Latest news with #subpoena
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Justin Baldoni drops Taylor Swift investigation in shocking move as Blake Lively legal battle rages on
Justin Baldoni and his legal team dropped Taylor Swift's subpoena amid his ongoing legal battle with Blake Lively, Page Six can confirm. The probe against the pop star, 35, was halted after the 'It Ends With Us' director and his legal team obtained details they wanted, Deadline reported Thursday. No further information was provided. Page Six has reached out to Baldoni's reps for comment. Meanwhile, a source cryptically tells us of the matter, 'When information is voluntarily received, there is no need for subpoenas.' Lively's rep, for their part, told Deadline in response to the decision, 'We are pleased that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties have withdrawn their harassing subpoenas to Taylor Swift and her law firm.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.' The rep went on to slam Baldoni, his company, Wayfarer Studios, and their lawyers for putting Swift, 'a woman who has been an inspiration for tens of millions across the globe,' at the center of the scandal. The spokesperson added, 'Faced with having to justify themselves in federal court, they folded.' Page Six has also reached out to Lively's rep for comment, but has not heard back. Baldoni's lawyers initially subpoenaed Swift on the belief that she played a role in Lively's alleged attempts to take control of 'It Ends With Us.' Attorney Bryan Freedman first name-dropped the Grammy winner in Baldoni's $400 million defamation and extortion lawsuit, claiming she was present for a pivotal meeting about script re-writes between the co-stars. He also claimed that the 'Gossip Girl' alum leveraged her friendship with Swift for power. Freedman further alleged in the court docs that Baldoni got a text from Lively in which she referred to Swift and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, as 'dragons' who would do anything to protect her. '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,' the attorney argued at the time. Freedman then went a step further by alleging in a written affidavit to the court that Lively's lawyers once threatened Swift's legal team. He claimed that Lively threatened to release their private texts if she did not publicly support her. She also allegedly demanded that Swift delete their messages. Lively's lawyer Michael Gottlieb of Willkie Farr vehemently denied those claims, telling Page Six, 'We unequivocally deny all of these so-called allegations, which are cowardly sourced to supposed anonymous sources, and completely untethered from reality.' The judge in this case ultimately ruled that the allegations Freedman made were inadmissible in court. Swift, meanwhile, has always maintained she had nothing to do with the 'It Ends With Us' drama. '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 spokesperson previously told Page Six. Swift's rep has not returned Page Six's request for comment on Baldoni's decision to drop the subpoena.
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.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Taylor Swift summons withdrawn from Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively case
Taylor Swift will not be drawn into the legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni after a court summons for the pop star was and Lively co-starred in 2024 film It Ends With Us, but are now embroiled in a bitter legal dispute after she sued the actor and director, accusing him of sexual harassment and a smear lawyers had sent subpoenas to Swift and her legal team in an attempt to obtain messages between lawyers representing Lively and the singer, who are friends, Variety the subpoena was dropped after Swift's legal team objected that the legal order amounted to an "unwarranted fishing expedition", Variety said. Lively's spokesperson said they were "pleased" the subpoena had been withdrawn."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," they this month, Swift's representatives told the BBC she was being brought into a legal row to create "tabloid clickbait".It was originally reported that Swift had been subpoenaed to give information after it was alleged she tried to pressure Baldoni to accept script rewrites by Lively for the had said he was invited to Lively's New York home in 2023 to discuss script changes, where Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, and Swift were there to serve as her "dragons".In response, Swift's representatives said "she was not involved in any casting or creative decision" and "never saw an edit or made any notes on the film".Variety has now reported that Baldoni's lawyers were using the subpoena to try to get messages relating to an allegation that Lively's representatives had threatened to release old text messages if Swift didn't issue a statement supporting lawyers denied those allegations as "unequivocally and demonstrably false".Lively's spokesperson added: "The Baldoni and Wayfarer team have tried to put Taylor Swift, a woman who has been an inspiration for tens of millions across the globe, at the center of this case since day one."Faced with having to justify themselves in federal court, they folded. At some point they will run out of distractions from the actual claims of sexual harassment and retaliation they are facing."Baldoni is counter-suing Lively and Reynolds on claims of civil extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy.
News.com.au
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Justin Baldoni abandons Taylor Swift subpoena
The actor has dropped the subpoena that was issued to Taylor Swift in his ongoing legal battle with the singer's friend Blake Lively. A spokesperson for Lively confirmed the news on Thursday, saying in a statement, that they are "pleased" Baldoni's legal team has "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.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan House votes to hold Benson in contempt, authorize potential legal action
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — The Michigan House of Representatives voted Thursday to hold Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and her office in civil contempt after she 'did not fully comply' with multiple subpoenas for election training documents. passed with 52 yes votes and 47 no votes, with 5 not voting, declaring Benson in violation of valid House subpoenas and holding her in civil contempt, directing the House's legal council to take action against Benson and her office to ensure compliance with their subpoenas. Benson in late April after the House Oversight Committee says she refused to turn over election training materials for more than five months after the House Election Integrity Committee requested them for what the resolution calls a 'valid legislative purpose.' The Secretary of State documents the lawmakers are requesting could harm election security if released without redactions, and that the subpoenas violate state law and the rules of the legislature. She has to the House and has said she will continue to turn over documents once they are reviewed and redacted. 'In our response to the committee today, we made it very clear that we're willing to sit down with them and try to come to an agreement on how best to ensure transparency in our system while protecting sensitive election security information,' said Benson. 'In fact, we've repeatedly asked the members of the committee to meet with us over the last several months. They have refused. However, the lawmakers requesting the documents say both Benson's response and the documents provided were insufficient, and that the legislature has a constitutional duty to oversee the Department of State, which has a 'proven record of failure.' 'Our election law has changed so much in the last two years. It makes sense that Secretary Benson would have to update training materials in accordance to those changes in law,' said State Rep. Rachelle Smit, chair of the House Election Integrity Committee. 'However, the training directives given by Secretary Benson have been deemed unlawful by Michigan courts 7 times.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
