It seems Taylor Swift just had her “wildest dreams” come true: lawyers representing Justin Baldoni have dropped their subpoena against her, marking the latest update in his “It Ends With Us” lawsuit against costar Blake Lively.
The “Look What You Made Me Do” singer’s subpoena made headlines last week after Baldoni’s team alleged that the “Gossip Girl” alum’s lawyers had threatened to expose personal text messages from the singer in exchange for her public support.
Justin Baldoni Withdraws His Subpoena Against Taylor Swift
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On May 22, Baldoni’s legal team withdrew its subpoena against the “Shake It Off” singer. Baldoni’s lawyers had filed paperwork seeking information about how involved Swift was in the creation of the film, given speculation that she was involved in everything from script changes to casting.
Deadline was the first to report the news, who noted that Swift’s team responded to the legal update with “no comment,” while they had yet to hear back from reps for Baldoni or Wayfarer Studios, who recently closed down their Wayfarer Foundation due to the mounting legal fees in their dueling lawsuits.
Baldoni’s Team Alleged That Blake Lively Threatened Taylor Swift
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As The Blast previously reported, Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s attorney, argued in court papers that he had received a tip from a “source who is highly likely to have reliable information” about Swift’s involvement in the film.
Freedman claimed that Lively’s attorney contacted Swift’s attorney and “demanded that Ms. Swift release a statement of support for Ms. Lively,” as well as “intimating that if Ms. Swift refused to do so, private text messages of a personal nature in Ms. Lively’s possession would be released.”
Freedman argued that “those communications” would come to light with the subpoena, which has now been withdrawn.
Blake Lively’s Lawyer Slams Those Text Message Allegations
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Mike Gottlieb, an attorney for Blake Lively, told PEOPLE magazine that Baldoni’s allegations were “categorically false,” adding, “We unequivocally deny all of these so-called allegations, which are cowardly sourced to supposed anonymous sources, and completely untethered from reality.”
He went on to say, “This is what we have come to expect from the Wayfarer parties’ lawyers, who appear to love nothing more than shooting first, without any evidence, and with no care for the people they are harming in the process. We will imminently file motions with the court to hold these attorneys accountable for their misconduct here.”
Taylor Swift Was Not Happy To Be Dragged Into The Subpoena
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In an August 2024 interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, Lively thanked Swift for allowing her to use her song, “My Tears Ricochet,” in the film’s trailer and soundtrack. However, she also took things one step further, and insinuated that Swift’s involvement extended just beyond her music.
“She was with me throughout this whole process. So I think that, for better or worse, she, you know, experienced the whole thing with me,” she said at the time. However, Swift’s rep strongly denied the suggestion that the “Love Story” singer was involved with the film shortly after news of the subpoena broke.
Taylor Swift’s Rep Slams ‘Tabloid Clickbait’ Claims
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“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,” the singer’s rep said in a statement.
“The connection Taylor had to this film was permitting the use of one song, ‘My Tears Ricochet,’” the statement 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.”
It is unclear where their friendship currently stands. As The Blast previously reported, the “Cruel Summer” singer has reportedly “halted” their friendship, with a source previously telling PEOPLE magazine, “Taylor wants no part in this drama.” Other sources have indicated that, while they are still friends, they are “taking some space” as Lively’s legal battle continues.
