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Podcaster Zack Peter interviewed Josh Boswell, senior reporter of Daily Mail, about the "phantom subpoena" that made Justin Baldoni's ex-publicist, Stephanie Jones, divulge sensitive texts. During the No Filter with Zack Peter podcast episode aired on April 22, 2025, Peter pressed Boswell for clarity on the mysterious subpoena that led to the release of sensitive messages.
Boswell revealed that Justin Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, had never seen the subpoena himself.
"I was always kinda looking for this when I spoke to him… like how shocked is he actually? Or was he, you know, just playing strategy here but as best I could tell, I'm pretty sure…like the way he reacted, he had no idea about this Vanzan lawsuit, which kind of means Blake Lively's strategy- worked," Boswell explained.
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The "Vanzan lawsuit" discussed above refers to Blake Lively's secret lawsuit against Justin Baldoni's ex-publicist, as reported by the Daily Mail on April 18, 2025. The lawsuit was filed through a shell company called Vanzan Inc., registered under Lively's name.
As per the report, the key objective of this "shadow lawsuit" was to issue a subpoena demanding sensitive texts regarding Justin Baldoni, Lively, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, from Jonesworks, the former publicist Stephanie Jones' company.
The suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on September 27, 2024, targeted unnamed defendants ("Does 1–10") for allegedly damaging Vanzan's reputation, though it lacked specific accusations. The lawsuit was quietly withdrawn on December 19, 2024, mere days before Lively filed a sexual harassment complaint against Justin Baldoni.
According to the article above, Bryan Freedman explained how this "shadow lawsuit" was an "abuse of process" that allowed Lively's attorney to access sensitive information discreetly. He further told the Daily Mail:
"This appears to be an end-around, skirting the process, to be able to secretly get these documents without having to give anyone notice...we intend to take all action allowable under the law."
Josh Boswell speculates Bryan Freedman's reaction regarding the "Vanzan lawsuit" against Justin Baldoni's ex-publicist during podcast
During the aforementioned podcast episode, Josh Boswell speculated how Bryan Freedman would react after learning about the "phantom subpoena" in the "Vanzan lawsuit." The senior reporter suggested that Freedman was caught off guard and furious upon being informed.
"I mean, he is livid about this when I spoke to him. He was like, 'I cannot believe they've done this.' He has not seen the subpoena yet, he had no idea about the Vanzan lawsuit until I actually told him about it on Wednesday," Boswell explained.
Boswell also pointed out that Freedman's reaction could either be an aggressive legal response or a potential move to challenge the subpoena.
"You know he's probably going to be filing something in that SBNY federal lawsuit. We'll look out for that and see what he asks for. Maybe he'll ask for the disqualification of her lawyers, maybe he'll ask for sanctions. We'll see what happens," he added.
Despite this unfolding controversy, Lively's legal team stood by their actions. According to a Deadline article dated April 21, 2025, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, Blake Lively's attorneys, denied any impropriety regarding the "shadow lawsuit" against Justin Baldoni. They claimed that there was "nothing untoward here," adding that the lawsuit was:
"Just conscientious and thorough investigation...The Lively parties acted upon reliable information, and employed common tools such as Doe lawsuits and civil subpoenas that are entirely lawful and appropriate for pursuing claims," they said in their statement.
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are engaged in a heated legal battle scheduled for trial on March 9, 2026.
