Judge Rejects Justin Baldoni’s Request To Depose Taylor Swift In Blake Lively Legal Battle

A judge denied Justin Baldoni’s request for a 30-day extension to depose Taylor Swift in his legal dispute with Blake Lively. Judge Lewis J. Liman rejected the extension Friday, effectively ending Baldoni’s attempt to question Swift under oath. Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman claimed Swift “agreed to appear for deposition,” but her lawyer J. Douglas Baldridge disputed this, writing “my client did not agree to a deposition.” The judge granted Lively’s separate request for a 10-day extension due to Wayfarer Studios producing nearly 80,000 pages of documents late in discovery. Lively filed harassment and defamation claims against Baldoni over their film It Ends With Us, while Baldoni countersued for $400 million alleging defamation and extortion. The case goes to trial March 9, 2026. (Story URL)