Taylor Swift has agreed to give evidence in the legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni but will be available for deposition only after the pop star’s new album is released, according to court filings obtained Friday by Page Six.
Court documents filed in federal court say Swift, 35, is unavailable to testify earlier because of professional commitments tied to the Oct. 3 release of her album "The Life of a Showgirl." Counsel for Baldoni asked a judge to extend the discovery cutoff so Swift could be deposed the week of Oct. 20–25, a scheduling request that Lively’s attorney, Ellyn S. Garofalo, described in filings as narrowly tailored. "Wayfarer Parties requested an agreement solely to take the deposition of Taylor Swift during the week of October 20-25 due to Ms. Swift’s preexisting professional obligations," Garofalo told U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman. The filings add that Swift will be available beginning Oct. 20 but not earlier.
The development follows months of litigation between Lively and Baldoni that has intermittently pulled in other public figures. Lively sued Baldoni in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and lost wages. In January, Baldoni filed a counterclaim that referenced Swift and accused Lively of defamation and extortion. Baldoni’s January suit was dismissed by a judge in June, but his and Lively’s legal dispute continues in separate proceedings.
Swift was subpoenaed as a witness in May, but her representative pushed back, saying the singer’s only connection to the dispute was permitting use of one song, "My Tears Ricochet," in the film adaptation of "It Ends With Us." "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," Swift’s spokesperson said at the time. The subpoena was dropped later that month.
Court papers show Baldoni’s legal team says an extension is necessary because of Swift’s preexisting professional obligations; the deposition would occur only if Judge Liman agrees to modify the discovery schedule. A representative for Swift did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment, and Page Six reported that representatives for Baldoni and Lively also did not immediately reply.
The litigation has prompted media coverage about its wider social and personal implications. Page Six and other outlets have reported that Swift felt "used" after being drawn into the dispute. Other reports, including from the Daily Mail, have suggested strain in Swift’s long-running friendship with Lively, who has known Swift since 2015; those reports cited unnamed sources and have not been independently confirmed. Baldoni’s legal team was also reported to be facing new harassment claims from an unnamed individual alleging repeated negative interactions and verbal abuse; Baldoni’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment on those allegations.
How the court rules on the requested extension will determine whether Swift’s deposition proceeds in late October. Until a judge rules, the parties remain in discovery and the dispute between Lively and Baldoni continues to unfold in filings and media coverage.