Disturbing turn in Swift–Baldoni legal drama as private investigator arrested on Kelce property

A private investigator was arrested on misdemeanor criminal trespassing charges early Sept. 15 after allegedly attempting to serve deposition papers to Taylor Swift on behalf of Justin Baldoni’s legal team at Travis Kelce’s home in Leawood, Kansas. The incident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. in a private gated community in the 11600 block of Pawnee Lane, according to the Leawood Police Department. Officers contacted an adult male within the gated area, took him into custody, and he was released after posting bond, the department said in a statement to BuzzFeed News.

The arrest comes three days after a judge denied Baldoni’s request to extend the deposition timeline and allow Swift to be deposed in the dispute with Baldoni and co-star Blake Lively. The Sept. 12 ruling effectively closed a path Baldoni’s team had hoped to pursue, though it did not resolve every aspect of the case. The timing raised questions about whether the deployment of papers could proceed despite the judge’s decision.

Swift’s representatives have repeatedly asserted that she has no material role in the litigation and that she should not be involved in depositions related to Baldoni’s action against Lively. Baldoni’s camp has claimed Swift had agreed to be deposed, a claim Swift’s side quickly disputed. In communications to the court, Swift’s team has argued that the matter concerns Baldoni and Lively, not Swift, and that Swift should not be a party to the proceedings.

The broader dispute centers on accusations from Lively, who has described alleged sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign by Baldoni. Baldoni’s team has contended that Lively leveraged her friendship with Swift to influence the film’s production and decision-making, a claim Swift’s representatives have rejected. Throughout the process, Swift’s team has maintained that Swift is not involved in the case beyond being a public figure linked to the unfolding narrative.

Authorities noted that the arrest occurred in the same week a private investigator, hired to assist Swift in a separate stalking-related matter, reported difficulty locating a man who reportedly has a restraining order against Swift. The investigator told Star that he was doing his job, and a representative for Swift did not respond to requests for comment. A representative for Baldoni or Lively did not immediately comment on the arrest.

The incident highlights the high-profile sensitivity surrounding the multistage dispute, which has intertwined celebrity appearances, court filings, and law-enforcement notices. While the judge’s denial of Swift’s deposition left open the question of her possible testimony in the Baldoni–Lively matter, the early-morning trespass arrest underscores how parties and their associates continue to push into public spaces as the legal process unfolds.