Blake Lively has reportedly subpoenaed music mogul Scooter Braun 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.
Blake Lively subpoenas Scooter Braun in connection to Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit
Scooter Braun’s company, HYBE America, received a subpoena notice on June 10. Blake Lively’s legal team plans to serve the documents on June 12. It was later reported that both HYBE America and Braun himself were subpoenaed.
The move comes after a federal judge dismissed Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation countersuit against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist on June 9. The lawsuit, set for trial in March 2026, is about Lively’s allegations that Baldoni sexually harassed her on the set of It Ends With Us and later retaliated by orchestrating a negative PR campaign.
So, why Scooter Braun? Braun’s 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 Baldoni’s countersuit largely dismissed, 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.
