Taylor Swift is unlikely to be questioned under oath in Blake Lively’s ongoing lawsuit against Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios.
U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman rejected a request from Baldoni’s legal team to extend the Sept. 30 discovery cut-off deadline, effectively blocking their attempt to depose the pop superstar. While Blake Lively was granted a short extension until Oct. 10, Baldoni’s bid for an extra 30 days was denied, court filings confirmed on Friday, Sept. 12.
Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman argued that Swift had agreed to appear for a deposition but could only do so the week of Oct. 20 due to prior commitments, including the release of her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, on Oct. 3. Swift’s lawyer, however, quickly disputed that claim, clarifying that the singer “did not agree to a deposition” but noted her schedule could allow it if the court compelled her testimony.
Swift’s name first surfaced in the case after Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of defamation and extortion. That countersuit was dismissed in June. Baldoni had alleged that he was pressured into accepting script changes during a meeting with Lively, Reynolds, and Swift though Swift’s team has repeatedly stressed she had no role in the production of It Ends With Us.
A spokesperson for Swift previously emphasized that she was not involved in casting, scriptwriting, editing, or scoring the film, and was on her record-breaking global tour during its production.
Lively filed her lawsuit in December 2024, accusing Baldoni, his studio, and his publicity team of sexual harassment and retaliation through a smear campaign claims they deny.
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With the discovery deadline now set, Judge Liman’s ruling makes it increasingly unlikely that Swift will be dragged further into the contentious legal battle between her close friend Lively and Baldoni.
