Lively’s Rep Roasts Baldoni’s Swift Subpoena & Pay-Per-View Depo Ploy
Because nothing screams “rock-solid legal strategy” like dragging Taylor Swift into a civil dispute and pitching a ticketed livestream of Blake Lively’s deposition, Justin Baldoni’s legal team recently dialed up their stunt quotient to eleven. According to People and E! News, Baldoni’s attorneys filed court papers this spring seeking to subpoena Swift as a witness in a fender-bender suit—yes, the one rooted in a paparazzi-chase car crash involving Lively—and then cheekily suggested opening the courtroom doors to paying fans. It’s the kind of idea that likely originated at an after-hours creative brainstorm: “How can we make a simple civil deposition look like WrestleMania?”
In documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on April 2, Baldoni’s lawyers argue Swift witnessed aggressive camera vans hounding her own car years ago, so her testimony could help illustrate the “reckless endangerment” paparazzi pose to innocent drivers. The motion also floated the notion of selling “admission tokens” for Lively’s on-the-record Q&A, complete with a VIP tier that apparently includes a souvenir mug (no word on whether it’ll feature a bored emoji). TMZ first pointed out the pay-per-view angle, and Swifties everywhere collectively gulped at the thought of ponying up cash to watch Blake Lively field questions about brake lights.
Unsurprisingly, Lively’s rep unleashed a withering retort. In a sharply worded statement to People, the spokesperson dismissed Baldoni’s gambit as “a crass grab for headlines” and “an insult to the very notion of due process.” The rep went on to label the ticket-sales suggestion “tone-deaf,” noting that turning a private deposition into a spectator sport “crosses every line of decency.” The rep also underscored that Swift’s involvement is nothing more than a distraction from the case’s actual merits: whether the paparazzo driving recklessly infringed on Lively’s right to a safe commute.
One can almost picture the legal strategy session: whiteboard scrawled with “Subpoena A-list celebs” and “Merch idea?” followed by a doodle of Lively in court with a price tag. Meanwhile, Blake is probably somewhere sipping a latte, wondering when common sense clocked out for the day. As for Taylor? Sources say she’s taken the subpoena in stride—she’s seen enough dramatic courtroom entrances in music-video lore to remain unruffled.
Well, there you have it. In the great circus of celebrity litigation, Baldwin’s team just upgraded from juggling knives to launching fireworks. Tune in next time for more headline-grabbing legal loop-de-loops and questionable life choices.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, E! News, TMZ
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
