advertisement
At the time, Swift and Lively tried to keep their friendship on track, but things became even more strained when Baldoni issued a subpoena against the pop star.
Still, according to a different source, Swift and Lively’s decision doesn’t mean that they are “no longer friends” but are only “taking some space” amid the drama.
Article continues below advertisement
The Singer Was Left ‘Completely Floored’ After Being Subpoenaed
The revelation comes after sources close to Swift noted that being dragged into the ongoing legal drama has not only left her “completely floored” but also “very upset.”
Adding to her frustration, Swift feels that Lively has been using her name to boost her own standing, and it has been happening for quite some time.
“Taylor has been aware that Blake has been exploiting her name for a while now, but this subpoena takes it to a whole new level,” a source told the Daily Mail.
Swift will now be required to sit down with Baldoni’s lawyers at a future date in connection with claims in his $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively, particularly regarding the pop star’s alleged involvement in the creative decisions made for “It Ends With Us.”
Article continues below advertisement
Taylor Swift Has Denied Being Involved In The ‘Casting Or Creative Decisions’ Of ‘It Ends With Us’
In addition to Lively reportedly calling Swift one of her “dragons,” many believe Swift is the “megacelebrity friend” Baldoni mentioned in his filing about a creative meeting with Lively.
A representative for Swift seemingly responded to the speculations of her involvement in the movie when they made a statement about the subpoena Swift received, per People Magazine.
They claimed she was not involved in the “casting or creative decisions” related to the project, nor did she visit the film set.
“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,” Swift’s rep added.
Article continues below advertisement
The rep also clarified that the only connection the pop star had with the movie was allowing the showrunners to use her song “My Tears Ricochet.”
Justin Baldoni Was Slammed By Blake Lively’s Rep For His Legal Team’s Subpoena Move
Still on the subpoena situation, Lively’s camp slammed Baldoni and his legal team for subpoenaing Swift.
A rep for the actress claimed that they were trying to turn Lively’s suit into “entertainment for the tabloids” and that the ongoing case is a “very serious legal matter,” not a “circus.”
The rep also further criticized Baldoni and the other parties, claiming that they have repeatedly used underhanded tactics amid the legal drama.
“The defendants continue to publicly intimidate, bully, shame, and attack women’s rights and reputations.”
They further remarked, “The disturbing actions by a billionaire, men who made their careers as ‘female allies,’ and their team continue to show their true colors.”
Article continues below advertisement
A Judge Sided With Blake Lively To ‘Strike’ A Claim Made By Justin Baldoni’s Lawyer Involving Taylor Swift
On Thursday, May 15, Judge Lewis J. Liman granted Lively’s motion to strike allegations that her attorney, Michael Gottlieb, had threatened to release Swift’s private text messages unless the singer publicly supported the actress in the “It Ends With Us” case.
The motion was approved just hours after Gottlieb refuted the claims, which had been submitted by Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, in a letter based on statements from an unnamed source.
Lively’s legal team had filed the request the previous day, urging the court to dismiss the damaging letter from the record.
In the official order obtained by the New York Post, Judge Liman called the filing “improper” and “irrelevant,” stating that it served no legal purpose and was instead an attempt to “promote public scandal by advancing inflammatory accusations, on information and belief, against Lively and her counsel.”
The judge further noted that the document appeared crafted to spark “press uproar by suggesting that Lively and her counsel attempted to ‘extort’ a well-known celebrity.”
