Blake Lively’s Lawyers Slam Justin Baldoni Over Attempt to Depose Taylor Swift in IEWU Case

Justin Baldoni’s latest effort to involve Taylor Swift in his legal defense against Blake Lively’s sexual harassment and retaliation claims is facing strong opposition. In a new filing, Lively’s legal team condemned Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios colleagues for their attempt to depose Swift weeks after the discovery deadline had already passed.

Baldoni’s side argued that Swift could only be available for questioning during the week of October 20–25, 2025, citing her professional obligations, including the upcoming release of her highly anticipated album “The Life of a Showgirl” on October 3, 2025. However, Lively’s lawyer Michael J. Gottlieb called the request an abuse of process, labeling it part of a broader “relentless media strategy.”

“The Wayfarer Defendants’ lack of diligence, and disrespect for Ms. Swift’s privacy and schedule, is astounding,” Gottlieb stated. He emphasized that Baldoni’s team had six months of discovery to serve a subpoena or schedule the deposition but failed to act until the last minute.

The motion points out that Baldoni’s camp only contacted Swift’s counsel earlier this week and has offered no justification for why the deposition could not have been arranged earlier. Judge Lewis Liman, who is overseeing the case, will decide whether the request to extend discovery and depose Swift will be granted as the trial approaches on March 9, 2026.

This isn’t the first time Swift’s name has surfaced in the dispute. She was previously dragged into the spotlight back in May 2025, when Baldoni’s lawyers floated the idea of her deposition, sparking a media frenzy. Swift also contributed her song “My Tears Ricochet” to Lively’s cut of It Ends With Us and was referenced in crisis PR documents from Baldoni’s team, where strategists discussed framing her and others in Lively’s circle as weaponizing feminism.

While there has been speculation that Swift and Lively’s friendship has cooled under the strain of the controversy, Swift remains the godmother to one of Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ children. Meanwhile, her personal life continues to attract attention, with her upcoming wedding to NFL star Travis Kelce fueling tabloid speculation.

For now, what’s clear is that Swift — in the midst of preparing for the launch of “The Life of a Showgirl” — is unlikely to appear for a deposition unless Judge Liman rules otherwise.