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Journalist Kjersti Flaa reacts as "shocking details" regarding origin of the "phantom subpoena" in Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni case come to light

Modified Apr 19, 2025 22:34 GMT

On April 18, 2025, journalist Kjersti Flaa examined a new aspect of the legal feud between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively: the origin of the “phantom subpoena."

For the unversed, on December 20, 2024, American actress Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, film producer Jamie Heath, Wayfarer Studios, and its co-founder Steve Sadowitz, as reported by People.

The lawsuit included allegations of s*xual assault and orchestrating a smear campaign against the 37-year-old actress.

The next day after the lawsuit filing, The New York Times published an article titled ‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine. The article covered screenshots of text messages between Justin Baldoni and his team, which allegedly suggested that they had been plotting against Lively.

On April 10, 2025, Stephanie Jones, a former publicist for Justin Baldoni, stated in a court file that she was subpoenaed to provide all this information to The New York Times.

In response to her statement, Kjersti Flaa questioned:

"How come there was a subpoena when there was no lawsuit at the point?"

While reading an exclusive article from Daily Mail, Flaa reported that Lively's inactive company, Vanzan Inc., might have been used to strategically file a subpoena against anonymous parties over breach of contractual and fiduciary obligations, including confidentiality agreements and duties of loyalty and good faith.

"This company sued Jane and Joe Doe, unnamed individuals or entities believed to be current or former employees, contractors, or agents," as reported by Daily Mail.

Vanzan Inc. filed the lawsuit on September 27, 2024, in the Manhattan Supreme Court. Notably, the lawsuit filed by Vanzan Inc. against these unnamed individuals vanished the day before Blake Lively filed the CDR lawsuit, in California.

Could this information hurt Blake Lively in her lawsuit?

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds at SNL 50: The Anniversary Special for People Magazine(Image via Getty)

Later in the video, Flaa stated that Stephanie Jones is married to Jason Hodes, senior partner at WME (William Morris Endeavor), a management company that represents Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, which implies a link between Stephanie Jones, her husband, and the legal interests of It Ends With Us stars.

“Maybe she told her husband like 'I want revenge on Jennifer Abel and I hate Justin Baldoni for leaving the company, what can we do? I have her phone. How can we give it to Blake Lively so she can hurt them?'" Flaa continued.

Kjersti Flaa also discussed the potential repercussions of the lawsuit filed against these unnamed individuals by Vanzan Inc., which may have granted subpoena power that allowed them to legally obtain confidential communications from a former employee's phone.

In the video, Flaa further raised the question, asking ChatGPT about the potential impact if these claims were true. If these allegations are factual, it would mean that the lawyers of Vanzan Inc. filed the lawsuit not with the intention of litigating, but solely to obtain subpoena power and bypass confidentiality protections.

She explained that the court documents show that these filings were made by the same lawyers and the same company that represents Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in their lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.

"The court documents are public, and the thing is that there's no other explanation for how Stephanie Jones could be subpoenaed," Flaa stated.

Kjersti Flaa further explained that these types of lawsuits are called straw lawsuits, which are common in celebrity cases, especially smear campaigns. They are used to harass and intimidate third parties for discovery, seek off-limits information, and potentially damage reputations. This can lead third parties to feel compelled to comply and provide evidence.

She said that these types of lawsuits are "extremely unethical," and because of this, Lively and her team can face ethical and legal consequences.

The trial is scheduled for March 9, 2026, following the ongoing legal back-and-forth.

About the author

Vaishnavi Sah is a Podcast and Trending News writer at Sportskeeda. With a BSc (Hons) in Botany, she found her way into the creative field through her love for writing, transforming a hobby into a career.

With 3.5 years of experience, Vaishnavi has contributed to platforms like The Wincible, Poptechculture, Louvepedia, and Aspire Alive and served as Content Head for Craving Foodies.

One of her notable achievements includes crafting website copy and content for Maella, a brand by Dimple Kapoor, who has been awarded as world's top 100 influential women.

As a self-proclaimed social media junkie and podcast enthusiast, Vaishnavi’s work is deeply rooted in her personal interests. She ensures accuracy and credibility in her content by thoroughly researching and verifying information from reliable sources.

Beyond writing, Vaishnavi enjoys dancing, gaming, long walks, and playing with and feeding every dog she comes across.

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