A federal judge declined Justin Baldoni’s last-minute bid to depose Taylor Swift in the litigation brought by Blake Lively, rejecting a request to extend the discovery deadline so Swift could be questioned after Oct. 20. In an order referenced in Friday coverage, the court found Baldoni’s side had not shown diligence or good cause to push the schedule, noting discovery has been underway for months and that prior efforts to subpoena Swift were withdrawn in May. The decision came hours after Swift’s counsel filed a letter stating the singer “did not agree to a deposition” and has “no material role” in the case, while acknowledging she would make herself available that week only if legally compelled.
The dispute is a flashpoint in a broader fight stemming from Lively’s December 2024 complaint accusing Baldoni and colleagues of sexual harassment and retaliation tied to the production of “It Ends With Us.” Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios countersued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and others for defamation and extortion, a case the judge dismissed in June, though limited contract-related claims were left open to amend. Trial in Lively’s suit is scheduled for March 2026.
Baldoni’s attorneys had argued this week that Swift had agreed to appear for questioning between Oct. 20 and 25 due to preexisting commitments, and sought to extend deadlines solely for that deposition. Lively’s team opposed the move, calling it an eleventh-hour tactic that risked cascading delays and contending Baldoni’s side had not pursued third-party testimony with reasonable speed. Swift’s lawyer, J. Douglas Baldridge, told the court his client first learned of the new deposition request only days earlier and reiterated that she lacks unique, material information for the case.
Swift’s name has surfaced intermittently in the matter because of her long friendship with Lively and a song licensed for the film’s trailer and closing sequence, but her representatives have stressed she had no creative role and did not visit the set. In June the court allowed Baldoni limited access to communications between Lively and Swift without requiring Swift’s appearance; Friday’s order removes the prospect of a live deposition within the current discovery window. The parties resume depositions of Baldoni and other defendants later this month as they race to complete fact discovery.
