Judge Rules on Taylor Swift Deposition in ‘It Ends with Us’ Legal Battle
NEW YORK – A judge is weighing whether Taylor Swift will be required to testify in the ongoing legal dispute between actor Justin Baldoni and actress Blake lively, according to court documents obtained by CNN Friday. The case stems from allegations made during and after the production of the film “It Ends With us.”
The dispute originated with a lawsuit filed by Baldoni against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, which was later dismissed.lively is continuing to pursue claims of sexual harassment and retaliation against Baldoni. Swift became involved when text exchanges referencing a “Taylor” surfaced as part of Baldoni’s dismissed countersuit.
Lively’s attorneys have accused Baldoni’s legal team of seeking media attention by involving Swift, stating in a recent filing, “The Wayfarer Defendants have repeatedly sought to bring Ms. Swift into this litigation to fuel their relentless media strategy.” The filing further alleges that Baldoni’s team did not contact Swift’s counsel regarding a deposition date until earlier this week and criticized their “lack of diligence, and disrespect for Ms. swift’s privacy and schedule.” Baldoni’s team has reportedly suggested Swift might potentially be available for a deposition between October 20-25.
Swift was initially subpoenaed in May but the request was later withdrawn. A spokesperson for Swift clarified at the time that swift “never set foot on the set of this movie,” and had limited involvement,only “permitting the use of one song,’My Tears Ricochet.'” The spokesperson added that the subpoena 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.”
One text message revealed during the legal proceedings showed Baldoni writing to Lively, “I really love what you did. It really does help a lot… (And I would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor).”
A trial is currently scheduled for next spring in federal court in New York.