Cell Phone Records and Taylor Swift: RPJ’s Ethan Krasnoo Quoted in the News About the Latest Developments in the Lively-Baldoni Lawsuit

This month, RPJ Partner Ethan Krasnoo was twice interviewed and quoted by Fox News regarding the ongoing legal drama between actress Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni. In December 2024, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath, accusing them of multiple charges, including sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign to damage her reputation. In response, Baldoni filed his own lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, alleging extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and more.

Krasnoo was initially consulted regarding the subpoena that Lively’s team issued for Justin Baldoni’s and other parties’ phone records. Krasnoo noted that “[w]hile some of the information obtained from phone companies may be useful in identifying who the defendants spoke with and texted, as well as the duration of those communications, the overall benefit of these records is likely minimal in proving Lively’s case. Merely showing that a defendant spoke with or texted an individual—which the records might reveal—does not, in and of itself, implicate them in any wrongful action. Furthermore, Lively has already obtained text messages from some of the relevant parties, which constitute more direct evidence than phone logs.”

More recently, Krasnoo addressed the potential relevance of Taylor Swift’s involvement in the case. It has been alleged that Swift, who has a longstanding close friendship with Lively, played a role in the film’s casting. She also allowed the use of one of her songs in both the trailer and the movie.

As to whether Swift will be required to testify at a deposition, Krasnoo speculated that, “[i]f Taylor Swift’s deposition could provide relevant information to the case, she may be subpoenaed to testify or provide documentary evidence. However, Swift could attempt to quash the subpoena, arguing that it’s a fishing expedition or an attempt to damage Lively’s relationship with Swift rather than to obtain pertinent information. Given the limited impact on the case’s merits and the fact that Lively and other parties likely have access to much of the same relevant information, there is a strong possibility that a motion to quash the subpoena would succeed if Swift were subpoenaed for a deposition.”

This high-profile case continues to unfold, and its outcome may have far-reaching implications for the entertainment industry and how personal relationships intersect with professional dealings in Hollywood.

Read the Fox News articles interviewing Krasnoo here and here.