'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAKHEAr//xAAhEAABAgQHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQQAAxESBQYVISJzwf/aAAgBAQABPwAWepuMSci5tVsdJwlLuRRXfyBzRxS2UlOsY//EABcRAQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAyH/2gAIAQIBAT8ApNVn/8QAFxEBAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQADIf/aAAgBAwEBPwC1wJ//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Blake Lively's legal team has responded to claims made by Justin Baldoni's lawyer that the actress reportedly blackmailed Taylor Swift. On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, claimed in a letter to the judge that Lively reportedly threatened to unleash private text messages with Swift if the pop star didn't publicly support her amid her ongoing legal case with Baldoni.
According to Freedman, he received the tip from a "source who is highly likely to have reliable information." However, Blake Lively's attorney, Mike Gottlieb, said that Bryan Freedman's accusations are false.
In a statement to People, he said:
"This is categorically false. We unequivocally deny all of these so-called allegations, which are cowardly sourced to supposed anonymous sources, and completely untethered from reality."
Trending
However, Gottlieb is not surprised by the allegations because, as he said, they have come to expect such accusations from the lawyers representing Baldoni. He claimed that the Wayfarer team's legal team tends to take a shot at them without bringing credible evidence.
Blake Lively's attorney added that they will file the necessary motions to hold Justin Baldoni's lawyers accountable for their "misconduct."
Blake Lively and Taylor Swift's camps comment on the subpoena for the pop star in the Lively-Baldoni legal case
Last week, on May 9, 2025, news that Taylor Swift was subpoenaed as a witness in the ongoing legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni broke the internet. However, the pop star's spokesperson distanced Swift from the drama. They shared a statement shortly after the subpoena news.
They described the subpoena from Baldoni's team as "creating a tabloid clickbait" when Swift was not involved in It Ends With Us, besides allowing her song My Tears Ricochet to be used in the film. Her spokesperson said in a statement to People:
"This document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swift's name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case."
They mentioned her non-involvement in the movie, saying that he never set foot on the set of It Ends With Us and was never part of any casting or creative decision. She reportedly never even saw the film until weeks after its release.
Blake Lively's spokesperson also slammed the subpoena reportedly sent to Taylor Swift./ They shared a separate statement on May 9. They claimed that what Baldoni's legal team is turning a "very serious legal matter" into "entertainment for the tabloids." Further slamming the other party, they claimed:
"The defendants continue to publicly intimidate, bully, shame, and attack women's rights and reputations."
Speaking of witnesses in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's case, Mike Gottlieb confirmed to People in an exclusive interview, published on May 8, 2025, that Lively will be testifying in the case. He also mentioned that the actress won't be the only one stepping forward on the stand, but he stopped short of confirming that Ryan Reynolds would also be testifying.
Gottlieb said that Reynolds "may or may not be a fact witness." Baldoni's countersuit named Reynolds as a defendant. Previous reports also mentioned that Baldoni's legal team could subpoena Hugh Jackman, who starred with Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine.
The Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni trial is scheduled for March 2026.
