Podcaster Zack Peter claims Blake Lively's use of the word "yummy" in Michelle Trachtenberg's tribute is a "legal ploy" for Justin Baldoni feud

Blake Lively has recently paid tribute to actress Michelle Trachtenberg, who died on February 26, 2025, at the age of 39. Blake took to her Instagram Story to express her grief in a lengthy statement on the same day when the news of Michelle's death was made official by the NYPD.

Meanwhile, podcaster Zack Peter addressed Blake Lively's tribute in a video shared through his official account on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, February 28, alleging that it was a "legal ploy" for her ongoing problems with Justin Baldoni.

Zack claimed that fans are not "pleased" with Blake's tribute, specifically the portion where she used the word "yummy". Peter claimed that the word was previously seen in Blake Lively's alleged texts to Justin Baldoni in 2023 when their film It Ends With Us was under production.

The said messages were leaked by Baldoni through his website which was launched earlier this month to support his accusations against Lively, as per People magazine. Zack continued by saying:

"The fact that the term yummy comes up in this tribute and with in the text messages that she was sending late that night to Justin Baldoni, this unfortunately feels like a legal ploy. Possibly even a PR ploy."

In her tribute, Blake Lively added a picture featuring a scene where she appeared with Trachtenberg on Gossip Girl many years ago. The portion of the Café Society star's statement where she used the word "yummy" read:

"She always had yummy caramel smelling lipgloss on because she didn't just want to sparkle on camera, she liked creating a nice experience for anyone who was in her orbit, even down to the subtle smell of her lipgloss because she cared about the sweet details."

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Zack Peter explained why Blake Lively had possibly shared the tribute

In his latest video, Zack Peter said that it was a good gesture from Blake Lively to pay tribute to her co-star. However, he started referring to Shannon Doherty and Alyssa Milano's relationship, where they never got along with each other while working together on the show Charmed.

"Yet when Shannen Doherty passed away, Alyssa Milano posted a very short and sweet tribute, basically saying less. We all know we have had a complicated history but I've always had a lot of love and respect for her and I hope she rests in peace."

Zack pointed out for another time that Alyssa Milano's tribute was short and simple and started speaking on Blake's tribute by saying:

"I feel like Blake even knew that by posting a tribute like this, and even using the word yummy that we were all so fixated on, just a couple of weeks ago, was going to dominate the news cycle."

Peter said that no one uses such words in a "sweet tribute" to a co-star, adding that Michelle Trachtenberg appeared to avoid Blake Lively's ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Peter then displayed a screenshot from an Instagram post of Michelle where she was asked about her opinion on Blake and Justin's legal issues.

Trachtenberg responded at the time by writing that she was worried about the "real world news" and the families who suffered losses during the Los Angeles wildfires this year. Peter addressed the possible meaning behind the word "real world news" by saying:

"She did not think Blake's case against Justin Baldoni was worthy of being a real world news and probably was shocked that we were all talking about it."

While Zack Peter's video is trending everywhere, it remains to be seen if Blake Lively would respond to the same in any manner.