Taylor Swift to be Deposed in ‘It Ends With Us’ Copyright Dispute
Taylor Swift will be deposed in the legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni and screenwriter Emily Baldoni, according to court filings.the deposition stems from a copyright infringement lawsuit alleging the filmmakers improperly used elements of Swift’s song “My tears Ricochet” in their film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel, It Ends With Us.
The case, set for trial next spring in federal court in New York, centers on claims that the film’s script mirrored themes and dialog from a screenplay Emily Baldoni wrote years prior, and that Lively and Baldoni sought swift’s input on the script despite licensing only the song. A spokesperson for Swift previously stated the singer had limited involvement, only permitting the use of ”My Tears Ricochet” – a song licensed to the film alongside 19 others – and did not engage in any creative or casting decisions.
court documents reveal a text message exchange between Lively and Justin Baldoni where baldoni wrote,”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).” he continued, “You really are a talent across the board. Really excited and grateful to do this together.”
Swift received a subpoena in May. Her spokesperson maintained at the time that Swift “never set foot on the set of this movie,” and was traveling internationally throughout 2023 and 2024. The spokesperson also characterized the subpoena as an attempt to generate publicity, stating it was “designed to use Taylor Swift’s name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case.”
