Los Angeles, CA — The ongoing legal squabble between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni took a new turn as the actress sought to subpoena the ‘It Ends With Us’ director’s phone and communication records. The move, part of a broader quest to uncover details of an alleged defamation against her, draws attention to the complex relationship between public figures and the legal system in Hollywood’s high-profile disputes.
The subpoenas aimed at Baldoni were filed to major telecommunications corporations such as AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, requesting expansive access to records over the past two and a half years. This has included calls, texts, data logs, and even real-time location data from not only Baldoni but also his publicist Jennifer Abel and crisis management expert Melissa Nathan.
Blake Lively’s legal team has also sought internet records from providers like Cloudflare, Inc. and AOL, hoping to piece together digital evidence supporting claims of a retaliatory campaign orchestrated to tarnish the actress’s reputation. The discovery efforts underscore the methodical steps taken by legal teams in Hollywood to address serious allegations such as these.
According to Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, the request for records is an overreach of investigative power, describing it as a “massive fishing expedition.” Freedman criticized the scope of the subpoenas, arguing it goes beyond what is typical in litigation and suggests desperation on behalf of Lively’s legal team.
The discord traces back to December 2024 when Lively lodged a lawsuit alleging s*xual harassment and retaliation, claiming Baldoni spearheaded efforts to discredit her after she raised issues on the set of ‘It Ends with Us.’ Baldoni has continually denied these allegations and subsequently filed a massive $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times over a December article that he claims defamed him.
In response to Baldoni’s denial and legal actions, Lively’s team reiterated their stance that their claims are not just substantial but are supported by “concrete facts.” Yet, the legal battle widened further when Baldoni filed another lawsuit, this time for $400 million in January 2025 against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and several PR figures, citing civil extortion and defamation among other grievances.
The entanglement also brought in Jed Wallace, a crisis PR consultant identified by Lively’s legal team as a key figure in the alleged smear campaign. An exchange of lawsuits ensued when Wallace filed his own legal claim seeking $6 million for defamation, further complicating an already tangled legal scenario.
Despite these suits and counterclaims flying back and forth, both parties remain steadfast in their denials, contributing to a seemingly relentless legal showdown that is now scheduled for trial on March 9, 2026, under the case name Lively v. Wayfarer Studios et al.
As the legal strategies unfold, the saga continues to captivate public interest and speaks volumes about the lengths to which individuals in the entertainment sector will go to protect their integrity and professional standing. It also underlines the increasingly digital nature of evidence in legal disputes, highlighting how data and communications are pivotal in modern litigation.
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