May 12, 2025 — Pop superstar Taylor Swift has been drawn into a high-stakes legal dispute over the film It Ends With Us, as actor and director Justin Baldoni’s legal team issued a subpoena targeting the singer in a multimillion-dollar defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively.
The subpoena, filed this week, relates to a 2023 meeting at Lively’s New York residence, where Swift was allegedly present alongside Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds. Baldoni’s lawsuit claims that during this meeting, Lively and Reynolds endorsed a rewritten scene for the film, pressuring him to accept the changes. The legal filing suggests Swift’s presence amplified the influence exerted over Baldoni, though she is not accused of wrongdoing.
Baldoni’s $400 million suit against Lively alleges that she and Reynolds seized creative control of the project and later orchestrated a public campaign to tarnish his reputation with unfounded misconduct claims. The legal documents reference text messages in which Baldoni expressed feeling swayed by the star-studded meeting, highlighting the complex power dynamics at play.
A representative for Swift strongly denied any significant role in the film’s production, stating that her involvement was limited to licensing a song for the movie’s trailer and a single scene. The spokesperson described the subpoena as a tactical move to leverage Swift’s fame for media attention, asserting that she had no input on the film’s script, casting, or direction and only viewed the final film after its theatrical release.
The It Ends With Us controversy, based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, has escalated since Lively filed a harassment complaint against Baldoni late last year. Baldoni responded with countersuits targeting Lively, Reynolds, and a major publication, claiming defamation and seeking to clear his name.
Swift’s legal team is expected to challenge the subpoena soon, potentially arguing that her involvement is peripheral to the core dispute. As the court weighs the matter, the case continues to captivate Hollywood, with Swift’s unexpected inclusion adding yet another layer to an already star-driven saga.
The ongoing legal battle underscores the challenges of navigating creative control and public perception in high-profile film productions, leaving observers eager for the next development in this unfolding drama.
