Hollywood star Blake Lively has pursued legal action against Justin Baldoni, seeking his phone records in her defamation case. She is claiming a smear campaign against her. ‘It Ends With Us’ co-star Baldoni has been accused by Lively of him. Justin publicists and associates cyber-bullying her on social media following her complaint about sexual harassment during filming.
What Blake Lively’s Lawyer Said ?
Her lawyers have requested major carriers of phones, namely AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, to turn over call and text records of Baldoni, producer Jamey Heath, and Wayfarer Studios co-founder Steve Sarowitz.
Lively’s lawyers already have text messages from Jennifer Abel, a publicist for Baldoni, apparently referring to attempts to “bury” and “destroy” the actress. But they say that those messages are likely to be only part of the orchestrated attack and that phone records will reveal the full scope of the operation.
According to Variety reports, the subpoenas are not limited to phone companies. Lively’s lawyers have also gone after internet service providers Cloudflare and AOL, as well as crisis advisor Jed Wallace, whom they blame for leading an online smear campaign against her. Wallace has rejected the claims and has sued Lively for defamation in return.
Blake-Baldoni Legal Drama
Lively’s spokesman said phone records are the key to determining who was behind the smear when the campaign was conducted and how it was orchestrated. “Phone records belonging to all of the individual defendants will expose the full web of individuals who were involved in the smear campaign against Blake Lively. 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,” said the representative.
Conversely, the lawyer of Baldoni, Bryan Freedman, has refuted the allegations and referred to the lawsuit as a “massive fishing expedition.” Freedman asserts that Lively’s lawyers are trying to find evidence for frivolous claims. “This massive fishing expedition demonstrates that they are desperately seeking any factual basis for their probably false claims. They will find none,” Freedman said.
As the case escalates, Hollywood watches closely, anticipating further revelations. The legal battle between Lively and Baldoni is set to unfold in court, with potential industry-wide implications.
