Blake Lively’s Request for Justin Baldoni’s Phone Records Blocked by US Court Amid Legal Battle

The legal fight between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has taken another turn. A US court has denied Lively’s request for Baldoni’s phone records, calling it “overly intrusive.” The two have been locked in a legal battle since December 2024, with Lively accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation.

Lively’s legal team had subpoenaed the phone records of Baldoni and others linked to her case. She claimed they conspired to damage her reputation. However, on Friday, US District Judge Lewis Liman ruled against it, stating that the request violated privacy rights.

The judge’s order, quoted by source of The Hollywood Reporter, he further noted that phone records might contain private information.

Even assuming additional individuals participated in the alleged campaign, the hope that discovery will turn up information on such participants does not justify the broad scope of the subpoenas.

- Source

However, he allowed Lively’s team to make specific discovery requests to identify relevant contacts. “She is permitted to use the tools of discovery to identify the contact information or telephone numbers for those individuals,” the judge added.

A spokesperson for Lively reacted strongly, saying that Baldoni had “run into court to keep certain phone records secret.” The statement assured that her team would refine their request and submit it again. “Today we will do that. We are submitting those requests directly to the defendants involved, and we look forward to seeing the records.”

On the other hand, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, celebrated the ruling, stating that the court had “put a stop to Blake Lively’s egregious attempt” to violate Baldoni’s privacy. He called it a “desperate fishing expedition” designed to attack the director-actor.

The subpoenas were issued earlier this month for call and message records related to individuals involved in the 2022 litigation. However, Baldoni’s team challenged the request.

Lively’s lawsuit accuses Baldoni of sexual harassment, negligence, and emotional distress. In response, Baldoni has countersued, claiming that Lively made “false accusations” to restore her public image. His legal team insists there is no proof of any smear campaign against her.