Taylor Swift’s voice may make a cameo in “It Ends With Us” — the 2024 film now embroiled in legal drama — but a representative for the pop star says that’s where her involvement in the movie ends.
Swift was reportedly subpoenaed by the legal team of the film’s director and star, Justin Baldoni, in his lawsuit against his co-star and Swift’s friend, Blake Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and Lively’s publicist, according to TMZ and other outlets.
The legal saga erupted late last year when Lively accused Baldoni, along with his team, of orchestrating a smear campaign against her after she reported on-set sexual harassment. Baldoni filed a countersuit alleging that Lively’s accusations are baseless and have caused serious harm to his career, reputation and personal life, further escalating the high-interest legal brawl.
In a statement to The Times on Friday, a spokesperson for Swift denied that the singer had any level of involvement in the film beyond agreeing to license her song “My Tears Ricochet” to be used in the trailer and a scene.
“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 spokesperson said, alluding to her record-breaking Eras Tour.
“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,” the statement continued.
Swift’s name became a part of the conversation when documents Baldoni’s team published online alluded to a “a famous, and famously close, friend of Reynolds and Lively.” Lively and Swift have been friends for more than a decade and have collaborated professionally in addition to making high-profile social appearances together, like at last year’s Super Bowl.
Baldoni’s team alleges that Reynolds and the unnamed “megacelebrity friend” “pressured” him to accept changes Lively made to the script.
Lively, according to the documents published online, allegedly sent a message to Baldoni referring to herself as the character “Khaleesi” from “Game of Thrones,” and Swift and Reynolds as her “dragons.”
“My dragons also protect those I fight for,” Lively allegedly texted Baldoni. “So really we all benefit from those gorgeous monsters of mine. You will too, I can promise you.”
A rep for Taylor gave a blistering response to DailyMail.com which read: ‘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 rep notes that the only involvement Taylor had in the film was the use of one of her tracks titled My Tears Ricochet which was off of her 2020 album Folklore.
The statement concluded: ‘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 later shared her response to Swift being subpoenaed on Friday.
Her legal team slammed Baldoni’s lawyers for issuing the subpoena to the Grammy winner and also clapped back at the suggestion that tickets be sold to Lively’s deposition, per People.
In a statement, the actress’s rep 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 rep also added that, ‘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 colors.’
This comes a day after Blake’s attorney, Mike Gottlieb, opened up about who is set to take the stand in his client’s upcoming trial involving her It Ends with Us costar Justin.
On Thursday, the actress’s attorney confirmed that his client, 37, is prepared to speak under oath in court.
In response to whether Lively will testify, Gottlieb confirmed she would, as expected, ‘be a witness at her trial.’
‘The ultimate moment for a plaintiff’s story to be told is at trial. We expect that to be the case here [with Lively],’ he told People. ‘Of course she’s going to testify.’
Amid speculation that some of Lively’s closest friends, like Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman, may be subpoenaed, Gottlieb said ‘it’s completely unclear what claims or defenses in the case any of these celebrities… have any relevance to at all.’
‘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,’ he explained.
Gottlieb went on to point out: ‘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 behavior.’
At this time, he explained it is uncertain if Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, will testify as he is currently named as a defendant in Baldoni’s countersuit.
Lively’s team is working to get those claims dismissed.
Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman hit back at Gottlieb’s remarks and accused him of trying to deflect from 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.’
Freedman’s final remark was a nod to Lively’s alleged text messages to Baldoni, in which she referred to Swift and Reynolds ‘dragons.’
In the alleged texts, she compared herself to Khaleesi from Game of Thrones and explained ‘for better or worse’ her ‘dragons’ protect what she fights for.
In regards to Reynolds’ alleged misconduct, Freedman claimed: ‘Ryan’s involvement is very well documented and we continue to discover more intentional misconduct. Was Disney actually complicit in Ryan using shareholder revenues to further a personal grudge? I would be surprised to learn that this type of corporate waste would not lead to much more exposure for those that have been complicit in affecting shareholder revenue.’
In December, Lively filed an 80-page civil rights complaint with the California Civil Rights Department against, before officially filing a federal lawsuit just weeks later.
That same month, Lively sued Baldoni amid claims of sexual harassment during production of the motion picture. In her lawsuit, the Gossip Girl alumna accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her in multiple ways — including body shaming her — and orchestrating a smear campaign against her to damage her reputation.
Baldoni and his reps have said in response to the lawsuit that Lively twisted the meaning of text messages and mislead the public about their interactions while making the motion picture.
In her lawsuit, Lively named a number of Baldoni’s collaborators, including his company Wayfarer Studios, the studio’s CEO and financial backer, and PR personnel Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel.
Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman hit back at Gottlieb’s remarks and accused him of trying to deflect from the case; Baldoni seen in 2024
‘I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,’ Lively told The New York Times the day after she filed the complaint.
Baldoni subsequently sued the newspaper for $250 million in a defamation claim over a December 21 story titled ‘”We Can Bury Anyone”: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.’ The newspaper has denied the allegations.
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Baldoni on January 16 filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane, alleging defamation and extortion. Baldoni told the court the trio had concocted ‘false accusations of sexual harassment’ against him.
Since Lively’s complaint was filed, Baldoni has faced a number of professional consequences, including a lawsuit from a former publicist; and being dropped by the agency WME, which also reps Lively and Reynolds.
WME has denied claims that Lively and Reynolds leaned on them to release Baldoni from their client roster, according to Variety.
Lawyers for both parties were in accordance with a plan to compound both federal cases filed into one moving forward.
In December, Lively filed an 80-page civil rights complaint with the California Civil Rights Department against, before officially filing a federal lawsuit just weeks later (seen in the 2024 It Ends With Us film)
It Ends with Us, which also starred Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar and Kevin McKidd, arrived in theaters August 9 and was a hit with audiences. The film, adapted from the 2016 Colleen Hoover novel, earned $148 million in domestic box office, and $350 million globally, according to Box Office Mojo.
Lively broke out with the 2005 movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants opposite Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel and America Ferrera. That led to her high-profile role on the TV show Gossip Girl, which she starred on from 2007-2012, playing lead character Serena van der Woodsen.
She has also appeared in movies such as 2010’s The Town, 2016’s The Shallows, 2018’s A Simple Favor and 2020’s The Rhythm Section.
Prior to It Ends with Us, Baldoni was best known for playing the role of Rafael Solano on the TV show Jane the Virgin from 2014–2019. He also has directed films including 2019’s Five Feet Apart and 2020’s Clouds, and penned the 2021 book Man Enough, which tackled misconceptions of contemporary masculinity.
Inside Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Break from the Spotlight — and Why ‘It’s a Special Time for Them’ (Exclusive Source)
The 14-time Grammy winner and Kansas City Chiefs tight end began dating in 2023
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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are making the most of their time off.
The 14-time Grammy winner and the Kansas City Chiefs star have enjoyed some downtime following her Eras Tour and the Chiefs’ run for a three-peat Super Bowl win.
“They have been traveling nonstop and very much enjoy it,” a source tells PEOPLE exclusively. “They are making the most of their time off together. They are hanging out with friends, too. It’s a special time for them.”
The insider says that Swift, 35, and Kelce, 35, are “very serious and in sync,” adding: “They value the same things. Right now, the focus is very much on private time out of the spotlight.”
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Swift and Kelce’s break from the spotlight comes after Swift completed her record-breaking Eras Tour in December 2024. Kelce was unable to attend her last show in Vancouver, but he surprised her with an Eras Tour-themed party, where family and friends celebrated the triumphant run of shows.
Everyone dressed up as their favorite era, wore friendship bracelets and Swift was given the “22” hat by Kelce as well.
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Meanwhile, Kelce wrapped up his 12th season with the Chiefs in February after the team lost the Super Bowl to the Philadelphia Eagles with Swift in attendance. In late February, Kelce confirmed that he wouldn’t be retiring and returning to the Chiefs in the fall after weeks of speculation.
Kelce and Swift have been very supportive of each other since taking their romance public. Kelce has attended several Eras Tour concerts throughout its run, while Swift went to many Chiefs games during the regular season, the playoffs and even the Super Bowl.
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The pair began dating in 2023 and went public with their relationship that September when the “Cruel Summer” singer attended a Chiefs game to support Kelce.
The couple was most recently spotted out and about in March. Kelce and Swift were in Park City, Utah early March, per a video published by Deuxmoi. The couple also stepped out for dinner in New York City on March 14.
They also vacationed in Montana after the NFL season ended.
How Blake Lively and ‘Hurt’ Taylor Swift Were ‘Able to Recover’ Friendship amid Justin Baldoni Lawsuit (Exclusive Source)
Blake Lively knew that she and Taylor Swift “would come back from this,” a source says, after the pop star was implicated in the ‘It Ends with Us’ legal drama
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Taylor Swift and Blake Lively’s friendship is weathering the storm.
Swift “was really hurt,” a source tells PEOPLE, after being implicated in Lively’s ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni over behind-the-scenes conflict on their movie It Ends with Us.
Lively, 37, referred to the pop star, 35, as one of her “dragons” in an alleged text exchange, according to a complaint Baldoni filed in January, which claimed that Swift had pressured him to accept rewrites on the movie. The latest development in Lively v. Wayfarer Studios et al. is the reported possibility that Swift could be among those served with subpoenas.
“Blake knew she and Taylor would come back from this at some point and that their friendship wasn’t done for good,” the insider says of the legal difficulties.
“Taylor was really hurt by this situation, so she’s relieved they were able to recover from this and put it all behind them because it wasn’t something she took lightly,” they add.
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Swift, whose song “my tears ricochet” was used in It Ends With Us and its trailer, has yet to publicly comment on Lively and Baldoni’s legal back and forth.
The Gossip Girl alum first sued her director-costar in December, accusing him of sexual harassment, “disturbing” and “unprofessional” behavior on set and a retaliatory smear campaign. Baldoni has denied the allegations and, in January, filed a countersuit for defamation and extortion against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicity team.
Among Baldoni’s claims are that Swift and Reynolds, 48, pressured him into accepting one of Lively’s rewrites for screenwriter Christy Hall’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover‘s hit novel. In the complaint, the Jane the Virgin alum described an alleged meeting at Lively and Reynolds’ penthouse where Swift “began praising Lively’s script. Baldoni understood the subtext: he needed to comply with Lively’s direction.”
In an alleged text exchange following that interaction, Baldoni told Lively that her script changes were “so much more fun and interesting” and that he “would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor,” adding a playful emoji. She allegedly responded by comparing herself to Khaleesi from Game of Thrones, calling her husband and Swift her “dragons” and later her “Dance Moms level stage moms.”
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Swift is both a longtime friend of Lively and Reynolds and godmother to the couple’s four children: James, 10, Inez, 8, Betty, 5, and Olin, 2. Along with Reynolds’ Deadpool & Wolverine costar Hugh Jackman, the friends have been spotted together on numerous occasions, including at NFL games in support of Swift’s boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
The trial for Lively v. Wayfarer Studios et al., which will cover both lawsuits, is scheduled for March 2026.
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