As Blake Lively’s best friend and confidant, Taylor Swift managed to exclude herself from the ongoing Justin Baldoni narrative. That was, until January 16, when Baldoni filed his long promised lawsuit against Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds, including claims of extortion and defamation and requesting $400m in damages.
Although the singer was not explicity named, it appeared Swift was referenced as part of the actor and director’s case against Lively and Reynolds.
Now, Baldoni’s lawyers have taken TayTay’s involvement in the lawsuit a step further with the star being subpoenaed to appear as a witness at the trial. Why? It’s likely to do with Taylor being referenced in the lawsuit (full explainer below), but if you ask Swift or Lively, their responses suggest otherwise.
Below, a deep dive into the allegations that seemlingly reference Swift and why she’s been subpoenaed for the trial.
Taylor Swift Responds To Subpoena In Justin Baldoni Lawsuit
Taylor Swift may have been subpoenaed as a witness for the upcoming trial between Baldoni and Lively, but representatives for the popstar have quickly shutdown any involvement in the film outside of licensing her hit song, ‘My Tears Ricochet’, to the production.
The full statement obtained by CNN reads: “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 travelling around the globe during 2023 and 2024.
“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.”
Blake Lively Comments On Taylor Swift’s Involvement
Following the news of the subpoena, a spokesperson for Blake Lively also shared comment, stating that Baldoni and his legal team “continue to turn a case of sexual harassment and retaliation into entertainment for the tabloids.”
“This is a very serious legal matter, not Barnum and Bailey’s circus,” they added. “The defendants continue to publicly intimidate, bully, shame and attack women’s rights and reputations.”
What Does The Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Say About Taylor Swift?
According to the 179-page complaint, Baldoni’s issue began in the pre-production stage when Lively allegedly asked if she could “take a pass” at writing the rooftop scene in It Ends With Us, in which the two main characters meet for the first time.
Baldoni outlined his reluctance to hand control of the “pivotal scene” over to Lively “rather than a union screenwriter,” but allegedly felt like he had no choice but to let her try.
Later, after the re-write was submitted, Baldoni was “summoned” to a meeting at the actress’s New York Penthouse to discuss the changes.
Once he arrived at the penthouse, Baldoni claims he was joined by her husband, and later, a “famous, and famously close, friend of Reynolds and Lively.”
The filing goes on to describe the “famous friend” who “walked into the room and similarly began praising Lively’s script.”
Such praise was interpreted by Baldoni, according to the filings, as pressure to agree with the edits, revealing he “understood the subtext: he needed to comply with Lively’s direction for the script.”
Where Is Taylor Swift Mentioned?
It was the alleged pressure of their post-edit meeting that prompted Baldoni to respond to Lively with a text message that noted his enthusiasm for her edited version.
Though the text doesn’t name Taylor Swift explicitly, it does mention “Taylor” alongside Reynolds as not having any bearing on his decision.
The related passage in the court documents reads: “Later, Baldoni felt obliged to text Lively to say that he had liked her pages and hadn’t needed Reynolds and her megacelebrity friend to pressure him.”
Lively responded with a text that read: “As for [redacted] and Ryan (and [redacted] for that matter). I’m the luckiest motherfucker on the planet to have them as my “Dance Moms” level stage moms. They are embarrassingly effusive.”
Further along, the Gossip Girl alum notes how they had each “checked in so many times” to see how Baldoni had responded, followed by a note that read: “Both Ryan and [Redacted] have established themselves as absolute titans as writers and storytellers outside of their primary gig – just singing or just acting or [redacted] just directing.
“I’m so lucky to have them as my creative barometers.”
Did Blake Lively Call Taylor Swift Her “Dragon”?
As part of the text exchange between Baldoni and Lively where they discussed her proposed edits of the key scene, the actress signed off with a reference to Game of Thrones protagonist Daenerys Targaryen. Namely likening the character’s mythological protectors to her own protective force.
After receiving the above response, Baldoni noted in the filings that “the message could not have been clearer.”
The It Ends With Us director was “not just dealing with Lively. He was also facing Lively’s “dragons,” two of the most influential and wealthy celebrities in the world, who were not afraid to make things difficult for him.”
So call it what you want, but as we know all too well, there’s little point in filling in the blank space left by Swift’s alleged – then redacted – inclusion.
Instead, it’s best to see how things play out in the end (game).
Related articles:
- Justin Baldoni Sues Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds For $400m
- Justin Baldoni Files $250 Million Lawsuit Against The Times
- The ‘It Ends With Us’ Lawsuit Fallout Continues For Justin Baldoni
