Blake Lively Dragged Into More Legal Drama For Alleged ‘Abusive’ Tactics
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on August 2, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT
Blake Lively is facing fresh backlash in her ongoing courtroom war with Justin Baldoni, this time from YouTubers and content creators who claim the actress tried to use heavy-handed legal tactics to silence her critics.
The 37-year-old "Gossip Girl" alum recently subpoenaed Google and X (formerly Twitter) to obtain personal data on more than a dozen journalists and small creators.
The move sparked an immediate firestorm over free speech, and although Blake Lively has since withdrawn three of those subpoenas, one of the creators isn’t letting her off the hook.
Blake Lively Accused Of Trying To ‘Intimidate’ Small Creators With ‘Abusive’ Subpoenas
On Monday, YouTuber Lauren Neidigh, known online as LethalLauren904, told the judge she still needs a protective order against Lively, claiming the star could come back for her private information later.
“[Lively’s] Subpoena targeted creators who have expressed unfavorable opinions about her online. The Subpoena was not supported by any evidence,” Neidigh argued in a letter obtained by the Daily Mail.
She went even further, alleging, “It served to intimidate, harass, chill constitutionally protected free speech, and threaten the safety and privacy of non-parties who are not involved in this litigation.”
Claims Of Harassment And Intimidation
Neidigh blasted Lively’s legal team for being “largely unresponsive” when she tried to contact them and said they could not explain why her bank details had anything to do with the actress’ feud with Baldoni.
Even though the subpoenas were dropped, Neidigh said she’s still facing an “ongoing threat” of “further abusive discovery requests” that could be used to “intimidate [her] for her lawful expression.”
She’s now demanding a protective order to prevent Lively from coming after her information again, and even asked for sanctions against the actress.
Another Creator Calls It A ‘Warehouse-Style Subpoena’
Two days earlier, another letter surfaced from content creator Kassidy O’Connell (@kassidyoc), who revealed she was one of 43 creators targeted in what she called a “bulk” subpoena.
O’Connell didn’t hold back, slamming the filing as a “wholesale, warehouse-style subpoena” and warning the judge that Lively could use legal maneuvering to dodge accountability.
“There is no evidence or sound legal basis whatsoever to have issued this subpoena in the first place,” O’Connell wrote, calling it a “witch hunt for discovery.”
Meanwhile, Lively And Baldoni Face Off In Court
The latest drama comes just days after Lively appeared in court for a tense deposition, sitting face-to-face with Baldoni, the man she’s accused of harassment. As The Blast reported, Baldoni’s legal team even floated the idea of live-streaming the deposition from Madison Square Garden, a stunt Lively’s camp immediately shut down.
Lively has accused Baldoni, who co-starred with her and directed "It Ends With Us," of sexually harassing her on set, claiming he made inappropriate remarks about her body, openly discussed his sex life, and even improvised intimate scenes without her consent.
In her filings, Lively also included what she claims are damning text messages between Baldoni and his PR team. She argues the messages show Baldoni scrambled to enlist crisis PR to smear her reputation after she came forward with her allegations, but Baldoni’s camp is gearing up to hit back hard.
According to Fox News Digital, his lawyers plan to dig into raw behind‑the‑scenes footage from "It Ends With Us," arguing the clips show Lively being playful and flirty with her co-star, not the picture of discomfort she’s painted.
“They’re looking for cracks in her story,” employment and defamation attorney Camron Dowlatshahi told the outlet. “Baldoni’s team wants to get admissions from her about the weaknesses in her case and information to support Baldoni’s defenses. For example, they’ll likely do a deep dive into the videos of her joking and flirting with Baldoni and push her to admit she was doing so, rather than feeling uncomfortable as her side has claimed.”
What’s Next In The Legal War For Blake Lively?
For now, Lively's team insists the subpoenas against Neidigh, O’Connell, and McKenzie Folks are no longer needed “at this time.” But with protective orders being requested and sanctions on the table, the fight is far from over.
It should also be noted that even though those subpoenas were pulled back, Lively’s lawyers are still going after bigger names, including Perez Hilton and Candace Owens, as they look to bolster her case.
And with both Lively and Baldoni now going toe-to-toe in court, this Hollywood feud is getting uglier by the day, with no signs of slowing down.
