AceShowbiz - Blake Lively is taking extraordinary legal steps in her fight against Justin Baldoni, her "It Ends With Us" director and co-star. Accused of on-set harassment and orchestrating a retaliatory smear campaign, Baldoni has denied all allegations and countered with his own legal actions.

Recent developments saw Lively's legal team dispatching subpoenas to major phone carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. They are after records that offer insight into a network of associates allegedly involved in the campaign to undermine Lively and her credibility.

Lively's spokesperson emphasized the importance of these records, "Phone records belonging to all of the individual defendants will expose the full web of individuals who were involved in the smear campaign against Ms. Lively. Such records will provide critical and irrefutable evidence not only about who, but also about when, where, and how their retaliation plan came together and operated."

The subpoenas extend to internet providers Cloudflare and AOL, as well as crisis consultant Jed Wallace. Lively's legal team alleges Wallace helped orchestrate a digital onslaught against her. Wallace, however, has denied involvement and has countersued Lively for defamation.

Already in possession of text messages from Jennifer Abel, one of Baldoni's publicists, Lively's lawyers claim these messages illustrate a deliberate effort to "bury" and "destroy" Lively. They believe access to the complete data logs and communications will reveal a coordinated smear campaign.

While Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, describes the request as a "massive fishing expedition" and asserts that they will find no evidence to support Lively's claims, Lively's legal team remains steadfast. They assert that the information sought is crucial for proving the alleged retaliatory measures and harassment.

Freedman voiced his criticism stating, "This massive fishing expedition demonstrates that they are desperately seeking any factual basis for their provably false claims. They will find none." He emphasized that the scope of records sought, including real-time location data and logs spanning more than two years, is extreme.

The legal battle is set to continue, with high stakes and intense scrutiny as both sides prepare for trial. Lively's team is hopeful that this move will bring to light crucial evidence while Baldoni's defense is ready to challenge the validity of Lively's claims.

The case, Lively v. Wayfarer Studios et al., is scheduled to go to trial on March 9, 2026, promising a protracted and highly publicized legal struggle ahead.