New York / Los Angeles: Taylor Swift’s legal team has told the court that the singer “did not agree” to sit for a deposition in the high-profile legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni though she is willing to appear if the judge compels it, with availability in the week of Oct. 20 due to prior commitments. The clarification, filed Friday, directly contradicts an earlier claim from Baldoni’s attorney that Swift had agreed to be deposed.
The dispute stems from Lively’s Dec. 2024 lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and retaliation on the set of It Ends With Us, which Baldoni has denied. He later filed a $400 million countersuit since dropped that referenced Swift and Ryan Reynolds in the context of creative pressure. The case is currently set for trial in March 2026 in the Southern District of New York.
Baldoni’s team asked the court to extend the discovery deadline (currently through late September) to accommodate Swift’s testimony in October. Swift’s attorneys counter that she has no material role in the matter and was only recently made aware of renewed efforts to involve her. A judge will determine both whether Swift must be deposed and whether the schedule will be extended.
Coverage has diverged across outlets: some reports framed Swift as having agreed to testify; however, People and Entertainment Weekly cite Swift’s court letter stating she hasn’t agreed appearing only if ordered by the court, and then between Oct. 20–25.
What’s next: The court will weigh the parties’ filings on whether Swift’s deposition is necessary and, if so, whether to push the discovery cutoff to fit her October window. Until then, Swift remains a potential third-party witness, not a confirmed deponent.
