Judge Strikes Justin Baldoni Team’s Letter Alleging Blake Lively Extorted Taylor Swift

A federal judge, Lewis J. Liman, has struck a letter and affidavit from Justin Baldoni's attorney alleging that Blake Lively pressured Taylor Swift to publicly support Lively amid the ongoing Lively v. Wayfarer Studios case. The letter, filed by Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman, claimed Lively's legal team threatened to release Swift's private text messages if she refused to issue a public statement backing Lively, accusations which Lively's attorney Mike Gottlieb vehemently denied as false and defamatory. Judge Liman ruled the letter “improper” and “irrelevant,” warning Baldoni’s legal team against future misuse of the court docket that could be sanctioned, emphasizing that allowing such filings would turn the docket into a “reservoir of libelous statements for press consumption.” The judge noted the letter’s intent appeared to be promoting public scandal rather than serving any judicial purpose, especially since it concerned a subpoena proceeding outside his court's authority. Lively’s legal team argued that Baldoni’s filings were attempts to launder defamatory allegations through the court system, while Swift has publicly distanced herself from the case despite being subpoenaed. This ruling marks a procedural win for Lively in the high-profile legal dispute centered on sexual harassment and defamation claims between the co-stars.