A federal judge has denied Justin Baldoni’s request to extend the deadline to depose Taylor Swift in his ongoing legal battle with Blake Lively. According to court filings obtained by CNN, Judge Lewis Liman ruled that Baldoni’s legal team failed to show proper diligence. He noted that discovery had been open for six months and that no renewed subpoena for Swift had been served, calling their last-minute request “inappropriate.”
Baldoni’s lawyers argued they needed until late October to question Swift, claiming she had agreed to a deposition but could not appear before October 20 due to her schedule, including the October 3 release of her upcoming album The Life of a Showgirl. Swift’s attorneys pushed back, stating she never agreed to testify and only said she could make time the week of October 20 if the court required it. They also emphasized that Swift has no material role in the case.
Lively’s legal team accused Baldoni’s side of using Swift’s name to gain publicity. They said Baldoni’s lawyers failed to properly coordinate with Swift’s counsel and showed “disrespect for Ms. Swift’s privacy and schedule.”
While Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds has been dismissed, Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and retaliation remain active. Swift’s only confirmed connection to the film It Ends With Us is the licensing of her song “My Tears Ricochet,” and her representatives maintain she had no involvement in casting, editing, or creative decisions.
