Taylor Swift has been unexpectedly pulled into a legal battle between actors Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, with her representatives accusing those involved of using her name for “tabloid clickbait.”
The 35-year-old pop star was reportedly summoned to a US court after claims surfaced that she encouraged Baldoni to accept script re-writes by Lively for their film “It Ends With Us.”
Swift’s representatives, however, have categorically denied any creative involvement. “She was not involved in any casting or creative decision,” they stated. “She never saw an edit or made any notes on the film.”
The dispute between Baldoni, 41, and Lively, 37, began in December 2024 when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her.
Baldoni responded with a counter-suit, accusing Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy.
What began as a disagreement over the direction of the film has spiraled into a legal feud involving high-profile names.
According to Baldoni, the conflict traces back to a 2023 meeting at Lively’s New York home, where he was invited to discuss script changes.
He was reportedly surprised to find both Reynolds and Swift present. Baldoni claimed that Lively had described the two as her “dragons,” referencing a text message she sent him:
“If you ever get around to watching Game of Thrones, you’ll appreciate that I’m Khaleesi, and like her, I happen to have a few dragons. For better or worse, but usually better. Because my dragons also protect those I fight for.”
Baldoni, in response to Lively’s message, praised her creative input. “I really love what you did. It really does help a lot. Makes it so much more fun and interesting. (And I would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor),” he wrote.
He further complimented her, saying, “You really are a talent across the board. Really excited and grateful to do this together.” Despite his apparent enthusiasm at the time, the situation quickly soured.
Allegations also emerged that Swift was involved in the casting of Isabela Ferrer, who played a younger version of Lively’s character, Lily Bloom. At the film’s New York premiere, Ferrer mentioned, “She [Taylor Swift] was a helpful part of the audition, which I found out later when I got it, and that rocked my world.”
However, Swift’s representatives were quick to refute this, asserting that her only contribution was granting permission for the use of her song, “My Tears Ricochet,” as part of the film’s soundtrack.
“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, [and] she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film,” her spokesperson emphasized.
They also clarified that Swift did not watch “It Ends With Us” until “weeks after its release” due to her touring schedule.
This firm denial came as her team pushed back against what they described as an attempt to exploit her name for attention.
Swift’s representatives further criticized the decision to subpoena her, arguing that it was a strategic move to “draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case.”
As the legal dispute between Baldoni and Lively intensifies, Swift’s team has made it clear that the superstar is distancing herself from the conflict, maintaining that she had no role in the film’s creative process beyond licensing her music.
