Taylor Swift has hit out after being formally subpoenaed as a witness in the legal battle between Blake Lively and It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni.
The 35-year-old pop star, currently in the middle of her record-breaking Eras Tour, was issued a legal notice on Friday by Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman.
But Swift’s camp dismissed the move, calling it a blatant attempt to “draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait”.
A spokesperson for the pop star told DailyMail.com: "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."
They added that Swift’s only connection to the film was licensing her track ‘My Tears Ricochet’ from the 2020 album Folklore.
The spokesperson continued: "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’s legal team also condemned the subpoena and accused Baldoni’s camp of turning a serious legal matter into a media circus.
In a statement to People, Lively’s representative said: "Mr Baldoni, Mr Sarowitz, and team continue to turn a case of sexual harassment and retaliation into entertainment for the tabloids... Going as far as suggesting that they sell tickets to a concert venue – Madison Square Garden – to witness Ms Lively's deposition, to subpoenaing Taylor Swift, a woman who has given a voice to millions all over the world."
"This is a very serious legal matter, not Barnum & Bailey's Circus," the statement added.
The representative went on to say: "The defendants continue to publicly intimidate, bully, shame and attack women's rights and reputations. Including in the past month seeking to strike down for all, a powerful California victims' rights law, calling it 'unconstitutional'. The disturbing actions by a billionaire, men who made their careers as 'female allies' and their team continue to show their true colours."
The developments came just a day after Lively’s lawyer, Mike Gottlieb, confirmed the actress is prepared to testify in court. Speaking to People, he said: "The ultimate moment for a plaintiff's story to be told is at trial. We expect that to be the case here with Lively. Of course she’s going to testify."
He criticised the move to involve celebrities like Swift and Hugh Jackman. "It’s completely unclear what claims or defenses in the case any of these celebrities… have any relevance to at all," Gottlieb said. "This is a case about what happened to Blake Lively when she raised claims of sexual harassment on the set. It’s not a case about how songs were chosen for the movie. It’s not a case about fictional Marvel characters in Deadpool movies."
"You have to ask the question, then, why are these people being subpoenaed? Do they have any actual relevance to the case at hand? You can't just go around subpoenaing people because they're famous and you think it will generate a bunch of headlines. And the federal courts don't tolerate that kind of behaviour."
It is still unclear whether Lively’s husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, will be called to testify, as he is named as a defendant in Baldoni’s countersuit. Lively’s legal team is seeking to have those claims dismissed.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, responded by accusing Gottlieb of trying to deflect from the substance of the case.
“Although obviously uncomfortable for the Lively parties, the truth is not a distraction,” Freedman told People in a statement. “The truth has been clearly shown through unedited receipts, documents and real life footage. More to come.”
Freedman continued: “Blake was the one who brought her high-profile friends into this situation without concern for their own personal or public backlash. As the truth shows, she used her dragons to manipulate Justin at every turn.”
