One of the biggest stars in the music has been relieved by decisive ruling Taylor Swift Will not be removed from the ongoing legal battle It ends with us Co-star Blake Lively and Justin Baldoniaccording to the decision of the federal judge on Friday night (September 12, 2025) Lewis Lieman.
The ruling effectively ends a dramatic 24-hour legal legend that is a contradiction of whether the Grammy-winning artist actually agrees to testify in a sexual harassment case. Judge Liman confirmed Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios team “failed to show proper diligence” and waited too long to apply for testimony.
Swift never agreed to testify
Despite the claims of the Bardoni legal team, Swift agreed to the testimony, the pop star's lawyers quickly set a record. “My client disagrees with the testimony, but if she is forced to testify, we recommend (after hearing the testimony for the first time three days ago) that if the parties can resolve their dispute, her schedule will be adapted to the October 20th time.” Douglas Baldridge.
The chaos began on Thursday (September 11, 2025) when Bardoni's lawyer filed court documents Claims Swift agrees to be questioned under oath. However, Swift’s legal team responded within hours, clarifying that the “Love Story” singer never really agreed to the testimony and would only participate when the court ordered it.
Too few, too late for Bardoni's team
Judge Liman's ruling highlights the timing of the eventual destiny of Bardoni's demand. “The only reason they provided for the extension was that they asserted that Swift's pre-existing professional obligations have now prevented her from appearing in testimony by October 20, 2025,” the judge wrote. The fact that the Bardoni case is even more damaging is that the discovery has been going on for about six months, but his team waited until the last few days to contact Swift's representatives.
The judge noted that Bardoni's team had previously summoned Swift in May 2025 but eventually withdrew the request. “They provided no evidence that they had already provided a new subpoena on Swift. So, at most, Wayfarer partisan proof, arranged testimony now raised logistical difficulties; this did not answer questions about why the deposition could not be done earlier.”
Blake Lively's lawyers did not reject Baldoni's last-minute criticism. Lively's legal team noted in court filings: “Wayfarer defendants have repeatedly tried to bring Ms. Swift into this lawsuit to fuel her relentless media strategy.” They described the timing as “amazing” about Swift's privacy and a packed schedule.
“Ms. Swift is a person's calendar and should assume a professional obligation of several months in advance. At any time in the past six months, the defendants could have noticed the testimony, served the subpoena and negotiated a time and place that could be consecrated. But they did not.”
Litigation background
The basic case stems from Lively's allegation that Baldoni sexually harassed her during filming It ends with us Then, when she complained, she was smeared. although Baldoni is fired for Lively and her husband Ryan ReynoldsLively continues to pursue her claims of sexual harassment and revenge.
Swift’s connection to the case was through a long friendship with Lively and her contribution to the song “My Tears Ricochet” on the movie’s soundtrack. In June, Judge Liman approved a request for Baldoni to access text messages between Swift and Lively during part of the discovery process, although the contents of these communications remain under the court seal.
What's next
With Swift officially standing out, the case moves forward without one of the biggest potential witnesses of entertainment. The trial is scheduled to be held on March 9, 2026, and the deposition of major political parties must be completed by September 30, 2025. Judge Liman did extend Grant Lively's team a 10-day extension to expel Baldoni and his two Wayfarer Studios co-founders and cited delays in document production.
The ruling represents a swift and lively victory, effectively closing the attempts that many believe to have attracted media attention by engaging in one of the world’s most famous celebrities in the already high-profile Hollywood legal battle.
