Taylor Swift Withdraws Baldoni Subpoena as Blake Lively’s Camp Alleges Harassment
Celebrity legal theater is a marathon that occasionally pauses so someone can withdraw a subpoena and accuse their own friend’s acquaintance of harassment. In the latest act of this never-ending saga, Taylor Swift quietly dropped her subpoena for actor Justin Baldoni in the singer’s high-stakes trademark battle. According to court filings obtained by People Magazine, Swift had sought Baldoni’s communications with an unnamed NBA star as part of her countersuit against a pair of radio hosts who alleged she infringed their “Shake It Off” and “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” trademarks. The request vanished almost as fast as the hosts’ patience.
Swift’s legal pivot came just days after Blake Lively’s publicist issued an eyebrow-raising statement accusing Baldoni of “harassing” the pop superstar. The blunt memo—first reported by Page Six—claims Baldoni quietly prodded Swift with unwanted messages and legal posturing, presumably hoping to derail her countersuit. It’s unclear whether that involved dramatic late-night texts or a strongly worded LinkedIn invite, but either way, the complaint paints Baldoni as the villain in this otherwise button-pushing feud. Ironically, the only thing more exhausting than trademark litigation is a grown-up exclamation of “Stop texting me!”
Both camps have traded legal briefs instead of friendship bracelets. Swift’s lawyers let it be known that once they realized Baldoni’s testimony wasn’t germane to the central issue—the validity of two song-title trademarks—they yanked the subpoena without ceremony. Meanwhile, Lively’s team spun the withdrawal as vindication, insisting their harassment allegations forced Swift’s hand. It’s roughly equivalent to claiming victory because you stopped playing the game when it got too tedious. Sources close to Baldoni tell Variety that the actor denies any misconduct and will contest any suggestion he’s been anything other than polite.
The broader lawsuit itself still rumbles on: Swift wants the court to cancel the Peters’ trademarks and recoup her legal fees, while the radio duo insists they deserve licensing royalties for every festival wristband and coffee cup bearing her lyrics. In this world, “shake it off” apparently isn’t just a catchy hook—it’s a legal minefield. Despite the brief flare-up involving Baldoni, experts say the final ruling will hinge on trademark law minutiae, not celebrity friend networks.
In the end, the only real winner is the legal team that just billed another six-figure invoice. Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment—will there be more subpoenas, cease-and-desists, or just plain passive-aggressive tweets? Spoiler alert: probably yes.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Page Six, Variety
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
