Taylor Swift skipped the 2025 American Music Awards to avoid questions about Blake Lively’s legal feud and the subpoena she received.
Taylor Swift may have been nominated for six awards at the 2025 American Music Awards, but fans were left stunned when the superstar was a no-show—and now, the reason behind her absence has been revealed.
According to new reports, Swift made the conscious decision to skip the AMAs due to the ongoing legal drama surrounding former close friend Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni. What started as a heated behind-the-scenes battle turned personal for Taylor Swift when she was unexpectedly served with a subpoena connected to Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation countersuit. Although the subpoena was later withdrawn, the fallout left Swift deeply uncomfortable.
“She avoided the AMAs because she didn’t want to deal with 1000s of questions about the Blake Lively saga,” a source told the Daily Mail, adding that the topic has become all-consuming and “it is all anyone wants to talk about.”
Despite expectations that Swift might appear virtually or use the opportunity to announce her eagerly awaited Reputation (Taylor’s Version), she chose to stay away entirely. Sources say Taylor Swift was exhausted by the constant chatter surrounding the case and wanted to steer clear of the media frenzy.
The singer was originally dragged into the drama when Justin Baldoni’s legal team subpoenaed her in connection with the countersuit. While it came as a shock to fans, Taylor Swift’s representatives quickly clarified that she had no involvement in the film’s production. “She did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes, and didn’t even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release,” her rep explained. At the time, Taylor Swift had been traveling the globe on her record-breaking tour throughout 2023 and 2024.
Though Justin Baldoni’s legal team eventually pulled the subpoena, sources claim the move had little to do with public backlash. Instead, someone in Taylor Swift’s inner circle reportedly handed over evidence that Blake Lively’s team had “threatened to leak” private texts between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively in an effort to secure Taylor Swift’s public support. That whistleblower, insiders allege, was Taylor Swift’s father, Scott Swift, who voluntarily provided the information in a deal that resulted in the subpoena being dropped.
Since the incident, Taylor Swift and Lively’s once-famous friendship has reportedly hit pause. “Their friendship has halted,” a source told People Magazine. Another insider clarified that while the two aren’t officially on the outs, they are “taking some space” while Taylor Swift tries to distance herself from the situation.
Privately, Taylor Swift is said to feel hurt and exploited. “Taylor has been aware that Blake has been exploiting her name for a while now, but this subpoena takes it to a whole new level,” a source said. The entire saga has left the singer “completely floored” and “very upset.”
Meanwhile, Blake Lively’s legal team has hit back at Justin Baldoni’s lawyers, accusing them of attempting to “publicly intimidate, bully, shame, and attack women’s rights and reputations.” The It Ends With Us co-stars are scheduled to face off in court on March 9, 2026.
While fans were disappointed by Taylor Swift’s AMAs absence, it’s clear that the pop icon is prioritizing peace of mind over red carpets—for now.
