Celebrity Legal Battles: From Blake Lively to Neil Young and More
The ongoing legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni regarding the movie "It Ends With Us" once again involved Taylor Swift, who was considered a key witness due to her friendship with Lively. Baldoni sought to depose Swift, claiming she had agreed to it, but Swift's attorneys clarified that she had not agreed, though she would make time for it if necessary. Ultimately, a judge denied Baldoni's request to depose Swift, bringing a swift end to the matter.
In other legal news, Neil Young faced a lawsuit over the name of his new backing band, The Chrome Hearts, which a fashion brand claimed infringed on its trademark rights. A class action settlement for songwriters that heavily favored lawyers over the songwriters was struck down, resulting in a significantly reduced payout for the attorneys. Sony merchandise venture Ceremony of Roses took legal action against bootleggers selling knockoff Dua Lipa merch, while Lil Nas X entered an inpatient treatment program following his arrest. Lil Durk's trial on federal murder-for-hire charges might be postponed, and Calvin Harris accused his financial adviser of duping him into a failed real estate investment.
Maurene Comey, lead prosecutor in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex-trafficking trial, sued the Justice Department over her termination, alleging political payback. Smokey Robinson's accusers in a rape case were allowed to remain anonymous, and a settlement was reached to end a lawsuit between major music labels and the Internet Archive over digitizing old vinyl records. Sara Rivers appealed the dismissal of her sexual assault lawsuit against Diddy, and Trey Songz settled a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault at a Miami nightclub.