EXCLUSIVE Candace Owens calls out Blake Lively over claim she's being subpoenaed into Justin Baldoni legal drama

Daily Mail​

21 hours ago

Conservative commentator Candace Owens has hit back at claims she has become the latest star subpoenaed in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal drama.
As Baldoni, 41, plots his next move weeks after his $400million countersuit against Lively, 37, was dismissed, a report emerged alleging Owens, 35, had been ordered to turn over communications with the actor and the Wayfarer parties.
Alongside Owens - who has frequently discussed the It Ends With Us legal wrangle on her podcast - it was claimed media personality Perez Hilton and YouTuber Andy Signore had also been subpoenaed after making waves with their 'Blake bashing commentary.'
However, Owens has fired back at Lively, denied receiving a subpoena and has sensationally accused the A Simple Favor star's team of 'leaking' the story to TMZ.
She exclusively told DailyMail.com in a statement: 'Given the fact that I have not received any subpoena yet, I appreciate Blake's team leaking this to TMZ to alert me to it.
'And of course, I have not the slightest idea what I am being subpoenaed for as I knew none of these parties when their respective lawsuits were filed. But stay tuned, and I'll let audiences know on my podcast!'
DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Hilton, Lively and Baldoni for comment and has yet to hear back.
Popcorned Planet host Signore memorably claimed Lively was 'admitting defeat in a sneaky way' after she dropped her emotional distress claim against Baldoni last month.
Last month the theater of battle between Lively and Baldoni narrowed with the announcement that he will not be amending the claims in his $400 million defamation lawsuit.
His attorney Bryan Freedman announced that Baldoni would not be amending any of his complaints in the tossed-out lawsuit.
In a statement to DailyMail.com, Freedman said: 'The Court's decision on the motion to dismiss has no effect whatsoever on the truth that there was no harassment nor any smear campaign, and it does not in any way affect our vigorous defense against Ms. Lively's claims.
'Discovery is proceeding and we are confident that we will prevail against these factually baseless accusations,' he continued. 'Instead of revising the existing claims, our clients will be pursuing additional legal options that are available to us.'
Despite her initial legal win when Baldoni's lawsuit was dismissed, Lively hasn't been letting up on her own lawsuit, and she recently sent out a bevy of new subpoenas.
A spokesman for Lively also responded to the news that Baldoni was stepping back from his failed attempt to countersue her in a statement to DailyMail.com.
'The Court dismissed the frivolous $400 million Baldoni–Wayfarer lawsuit in its entirety,' they said.
'In the days that followed, Baldoni's lawyer said the judge's decision to dismiss their case was not a big deal as they promised to amend and refile it. As per usual, that was not true,' her spokesperson continued. 'The Court's dismissal of Baldoni's sham lawsuit was a total victory after all.'
Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni's lawsuit, but he left the Jane The Virgin star a second opportunity to amend the suit by June 23.
However, the judge ruled that he could only amend the allegations 'relevant to the claims of tortious interference with contract and breach of implied covenant.'
The 132-page opinion broke down why the allegations in Baldoni's lawsuit were without merit, including the accusation that Lively, her husband and her publicist Leslie Sloane engaged in 'civil extortion.'
A statement obtained at the time by DailyMail.com from Blake Lively's attorneys read: 'Today's opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times.
'As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it.
'We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.'
In a statement obtained by DailyMail.com, a spokesperson for The New York Times said of the dismissal: 'We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit against The New York Times for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting.
Judge Lewis J. Limon previously dismissed Baldoni's suit alleging defamation and extortion on the basis that all her allegations were made within privileged court papers; Lively pictured in It Ends With Us
'Our journalists went out and covered carefully and fairly a story of public importance, and the court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism. We will continue to stand up in court for our journalism and for our journalists when their work comes under attack.'
The legal battle between Lively and Baldoni officially erupted last year after rumors of tension between the two, with the actress accusing her co-star of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign, allegations Baldoni denied.
In her lawsuit, Lively named a number of Baldoni's collaborators, including his company Wayfarer Studios, the studio's CEO and financial backer, and PR personnel Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel.
Baldoni has denied the allegations brought about by Lively, while Lively, Reynolds and Sloane have denied the accusations made in litigation by Baldoni.
Baldoni's team has released a website which includes private communications such as text messages that were included in court filings detailing his interactions with the Hollywood power couple over the making of the romantic drama.
He claimed in court filings they made efforts to usurp and undermine his input as the director of It Ends with Us.
Baldoni's team previously said that the communications shared in court filings on the website makes things clear about the motives of both parties.
The website, which is live online at thelawsuitinfo.com, comes amid a spate of high-profile litigation between the collaborators on the film, which was a hit at the box office last August.
Lively filed an 80-page civil rights complaint with the California Civil Rights Department against Baldoni on December 20, before officially filing a federal lawsuit on December 31.
In her lawsuit, the Gossip Girl alum accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her in multiple ways — including body shaming her — and orchestrating a smear campaign against her to damage her reputation.
Baldoni told the court the trio had concocted 'false accusations of sexual harassment' against him.
Baldoni and his reps have said in response to the lawsuit that Lively twisted the meaning of text messages and mislead the public about their interactions while making the motion picture.
On June 3, DailyMail.com revealed Lively dropped a claim of intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress against Baldoni.
Baldoni subsequently sued the newspaper for $250 million in a defamation claim over a December 21 story titled '"We Can Bury Anyone": Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine ;' the newspaper has denied the allegations.
Since Lively's complaint was filed, Baldoni has faced a number of professional consequences, including a lawsuit from a former publicist ; and being dropped by the agency WME , which also reps Lively and Reynolds.
WME has denied claims that Lively and Reynolds leaned on them to release Baldoni from their client roster, according to Variety.