NEW YORK (2025-09-13 04:47:00) — A federal judge has shut down actor Justin Baldoni’s late attempt to bring pop superstar Taylor Swift into the legal battle surrounding Blake Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and retaliation during the filming of It Ends With Us.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ruled on Friday that Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios waited too long to request Swift’s deposition. The judge did, however, grant Lively a 10-day extension to depose Baldoni and two others, citing the defendants’ delays in producing documents. For Swift, however, the judge found no “good cause” for a similar delay.
“The only justification [Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties] have provided for the extension is their assertion that Swift’s preexisting professional obligations now prevent her from appearing for a deposition prior to October 20, 2025,” Judge Liman wrote in his order. He pointed out that the Wayfarer parties hadn’t explained when they began trying to schedule the deposition, noting that discovery in the case had been ongoing for about six months.
The judge recalled that Baldoni had previously sought Swift’s deposition in May 2025 but then withdrew the subpoena. “They have offered no evidence that they have served a renewed subpoena on Swift,” Liman stated. “Thus, at most, the Wayfarer parties have demonstrated that scheduling the deposition now presents logistical difficulties; that does not answer the question of why the deposition could not have been conducted earlier.” He concluded, “Having failed to demonstrate appropriate diligence, the requested extension is denied.”
Baldoni’s lawyer, Ellyn S. Garofalo, had claimed in a letter filed Thursday that Swift had “agreed” to a deposition but couldn’t make it before October 20. She requested an extension of the September 30 discovery deadline to accommodate this. However, Swift’s lawyer, J. Douglas Baldridge, refuted this in a letter to the judge on Friday, stating that his client “did not agree to a deposition.”
Baldridge clarified that Swift had informed Baldoni’s team that her busy schedule would prevent her from accommodating a deposition before October 20, should she be compelled to provide one. While he didn’t specify the conflict, Swift has recently been engaged to Travis Kelce and was preparing for the release of her album, *The Life of a Showgirl*, set for October 3.
Lively, 38, is suing Baldoni, 41, and Wayfarer Studios, alleging that Baldoni subjected her to “disturbing” sexual harassment during the production of *It Ends With Us*. She claims he then launched a retaliatory campaign to discredit her. Lively’s accusations include an incident during filming where Baldoni allegedly improvised a scene, leaning in to whisper to her neck, “It smells so good.” She also claims he attempted to include a graphic sex scene and intrusively asked about her and her husband, Ryan Reynolds’, sexual practices.
Swift became involved when Baldoni filed a defamation lawsuit against Lively, alleging Swift was present during a key meeting at Lively’s Tribeca penthouse where script changes were discussed. Baldoni claimed Swift, initially referred to only as “megacelebrity,” supported Lively’s proposed script alterations along with Reynolds. He also cited a text message from Lively referring to Swift and Reynolds as her “dragons,” which he interpreted as a threat that Lively could enlist Swift to cause him significant problems.
Did you know? A representative for Swift previously stated she was not involved in the film’s production in any creative capacity, calling the subpoena an attempt to generate “tabloid clickbait.”
In a separate letter filed before the judge’s ruling, one of Lively’s lawyers criticized Baldoni’s team for an “astounding” lack of regard for Swift’s privacy and schedule. Michael J. Gottlieb, Lively’s lawyer, urged the court to reject Baldoni’s request for a late deposition, accusing Wayfarer of repeatedly trying to involve Swift to fuel a “relentless media strategy.” Gottlieb noted that Wayfarer asserted, without evidence, that Swift had agreed to a deposition between October 20-25, nearly three weeks after discovery was set to close.
Gottlieb emphasized that Swift’s calendar is undoubtedly packed with professional obligations months in advance. He argued that Wayfarer could have scheduled the deposition at any point over the previous six months but failed to do so. He also pointed out their previous notice of Swift’s deposition in May 2025, which was accompanied by significant press coverage, only to be withdrawn later.
Gottlieb also claimed Baldoni and Wayfarer failed to explain why Swift’s deposition was necessary, accusing them of trying to create a “media spectacle.”
Swift and Lively were once public friends, but they haven’t been seen together in months. Lively’s legal dispute with Baldoni first surfaced when a report detailed her filing a complaint against him with the California Civil Rights Department.
