Did Blake Lively's lawyer blackmail Taylor Swift?
What's the story
Following bombshell accusations, Hollywood actor Blake Lively's lawyer has strongly rejected the blackmail allegations involving pop icon Taylor Swift. The allegations were leveled by Bryan Freedman, the lawyer of Justin Baldoni, who is embroiled in a $400 million lawsuit with Lively. Freedman alleged Lively threatened to shame Swift unless she publicly supported her. However, Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds's lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, has called it "completely false."
Legal action
Lively's legal team seeks to strike Freedman's letter from court
Further, Lively and Reynolds's legal team has filed a motion with federal judge Lewis J. Liman to strike Freedman's letter from the court docket. Esra Hudson, a lawyer from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, stated their position, "That letter, which was not filed with any evidentiary support of any kind, much less anything under oath, falsely accuses Ms. Lively, and her counsel, of engaging in 'witness tampering and evidence spoliation.'"
Uncertain role
Why is Swift involved in the lawsuit?
A close friend of the Gossip Girl star, Swift has often made it to reports involving the case without having any valid association. She wasn't named when Lively filed a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint against Baldoni, his Wayfarer Studios, execs, and PR chiefs Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel with California's Civil Rights Department. However, Swift was all but name-dropped by Lively as one of her "Dragons," along with Reynolds, in texts released by both sides in the dispute.
Accusations
Allegations of 'extortionate threats' made against Lively
Freedman alleged that Lively asked Swift to delete their text messages. He also alleged that Gottlieb demanded a statement of support from Swift, hinting at releasing private text messages if she wouldn't. "The Wayfarer Parties' counsel are further informed and believe that a representative of Ms. Swift addressed these inappropriate and apparently extortionate threats in at least one written communication transmitted to Mr. Gottlieb," Freedman stated. It is this written communication that Baldoni's team wants to access.
Swift's stance
Swift recently denied involvement in 'It Ends With Us' case
Swift's only connection to the case has been her contribution to the It Ends With Us soundtrack, which co-starred Lively-Baldoni, and was the birthing ground for all the drama. When Swift was sent a subpoena, her spokesperson said, "Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film—which 19 other artists also did—this document subpoena is designed to use (her) name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case."