Blake Lively's Courtroom Woes Deepen: Judge Shuts Down Request for Justin Baldoni's Controversial Emails
Justin Baldoni doesn't have to give up his emails to Blake Lively thanks to a court ruling.
Aug. 6 2025, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
Blake Lively has suffered a legal setback after a federal judge denied her request to subpoena Justin Baldoni’s lawyers for alleged communications with digital influencers and the press, communications she believes were part of a coordinated campaign to smear her, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Lively, 37, accused Baldoni, 41, of sexually harassing her on the set of their 2024 film It Ends With Us, a lawsuit that rocked the industry and painted both stars in a terrible light.
In the wake of the allegations, Lively claimed Baldoni’s team hired a crisis PR firm to retaliate by spreading negative content about her across social media and in online media outlets.
Content Creator Cooridnation?
Lively previously sought communication records for content creators.
Her legal team argued Baldoni’s attorneys at the firm Liner Freedman Taitelman Cooley, led by Bryan Freedman, may have funded or coordinated efforts with content creators to attack her credibility.
Lively subpoenaed the firm for contracts with creators, payment records, communications, and phone logs related to these efforts.
However, on Tuesday, August 4, a judge rejected her subpoena.
The court said the request was "speculative," could interfere with attorney-client privilege, and suggested the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants star should explore alternative discovery methods.
"Lively has not demonstrated a need at this point to obtain those documents from Liner,” the order read, adding that the information she sought could include privileged communications between Baldoni and his counsel.
Is Lively's Backlash Organic?
Baldoni's team argued no coordination occurred with a PR firm to take down Lively.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Lively’s team believes the alleged campaign has included coordinated posts from anonymous and influencer accounts repeating the same talking points.
Baldoni denied orchestrating any such effort and claimed the backlash against Lively was organic.
Friends and Family In The Cross Fire
Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, was also dragged into the legal nightmare.
The drama also pulled Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, into the courtroom spotlight. The Deadpool actor had been involved in discovery disputes tied to the lawsuit as Baldoni’s team sought information potentially linking him to Lively’s legal or PR strategy.
Adding fuel to the fire, the case reportedly caused a major rift between Lively and longtime best friend Taylor Swift after a subpoena targeting the pop star was briefly floated before being withdrawn by Baldoni’s lawyers.
The move raised eyebrows in both Hollywood and legal circles, fueling speculation that more A-listers could be dragged into the escalating feud. Insiders claimed the development caused personal tension between the two stars, who have shared a famously close friendship for years
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The Trial Continues
The blockbuster court case also saw Taylor Swift involved, as her friendship with Lively is said to have crumbled.
On July 31, Lively was deposed in New York, and as RadarOnline.com exclusively revealed, Baldoni made a surprise appearance in the room while she was questioned, an unannounced move that left sources close to the situation stunned.
The director's presence was seen as adding yet another layer of drama to an already explosive deposition process.
With a trial scheduled to begin on March 9, 2026, the high-stakes legal fight between the Hollywood co-stars is only heating up.
