Taylor Swift has been subpoenaed in the escalating legal dispute between It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni and actress Blake Lively.
Despite not being involved in the film beyond licensing her song “My Tears Ricochet” for the trailer and a scene, Swift’s name appears in a key text message cited in Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit, according to Variety.
“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,” a Swift spokesperson stated.
Baldoni’s suit—filed against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds—claims they hijacked the film and smeared his reputation with false accusations, including sexual harassment. While Swift isn’t named in the suit, she is believed to be the “megacelebrity friend” referenced in texts involving a rooftop scene Lively allegedly rewrote. According to the filing, Lively invited Baldoni to her NYC penthouse, where Reynolds and Swift endorsed her changes.
Baldoni later texted: “Also was working on rooftop scene today, I really love what you did. It really does [help] a lot. Makes it so much more fun and interesting. (And I would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor) You really are a talent across the board. Really excited [and] grateful to do this together.”
Lively responded with a message describing Reynolds and a redacted name as “absolute titans as writers and storytellers,” then added: “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.”
Swift’s team dismissed the subpoena as a publicity stunt. “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.”
Still, It Ends With Us actress Isabela Ferrer told Extra she learned after being cast that Swift had been a “helpful part of the process of the audition.”
The legal saga began in December when Lively filed a harassment complaint with California’s Civil Rights Department. After the New York Times reported on it, Baldoni sued the paper for $250 million. Lively then filed a suit against Baldoni for alleged legal violations, prompting his $400 million counterclaim. Lively and Reynolds have filed motions to dismiss, calling the defamation suit retaliatory.
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