Justin Baldoni just dropped a bombshell accusation against Blake Lively! And it also involves her (maybe former?) best friend, Taylor Swift!
Last week, the pop star was subpoenaed in the nasty legal battle between the It Ends With Us co-stars. Taylor continues to deny any involvement in the movie, with her rep insisting she “never set foot on the set,” wasn’t “involved in any casting or creative decisions,” didn’t score the project, nor “saw an edit or made any notes.” The only thing she did was allow the use of her track My Tears Ricochet. And, you know, happen to show up at her pal Blake’s home when invited.
And Taylor wasn’t the only one subpoenaed by Justin’s team. His lawyers demanded all communications between her longtime law firm, Venable, and Blake, Ryan, and their attorney Michael Gottlieb on April 29. The firm filed a motion to dismiss the subpoena on Monday, claiming the request was nothing more than a “fishing expedition” and that the filmmaker only sought to “distract from the facts of the case.” Blake and Ryan supported the bid and filed their own motion to “intervene and quash the subpoena issued to Venerable” the following day.
Related: Scarlett Johansson Talks Working With Wayfarer Despite Legal Battle With Ex Ryan Reynolds!
Venable, Blake, and Ryan may say there is “no reason” the firm should get subpoenaed and want to get out Taylor and her communications out of this legal mess. However, Justin’s team is pushing back, insisting it IS all too necessary! Why?
His lawyers claim Blake was extorting Taylor! WHAT?!?
According to a letter written to the judge on Wednesday, obtained by People, Bryan Freedman claimed Blake’s “insistence that the Subpoena seeks irrelevant information is wrong.” The attorney alleged he received a tip from a “source who is highly likely to have reliable information” that Blake asked the Cruel Summer artist to delete text messages! Um… destroying evidence? Really??
It is unknown when the alleged demand was made or what the texts include. But if the Gossip Girl alum wanted them gone so badly, the messages must have the potential to hurt her case if discovered! Or that’s what Baldoni’s legal team seemingly assumes!
But it gets worse. So much worse. Not only did Blake allegedly ask Taylor to get rid of their texts, they say she demanded a public message of support… or else she’d release their private messages! Jeez!
Per the court documents, Page Six reported, the Another Simple Favor star’s attorney Michael Gottlieb of Willkie Farr reached out to the performer’s law firm Venable and “demanded that Ms. Swift release a statement of support for Ms. Lively, intimating that, if Ms. Swift refused to do so, private text messages of a personal nature in Ms. Lively’s possession would be released.”
W.T.F.
Did Tay give in? We don’t remember a public statement of support… So no!
Justin’s team claimed that a rep for Taylor “addressed these inappropriate and apparently extortionate threats in at least one written communication transmitted to Mr. Gottlieb” — which is why they subpoenaed the Grammy winner and Venable. They want the proof that Blake is intimidating witnesses:
“It is those communications that the Wayfarer Parties seek to obtain by way of subpoena, as they would evidence an attempt to intimidate and coerce a percipient witness in this litigation.”
If this is true… well, it’s no wonder why Taylor — and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce — want to distance themselves from Ryan and Blake! You don’t try to extort your friend like that! WTF! Taylor, Blake, or Ryan haven’t addressed the allegations made by Justin’s team yet. Just like they’ve tried to stay silent about all of this! However, Blake is happy to speak out! The Sisterhood of the Travel Pants star’s attorney vehemently denied everything. Gottlieb said in a statement to multiple outlets:
“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. This is what we have come to expect from the Wayfarer parties’ lawyers, who appear to love nothing more than shooting first, without any evidence, and with no care for the people they are harming in the process. We will imminently file motions with the court to hold these attorneys accountable for their misconduct here.”
In other words, this whole legal battle is somehow about to get messier! If the allegations are true, there is no way Taylor and Blake remain friends after! If not… where is this dirty play coming from? Justin’s team? Or someone feeding them false info? What are your reactions to Justin’s claims, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments!
[Image via MEGA/WENN]
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