BLAKE LIVELY: TAYLOR SWIFT MY DRAGON
TAYLOR SWIFT SUBPOENAED BECAUSE BLAKE LIVELY REFERRED TO HER AS ONE OF HER "DRAGONS"
BY SNN.BZ STAFF
Timeline of Lively v. Wayfarer Studios et al. Case Events (Up to Taylor Swift Subpoena)
- August 9, 2024: It Ends With Us, directed by and starring Justin Baldoni alongside Blake Lively, is released in theaters. Public speculation arises about on-set tensions due to Lively’s and Baldoni’s differing promotional approaches and reports of creative disagreements.
- December 20, 2024: Blake Lively files a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against Justin Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios, CEO Jamey Heath, co-founder Steve Sarowitz, publicist Jennifer Abel, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, and others. Lively alleges sexual harassment by Baldoni during filming, including inappropriate behavior during intimate scenes and body-shaming comments, as well as a retaliatory smear campaign to damage her reputation after she raised concerns.
- December 21, 2024: The New York Times publishes an article titled “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” detailing Lively’s allegations and claiming Baldoni and his team orchestrated a social media campaign to discredit her. This amplifies public attention and prompts responses from both sides.
- December 27, 2024 (approx.): Lively files a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (Lively v. Wayfarer Studios LLC et al., 1:24-cv-10049) against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and associated parties, reiterating claims of sexual harassment, retaliation, and a coordinated smear campaign. The lawsuit alleges violations of federal and California state laws.
- December 31, 2024: Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and associated parties file a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, alleging the newspaper’s article was libelous and based on misleading information from Lively’s complaint. They claim the article misrepresented their actions and took communications out of context.
- January 2025: Baldoni files a $400 million defamation and extortion countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane, and Vision PR, Inc. (Wayfarer Studios LLC v. Lively et al., 1:25-cv-00449). The suit alleges Lively and Reynolds orchestrated a smear campaign to ruin Baldoni’s reputation, claiming Lively attempted to “hijack” the film by leveraging her influence, including through script changes. Text messages included in the filing reference a 2023 meeting at Lively’s New York home attended by Reynolds and a “megacelebrity friend” (later confirmed as Taylor Swift), where Lively’s script revisions were discussed. Baldoni also alleges Reynolds mocked him via the “Nicepool” character in Deadpool & Wolverine.
- January 23, 2025: Judge Lewis J. Liman issues an order to show cause why the two cases (Lively v. Wayfarer Studios and Wayfarer Studios v. Lively) should not be consolidated for trial, citing overlapping issues. The court plans to set a trial date for March 9, 2026.
- January 27, 2025: The court reschedules the initial pretrial conference to February 3, 2025, and directs parties to submit a case management plan by January 30, 2025, to prepare for the March 2026 trial.
- January 30, 2025: Lively and Reynolds submit a joint letter proposing a case management plan, as directed by the court.
- January 31, 2025: Baldoni and co-defendants file an amended complaint in their defamation suit, including a timeline of events and further details to support their claims against Lively, Reynolds, and others.
- February 19, 2025: Lively files an amended complaint, alleging that other women on the It Ends With Us set also raised concerns about Baldoni’s behavior, broadening the scope of her harassment claims.
- February 2025 (early): Motions are filed by Lively, Reynolds, and The New York Times to dismiss Baldoni’s defamation lawsuits, arguing the claims lack legal merit and are retaliatory. Reynolds’ attorney specifically contends that Baldoni’s allegations amount to “hurt feelings” rather than actionable legal claims.
- February 14-28, 2025: Discovery disputes arise, with Baldoni’s team filing a letter motion regarding subpoenas, prompting the court to order parties to confer and report back by February 24, 2025. On February 28, Judge Liman grants in part and denies in part the motion to quash subpoenas, with further motions pending.
- April 2025: Reports surface that Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman could be subpoenaed due to their close ties to Lively and Reynolds. Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, indicates that anyone with
relevant knowledge will be deposed, though sources close to Lively dismiss these claims as distractions. - May 9-10, 2025: Taylor Swift is officially subpoenaed by Bryan Freedman on behalf of Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and associated parties. The subpoena seeks information about Swift’s communications with Lively, particularly regarding a 2023 meeting where Lively’s script changes were discussed. Swift’s spokesperson denounces the subpoena as a “tabloid clickbait” tactic, emphasizing her minimal involvement (licensing “My Tears Ricochet” for the film) and absence from the set. Lively’s team also criticizes the move, accusing Baldoni’s team of turning a serious case into a spectacle and attempting to intimidate women.
