Music mogul Scooter Braun was reportedly subpoenaed by Blake Lively as part of her ongoing legal battle against It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni. The subpoena seeks documents and information related to an alleged smear campaign against Lively following her sexual harassment claims.
Here are all the details of the latest developement in the legal drama between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively.
Blake Lively’s legal team targets Scooter Braun for testimony
Scooter Braun’s company, HYBE America, received a subpoena notice on June 10. Blake Lively’s legal team is planning to serve the documents on June 12 after a federal judge dismissed Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist on June 9. It was later reported that both HYBE America and Braun himself were subpoenaed.
So, why Braun? His involvement stems from HYBE America’s majority stake in The Agency Group (TAG). It is a crisis PR firm run by Melissa Nathan. Lively’s lawsuit claims Nathan helped Baldoni plant damaging stories about her in retaliation for speaking out. The subpoena aims to uncover any communications or documents Braun or HYBE America may have regarding Nathan’s alleged role in the smear campaign.
However, Braun’s connection appears to be more peripheral than direct. In fact, the only mention of Braun in some filings is from a former publicist’s August 2024 text message. It read, “At least they didn’t mention Scooter,” referring to reports that Baldoni had hired TAG to handle crisis PR during the film’s production backlash. (via Deadline)
Text messages filed in court suggest discussions about “planting stories about the weaponization of feminism.” Also linking Lively to Taylor Swift, who has publicly feuded with Braun in the past. Ironically, Swift was recently subpoenaed in the same case, though Baldoni’s team later withdrew the request.
With Justin Baldoni’s countersuit largely dismissed, Blake Lively’s legal team is pushing forward, seeking evidence to support her claims. The subpoena to Braun could reveal crucial details about the alleged PR retaliation, further shaping the high-profile case.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on ComingSoon.
