In the latest twist in the contentious legal battle surrounding the 2024 romance film "It Ends With Us," Taylor Swift has been drawn into the fray, sparking a heated response from her team.
The film, starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, who also directed and co-produced it, has been marred by behind-the-scenes conflicts between its leading stars. The dispute escalated in January when Baldoni filed a defamation lawsuit against Lively, alleging that she hijacked control of the film's creative direction.
At the center of this legal storm is Taylor Swift, who has been subpoenaed by Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, as a witness in the case. The subpoena suggests that Swift was involved in the film's creative decisions, citing an instance where Lively allegedly invited Baldoni to her penthouse to discuss ideas while Swift was present. This, according to the lawsuit, made Baldoni feel pressured to approve Lively's suggestions due to Swift's influential presence[2][3].
However, Swift's team has vehemently denied any such involvement. In a statement to Good Morning America, a spokesperson for Swift emphasized that her role in the film was strictly limited to licensing her song "My Tears Ricochet" for use in the movie. "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, and she did not even see 'It Ends With Us' until weeks after its public release," the spokesperson clarified[1][3].
Swift's team has also accused Baldoni of using her name to generate public interest, labeling the subpoena as "tabloid clickbait." The spokesperson noted that Swift was traveling globally during 2023 and 2024 for her highly successful "Eras Tour" and had no connection to the film beyond the song licensing. "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 spokesperson added[1][3].
This development is just one of several in the ongoing legal feud between Lively and Baldoni. Lively has filed an amended version of her lawsuit against Baldoni, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, has filed a motion to dismiss Baldoni's complaint against him. The case continues to unfold, with Swift's involvement now a contentious point of debate[3].
As the legal battle intensifies, it remains to be seen how Swift's testimony, if required, will impact the outcome of the case. For now, her team's strong denial of any creative involvement in "It Ends With Us" underscores the complex and often dramatic nature of Hollywood disputes.