Blake Lively drops subpoenas against YouTubers amid Justin Baldoni legal battle

In a surprising twist in her ongoing legal dispute with actor and director Justin Baldoni, actress Blake Lively has officially withdrawn subpoenas issued to three small-time content creators who had covered the case on social media platforms.

According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Lively’s legal team informed the court on July 26 that they would no longer seek personal data from creators Kassidy O’Connell, McKenzie Folks, and Lauren Neidigh. The decision came just days after the YouTubers pushed back, calling the subpoenas a “witch hunt” and asking the judge to intervene.

“There is no evidence or sound legal basis whatsoever to have issued this subpoena,” O’Connell wrote to the court, describing the action as an attempt to intimidate independent voices.
Neidigh echoed those concerns, labelling the legal effort as “unduly burdensome” and accusing Lively’s team of harassment.

The subpoenas, originally sent to Google and X (formerly Twitter), reportedly requested sensitive data, including financial information. The backlash prompted growing criticism online, with fans defending the creators and accusing Lively’s team of overreach.

While the Gossip Girl star has stepped back from pursuing these individuals, her legal team made it clear in a letter to the court that the broader investigation into an alleged online smear campaign is still active. They referenced a message from Baldoni’s camp that allegedly discussed an “untraceable” media plan to discredit Lively.

A spokesperson for Lively emphasized the subpoenas were legal tools, not accusations, and were part of efforts to gather evidence in a larger sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Baldoni and several associates at Wayfarer Studios.

“There is no silencing of content creators,” her rep stated. “They are obviously making their views known.” The trial is set to begin in March 2026, though Lively’s scheduled deposition on July 31 has been postponed.

In a recent interview with Variety, McKenzie Folks, a stay-at-home mom from Kansas, shared how surreal the experience felt. “This is totally a scene out of a movie—some millionaire actress coming after someone. It’s very daunting.”