Blake Lively is pulling out all the stops in her legal battle against It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni, and the latest move is turning heads. The Gossip Girl alum has taken a bold step in her quest for justice, subpoenaing phone records from major carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. But what exactly is she hoping to uncover? What secrets lie hidden in those phone records? Keep reading to find out.
Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni Legal Battle Intensifies
Lively’s legal team filed the subpoenas on Wednesday, targeting not only Baldoni but also his associates, including publicists Jennifer Abel and Melissa Nathan, producer Jamey Heath, and Wayfarer Studios co-founder Steve Sarowitz. The subpoenas seek call logs, text messages, and even location data spanning the past two and a half years. Lively’s attorneys argue that these records will reveal the full extent of the alleged smear campaign. This includes, who was involved, when it was orchestrated, and how it was carried out.
“Phone records belonging to all of the individual defendants will expose the full web of individuals who were involved in the smear campaign against Ms. Lively,” a spokesperson for Lively stated. “Such records will provide critical and irrefutable evidence not only about who, but also about when, where, and how their retaliation plan came together and operated.”
The Smear Campaign Claims
At the heart of the dispute are Lively’s allegations that Baldoni and his team orchestrated a campaign to “bury” and “destroy” her reputation. It all happened after she raised concerns about sexual harassment during the production of It Ends With Us. Text messages obtained from Jennifer Abel’s phone reportedly include discussions about targeting Lively. Although her legal team believes these messages only scratch the surface of the alleged conspiracy.
Lively’s attorneys also subpoenaed internet providers Cloudflare and AOL, as well as crisis consultant Jed Wallace, who is accused of leading a “digital army” to attack Lively online. Wallace, who denies any involvement, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Lively in response.
Baldoni’s Defense
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has dismissed the subpoenas as a “massive fishing expedition” and insists that Lively’s claims are baseless. “They are asking for every single call, text, data log, and even real-time location information for the past 2.5 years, regardless of the sender, recipient, or subject matter,” Freedman said. “This demonstrates that they are desperately seeking any factual basis for their provably false claims. They will find none.”
Freedman also represents Wallace and Melissa Nathan, both of whom are named in Lively’s lawsuit. Nathan’s firm, TAG, is accused of hiring Wallace to execute the online smear campaign, which allegedly derailed the launch of a new product line by Lively in the summer of 2024.
The Broader Legal Battle
The subpoenas are just one aspect of a sprawling legal conflict between the two parties. Lively filed a formal complaint on New Year’s Eve, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation. Baldoni, in turn, has filed a $400 million defamation and extortion lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist Leslie Sloane.
The case has drawn significant attention, with both sides releasing timelines and internal messages to bolster their claims. Baldoni’s team has published what they call a comprehensive timeline of events on their website. On the other hand, Lively’s team has highlighted private messages in which Baldoni’s associates allegedly bragged about shifting the narrative to focus on Lively.
What’s Next?
With the amended complaint due on Tuesday, the legal battle shows no signs of slowing down. Both parties are preparing for a trial set to begin on March 29, 2026, in New York. The phone records and other evidence obtained through the subpoenas could play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the case.
For now, Lively remains determined to clear her name and hold those she believes responsible accountable. “We look forward to investigating more about Jed Wallace’s entire business model and what else he was doing to distract from the very real sexual harassment and retaliation claims made by Ms. Lively,” her spokesperson said. “We are delighted to be able to start discovery on it.”
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