Latest news with #BryanFreedman
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Taylor Swift insider who leaked Blake Lively's alleged ‘threat' to release pop star's private texts revealed
Taylor Swift's father, Scott Swift, reportedly went to Justin Baldoni's team with the bombshell claim that Blake Lively threatened to leak his daughter's texts if the pop star did not publicly support her in her ongoing feud with her 'It Ends With Us' co-star. 'Scott Swift did not want his daughter to be dragged into this any further and he voluntarily gave up this information as part of a deal that would include [Baldoni's team] withdrawing their subpoena for Taylor,' an insider alleged to the Daily Mail Friday. Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman made the alleged threat public in a court filing last week, claiming Lively's lawyer Michael Gottlieb of Willkie Farr brought the demand to Taylor's law firm, Venable, Page Six reports. The documents alleged Gottlieb '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.' The docs claimed Lively also asked Swift to delete their messages. Freedman doubled down further in a sworn affidavit, saying he spent an hour on the phone with a 'person very closely linked' to Taylor, who revealed the information. Scott's identity was not disclosed at the time. Gottlieb, meanwhile, told Page Six, 'We unequivocally deny all of these so-called allegations, which are cowardly sourced to supposed anonymous sources, and completely untethered from reality.' An insider backed Freedman Friday, though, telling Daily Mail that it seemed Lively's team 'tried to extort Taylor by threatening to release private information about her so that she would support a narrative that she was not a part of.' Page Six reached out to reps for Baldoni, Lively, Taylor and her dad but did not immediately hear back. Scott's reported efforts to protect his daughter come after her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, also pledged his allegiance by unfollowing Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, on Instagram because of the ongoing drama. Despite all of the back-and-forth about the alleged threats, though, the judge in Lively, 37, and Baldoni's case ruled that those allegations are inadmissable in court, calling them 'improper' and 'irrelevant.' Baldoni, 41, then promptly dropped his subpoena against Taylor, 35, in what appeared to be a shocking legal move, given Freedman had argued for months that the Grammy winner played a role in Lively's alleged attempts to assert her control over his client's 2024 film. In Baldoni's $400 million extortion and defamation lawsuit against Lively — which he filed after she sued him for sexual harassment — it was alleged Taylor and Reynolds, 48, were present for a meeting about script rewrites in which the Wayfarer Studios co-founder felt pressured to follow the powerful stars' notes. 'The message could not have been clearer. Baldoni was not just dealing with Lively. He was also facing Lively's 'dragons,' two of the most influential and wealthy celebrities in the world, who were not afraid to make things very difficult for him,' Freedman alleged in the complaint. Despite those claims, an insider hinted to Page Six recently as to why Baldoni's team ultimately chose to drop their probe into Taylor. 'When information is voluntarily received, there is no need for subpoenas,' the source cryptically said. The information now appears to be the claims about the texts. The 'Lover' singer, for her part, has maintained she had nothing to do with the 'It Ends With Us' drama. Her rep previously told Page Six, 'Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film, she did not even see 'It Ends With Us' until weeks after its public release, and was travelling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history.'
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Taylor Swift 'leaker' UNMASKED: Insider who exposed Blake Lively 'threat' is revealed... as someone you'd never expect
When Taylor Swift was unceremoniously subpoenaed as a witness in the case between her former pal and earlier this month, it seemed the billionaire pop princess would have her day in court. But this week came a reprieve: Baldoni's legal team – led by attorney Bryan Freedman – dramatically reneged, withdrawing the subpoena for Swift.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Taylor Swift will no longer be called as witness in the legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni
Taylor Swift is no longer in danger of being called as a witness in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal war as the actor's team withdrew a subpoena for the singer, can confirm. Earlier this month, Swift, 35, whose song My Tears Ricochet features in the movie It Ends With Us, was sent a legal notice by Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman as a witness - leading to a blistering response from the singer's management. The court letter also revealed the actress allegedly tried to coerce Swift into publicly siding with her by threatening to leak years' worth of private text messages. Baldoni has now withdrawn the paperwork seeking information from Swift about what she knew about former friend Lively's war with the actor - with an insider exclusively revealing the reason for the drastic move. They said: 'Justin Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman dropped the request for the subpoena and the reason for doing this is very simple, they got exactly what they were seeking. 'Sending a subpoena to Taylor and Taylor's response has provided Baldoni's team with everything that they needed. Taylor stated that she was not involved at all, and this is in stark contrast to what Lively has said. 'Taylor's lack of involvement proves that Blake lied about several very important details to this case. Furthermore, the court now has information that is documented to show that Blake's attorney's did, in fact, threaten to leak Taylor's private texts. This is backed up by evidence. 'Taylor was always considered to be the smoking gun in this, and everyone is extremely pleased with the end results and the information it yielded. They got exactly what they were hoping for and much more.' Lively's spokesman said in a statement to 'We are pleased that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties have withdrawn their harassing subpoenas to Taylor Swift and her law firm. 'We supported the efforts of Taylor's team to quash these inappropriate subpoenas directed to her counsel and we will continue to stand up for any third party who is unjustly harassed or threatened in the process.' Swift's rep told when the original subpoena was issued: 'Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film, she did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history.' Her rep also noted that the only involvement Swift had in the film was the use of her track, My Tears Ricochet, which was off of her 2020 album Folklore. The statement concluded: 'Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists also did, 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.' Meanwhile, Lively's rep told People: 'Mr Baldoni, Mr Sarowitz, and team continue to turn a case of sexual harassment and retaliation into entertainment for the tabloids... Going as far as suggesting that they sell tickets to a concert venue - Madison Square Garden - to witness Ms Lively's deposition, to subpoenaing Taylor Swift, a woman who has given a voice to millions all over the world.' 'This is a very serious legal matter, not Barnum & Bailey's Circus.' The rep also added that, 'The defendants continue to publicly intimidate, bully, shame and attack women's rights and reputations. Including in the past month seeking to strike down for all, a powerful California victims' rights law, calling it "unconstitutional." 'The disturbing actions by a billionaire, men who made their careers as "female allies" and their team continue to show their true colors.' Earlier this year, reports surfaced that Swift was taking a step back from her friendship with Lively after feeling like she was used as an 'intimidation tactic' by the actress in a lawsuit she never wanted to be embroiled in. The singer was dragged into the explosive legal feud between Lively and Baldoni when he claimed his costar used Swift to intimidate him at a meeting with Reynolds about edits she had made to a rooftop scene in their film, It Ends with Us. In his $400million lawsuit, filed in January, Baldoni said Swift showed up and made him feel like he 'needed to comply with Blake's direction for the script'. Lively later appeared to threaten Baldoni by comparing herself to Game of Thrones character Khaleesi in a series of text messages in which she referred to Reynolds, 48, and her best friend as her 'dragons'. Khaleesi, also known as Daenerys Targaryen and Mother of Dragons, is one of the main characters in Game of Thrones, which aired between 2011 to 2019. A second source said: 'Taylor has politely backed away from it all. She is conscious of her own image and hates that she was even mentioned.' According to Baldoni's lawsuit, Lively threatened to withhold approval of the film trailer if she did not get extra time working on a cut of the movie with her own personal editor. He claimed in the suit that the actress threatened to 'change her mind' about reaching out to Swift to secure the use of her hit 2020 track My Tears Ricochet. The track was eventually used in the trailer but Baldoni alleged that Lively tried to use her friendship with the singer to make sure her demands were met. An alleged text exchange with a Sony executive read: 'Blake is calling Taylor to approve the song. She of course just reached out saying she is asking for time with [REDACTED] her editor. We know it was conditional on signing contract – but asking if you will reconsider – so [REDACTED] can release this trailer and Blake does not change her me re calling Taylor Swift.' Baldoni noted that they agreed to her demands in order to move forward as planned. The exchange allegedly took place in May 2024. Lively and Swift were last seen together in Rhode Island in August 2024. Before that, they pictured in October on a double date with Reynolds and Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce, in Manhattan. Legal issues: Baldoni claimed Lively threatened to 'change her mind' about reaching out to Swift to secure the use of her hit 2020 track My Tears Ricochet The outing came two months before she filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department in which she accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and creating a toxic environment on the set of It Ends with Us. At the same time, the New York Times released a story based on her legal filing that accused him of orchestrating a smear campaign against her. Swift was then pulled into the roller coaster saga when Baldoni fired back with a stinging $400 million counter suit against Lively and Reynolds in which he accused the Hollywood couple of conspiring to trash his reputation. Baldoni, who is also suing the Times for defamation, claimed Lively hijacked the filming of the movie as he attempted to blow her allegations to smithereens. It Ends with Us was a box-office hit, earning $351 million worldwide despite a $25 million budget.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Major update on Taylor Swift's subpoena in Blake Lively lawsuit after legal drama ended pair's friendship
Taylor Swift is longer in danger of being called as a witness in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni 's legal war as the actor's team withdrew a subpoena for the singer, can confirm. Earlier this month, Swift, 35, whose song My Tears Ricochet features in movie It Ends With Us, was sent legal notice by Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman as a witness - leading to a blistering response from the singer's management. The court letter also revealed the actress allegedly tried to coerce Swift into publicly siding with her by threatening to leak years' worth of private text messages. Baldoni has now withdrawn the paperwork seeking information from Swift about what she knew about former friend Lively's war with the actor - with an insider revealing the reason for the drastic move. They said: 'Justin Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman dropped the request for the subpoena and the reason for doing this is very simple, They got exactly what they were seeking. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Sending a subpoena to Taylor and Taylor's response has provided Baldoni's team with everything that they needed. Taylor stated that she was not involved at all, and this is in stark contrast to what Lively has said. 'Taylor's lack of involvement proves that Blake lied about several very important details to this case. Furthermore, the court now has information that is documented to show that Blake's attorney's did, in fact, threaten to leak Taylor's private texts. This is backed up by evidence. 'Taylor was always considered to be the smoking gun in this, and everyone is extremely pleased with the end results and the information it yielded. They got exactly what they were hoping for and much more.' Lively's spokesman said in a statement to Deadline: 'We are pleased that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties have withdrawn their harassing subpoenas to Taylor Swift and her law firm. 'We supported the efforts of Taylor's team to quash these inappropriate subpoenas directed to her counsel and we will continue to stand up for any third party who is unjustly harassed or threatened in the process.' Swift's rep told when the original subpoena was issued: 'Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film, she did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history.' Her rep also noted that the only involvement Swift had in the film was the use of her track, My Tears Ricochet, which was off of her 2020 album Folklore. The statement concluded: 'Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists also did, 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.' Baldoni has now withdrawn the paperwork seeking information from Swift about what she knew about former friend Lively's war with the actor - with an insider revealing the reason for the drastic move; Lively pictured in the 2024 film It Ends With Us Meanwhile, Lively's rep told People: 'Mr. Baldoni, Mr. Sarowitz, and team continue to turn a case of sexual harassment and retaliation into entertainment for the tabloids... Going as far as suggesting that they sell tickets to a concert venue - Madison Square Garden - to witness Ms. Lively's deposition, to subpoenaing Taylor Swift, a woman who has given a voice to millions all over the world.' 'This is a very serious legal matter, not Barnum & Bailey's Circus.' The rep also added that, 'The defendants continue to publicly intimidate, bully, shame and attack women's rights and reputations. Including in the past month seeking to strike down for all, a powerful California victims' rights law, calling it "unconstitutional." 'The disturbing actions by a billionaire, men who made their careers as "female allies" and their team continue to show their true colors.' Earlier this year, reports surfaced that Swift was taking a step back from her friendship with Lively after feeling like she was used as an 'intimidation tactic' by the actress in a lawsuit she never wanted to be embroiled in. The singer was dragged into the explosive legal feud between Lively and Baldoni when he claimed his costar used Swift to intimidate him at a meeting with Reynolds about edits she had made to a rooftop scene in their film, It Ends with Us. In his $400 million lawsuit, filed in January, Baldoni said Swift showed up and made him feel like he 'needed to comply with Blake's direction for the script'. Lively later appeared to threaten Baldoni by comparing herself to Game of Thrones character Khaleesi in a series of text messages in which she referred to Reynolds, 48, and her best friend as her 'dragons'. The 'uncool and unnecessary' description was reportedly the final straw for Swift who had never planned to be at the meeting, but arrived at Lively's New York penthouse to find it was still ongoing. 'For the time being she is taking a step back from Blake because she doesn't want to get tangled in this more than she already has – which is far more than she ever needed to be,' an insider told 'Her friends also think that Blake's "I'm Khaleesi, and like her, I happen to have dragons" text to Justin was uncool and unnecessary because she was essentially used as an intimidation tactic. She was referred to as some kind of pet or possession. 'Taylor shouldn't even be involved in this at all. She was only going over to visit Blake and Ryan with the understanding that the meeting would be over.' Khaleesi, also known as Daenerys Targaryen and Mother of Dragons, is one of the main characters in Game of Thrones, which aired between 2011 to 2019. She was portrayed as a villain after descending into madness and turning to vengeance due to trauma and loss. A second source said: 'Taylor has politely backed away from it all. She is conscious of her own image and hates that she was even mentioned.' According to Baldoni's lawsuit, Lively threatened to withhold approval of the film trailer if she did not get extra time working on a cut of the movie with her own personal editor. He claimed in the suit that the actress threatened to 'change her mind' about reaching out to Swift to secure the use of her hit 2020 track My Tears Ricochet. The track, which is from Taylor's folklore album, was eventually used in the trailer but Baldoni alleged that Lively tried to use her friendship with the singer to make sure her demands were met. An alleged text exchange with a Sony executive read: 'Blake is calling Taylor to approve the song. She of course just reached out saying she is asking for time with [REDACTED] her editor. We know it was conditional on signing contract – but asking if you will reconsider – so [REDACTED] can release this trailer and Blake does not change her me re calling Taylor Swift.' Baldoni noted that they agreed to her demands in order to move forward as planned. The exchange allegedly took place in May 2024. Lively and Swift were last seen together in Rhode Island in August 2024. Before that, they pictured in October on a double date with Reynolds and Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce, in Manhattan. Baldoni claimed Lively threatened to 'change her mind' about reaching out to Swift to secure the use of her hit 2020 track My Tears Ricochet The outing came two months before she filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department in which she accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and creating a toxic environment on the set of It Ends with Us. At the same time, the New York Times released a story based on her legal filing that accused him of orchestrating a smear campaign against her. Swift, whose song My Tears Ricochet was featured in the soundtrack, was then pulled into the roller coaster saga when Baldoni fired back with a stinging $400 million counter suit against Lively and Reynolds in which he accused the Hollywood couple of conspiring to trash his reputation. Baldoni, who is also suing the Times for defamation, claimed Lively hijacked the filming of the movie as he attempted to blow her allegations to smithereens. In her filing, the actress claimed a meeting was held at her home in January 2024 to address 'a hostile work environment that had nearly derailed production' and that both parties 'discussed in detail the inappropriate conduct' that Lively and other cast and crew experienced at the hands of Baldoni. But in his suit, Baldoni claimed he was invited over with a Sony executive to discuss her rewrite of a rooftop scene when Reynolds 'launched into enthusiastic praise for [Lively's version]'. They were also joined by her 'mega-celebrity friend to pressure him'. While Baldoni did not name the famous pal he was referring to, he included screenshots of a later conversation with Lively, and one message showed him mentioning someone named 'Taylor.' It is during this exchange that Baldoni claims the actress joked that if he ever got 'around to watching Game of Thrones' that he would 'appreciate that' she is Khaleesi. 'And like her, I happen to have a few dragons,' she allegedly wrote. 'For better or worse, but usually for better. Because my dragons also protect those I fight for. So really we all benefit from those gorgeous monsters of mine. you will too, I can promise you.' He also claims Reynolds 'aggressively' accused him of making offensive comments as well as 'fat shaming' her. It Ends with Us was a box-office hit, earning $351 million worldwide despite a $25 million budget.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Lively's Lawyers Move to Penalize Justin Baldoni's Team After Taylor Swift Extortion Claim
Blake Lively's lawyers filed a motion on Monday seeking sanctions against Justin Baldoni's team, accusing his lawyers and collaborators of making 'frivolous claims' about the actress. In the filing obtained by Rolling Stone, Lively requests 'sanctions in the form of attorneys' fees and costs' incurred by the actress, as well as 'a formal reprimand for the filing of baseless claims as a means of harassing Ms. Lively and gaining favor in the court of public opinion.' Lively's motion named Steve Sarowitz, Jamey Heath, Melissa Nathan, Jennifer Abel, and their legal teams. More from Rolling Stone 'Numb' Cassie Heard Sean Combs Bang Door With Hammer After Hotel Assault, Friend Testifies Dawn Richard Testifies That Sean Combs 'Frequently' Beat Cassie Ventura Sean Combs Trial: Cassie Testifies, Baby Oil, Imprisoned Male Escorts Lively's attorneys denounced the 'ghoulish taunt' made by her It Ends With Us co-star's team earlier this month, referring to Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman's suggestion in a statement to People to hold Lively's upcoming deposition at Madison Square Garden and 'sell tickets or stream it.' Her attorneys also pointed out that Freedman previously 'filed two letters and an affidavit so inflammatory and improper that they were stricken from the record,' further accusing Baldoni's lawyer of having 'repeatedly used the press to target Ms. Lively.' The motion referred to Freedman's claim last week that the actress' legal team had attempted to extort a public statement out of Taylor Swift amid the ongoing legal battle between Lively and Baldoni. In a statement to Rolling Stone, Lively's attorneys Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb said, 'If you want to know why Justin Baldoni's lawyer pulled his latest inflammatory and defamatory media stunt, it might be because he knew that both he and his clients were about to be hit with sanctions motions based on his reckless decision to file multiple frivolous claims in federal court.' The lawyers added: 'You can't file lawsuits in federal court that have no basis in law or fact to create a harassing media narrative, or in other words, their strategy from day one. The Baldoni legal team received notice of their sanctionable behavior weeks ago, but doubled down rather than withdrawing their frivolous and harassing claims. Now they'll face the consequences of treating federal court like a media playground.' A representative for Baldoni did not immediatley respond to Rolling Stone's request for comment. Lively and Baldoni have been entangled in a legal feud since December, when Lively sued him for alleged sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us and a smear campaign. Baldoni has since denied the allegations and countersued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, alleging civil extortion and defamation. Lively's case will go to trial in March 2026. A subpoena recently roped Swift into the legal drama. The singer's spokesperson slammed the subpoena, telling Rolling Stone at the time that Swift's connection to the It Ends With Us controversy was limited to licensing one song. Lawyers for Swift asked the court to throw out the subpoena, calling it an 'abuse of the discovery process' meant to distract from the case. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Best 'Saturday Night Live' Characters of All Time Denzel Washington's Movies Ranked, From Worst to Best 70 Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century
