LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift has been subpoenaed to testify in the escalating legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni over their film It Ends With Us, though the singer’s representatives insist she has no direct involvement with the production beyond contributing a single song.
A spokesperson for Swift, 35, said the subpoena is being used as “tabloid clickbait” and called her inclusion in the case “a distraction from the facts.” Swift’s only link to the project, they stressed, was the licensing of her song “My Tears Ricochet.” She had no input on casting, production, or editing, and was on a global tour during the film’s development and release.
“Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie. She was not involved in any casting or creative decisions,” her rep told PEOPLE. “She didn’t even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release.” The representative accused those behind the subpoena of using Swift’s celebrity to generate media interest in the case.
The film, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel, has become the center of a bitter legal feud. Lively, 37, filed suit in December, accusing her co-star and director Baldoni, 41, of sexual harassment, unprofessional behavior, and launching a retaliatory smear campaign. Baldoni has denied the allegations and filed a countersuit in January for defamation and extortion, naming Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicity team.
Among Baldoni’s more explosive claims is that he was pressured into accepting Lively’s rewrite of the film’s script, allegedly during a meeting at Lively and Reynolds’ New York penthouse. He alleges that Swift “began praising Lively’s script,” which he interpreted as a signal to go along with the changes. Baldoni referenced a follow-up text message in which he appeared to endorse the rewrites, saying they were “so much more fun and interesting” and that he “would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor,” punctuating the message with a playful emoji.
Lively reportedly replied by likening herself to Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen, calling Swift and Reynolds her “dragons” and later referring to them as “Dance Moms level stage moms.”
Reports also indicate that actor Hugh Jackman may be subpoenaed, though sources close to the matter say neither he nor Swift have any real knowledge of the behind-the-scenes conflict. “This is smoke and mirrors meant to distract from the allegations against Baldoni,” an insider said.
The feud has spilled into pop culture territory as well. Baldoni claims Reynolds mocked him in Deadpool & Wolverine through a sanitized character named “Nicepool,” who makes pointed remarks about on-set protocols and praises a female character played by Lively for her post-partum appearance — lines Baldoni believes are thinly veiled jabs.
In her own complaint, Lively alleges Baldoni fat-shamed her after she gave birth and behaved erratically on set. The trial, which will address both lawsuits, is scheduled to begin in March 2026.
Swift, Reynolds, and Lively, who are close friends and often seen together at public events including NFL games, have not publicly commented further. Swift is also the godmother to the couple’s four children.
