Taylor Swift's name has been pulled back into the high-profile legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

In a court filing, Baldoni's attorneys say the singer has "agreed" to a deposition, but her team says that isn't the case.

Swift's lawyer J. Douglas Baldridge sent a letter to the judge, clarifying that Swift "did not agree."

"Since the inception of this matter we have consistently maintained that my client has no material role in this action," Baldridge wrote. "Further, my client did not agree to a deposition, but if she is forced into a deposition, we advised (after first hearing about the deposition just three days ago) that her schedule would accommodate the time required during the week of October 20 if the parties were able to work out their disputes. We take no role in those disputes."

'My Tears Ricochet'

The move marks a new chapter in the high-profile dispute tied to the 2024 film "It Ends With Us" where Swift's song "My Tears Ricochet" was used.

If the judge approves the request, Swift is expected to face questions about conversations she may have had with Lively concerning working conditions on the movie set. According to the filing, the singer-songwriter has agreed to appear, but cannot do so before Oct. 20 because of "preexisting professional obligations."

Lively's attorneys pushed back strongly against Baldoni's latest bid. In a reply letter filed Sept. 12, they said the Wayfarer Defendants — Baldoni and his producing partners — are using Swift's name as part of a media strategy.

"The Wayfarer Defendants have repeatedly sought to bring Ms. Swift into this litigation to fuel their relentless media strategy," Lively’s team wrote. "In this latest effort, the Wayfarer Defendants assert — though, notably, without evidence — that Ms. Swift has supposedly 'agreed' to sit for a deposition sometime between October 20-25."

Discovery in the case is nearing its end, with trial scheduled for March 9, 2026, in federal court in New York. On Sept. 11, Lively's lawyers asked the court to push the deadline for depositions from Sept. 30 to Oct. 10, accusing Baldoni's camp of delaying document production.

Swift's 12th album, "The Life of a Showgirl" comes out Oct. 3.

Licensing Swift's song

The involvement of Swift — who licensed her song "My Tears Ricochet" for the film — has been a flashpoint for months. In May, Baldoni's attorneys served subpoenas on both the pop star and her law firm, Venable LLP, before withdrawing them less than two weeks later. At the time, a spokesperson for Lively denounced the "harassing subpoenas."

"We supported the efforts of Taylor's team to quash these inappropriate subpoenas directed to her counsel and we will continue to stand up for any third party who is unjustly harassed or threatened in the process," the spokesperson said.

Swift's spokesperson also criticized the earlier attempt to pull her into the dispute. "Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists also did, this document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swift's name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case," the singer's rep said.

Judge Lewis Liman, who is presiding, sided with Baldoni's team in June on the narrower question of text messages. Lively had sought a protective order to shield her communications with Swift, but Liman ruled the materials could be relevant because Lively had previously identified Swift as someone with knowledge of conversations about the filming environment.

"Given that Lively has represented that Swift had knowledge of complaints or discussions about the working environment on the film, among other issues, the requests for messages with Swift regarding the film and this action are reasonably tailored to discover information that would prove or disprove Lively's harassment and retaliation claims," Liman wrote in his June 18 order.

The case has seen several dramatic turns. Earlier this summer, Liman dismissed Baldoni's widely publicized $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and The New York Times, though he allowed his lawyers to refile narrower claims.

With trial approaching, the focus has shifted squarely to discovery and to Swift, who despite her limited role in the film, could soon find herself answering questions.

Updated to include statement from Swift's lawyer.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Taylor Swift 'did not agree' to Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni deposition, her lawyer says

Reporting by Bryan West, USA TODAY NETWORK / Nashville Tennessean

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