Blake Lively’s lawyers allege Justin Baldoni used auto-deleting app Signal for smear campaign

Blake Lively’s legal team alleged Justin Baldoni used the Signal app to delete messages tied to a smear campaign. Court filings from October 22, 2025 show accusations of intentional evidence destruction. The allegations target Baldoni, his Wayfarer Studios team, and publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel. Auto-deleting messages supposedly covered tracks during the alleged campaign against the actress.

What the New Allegations Reveal

Lively’s legal team filed a detailed motion alleging deliberate destruction of evidence. The motion claims Baldoni and his inner circle knew litigation was coming by August 2024. They allegedly switched to Signal specifically to auto-delete messages.

The court filing states defendants were “either destroying or failing to preserve relevant communication in real time.” Court-ordered depositions with former staffers revealed the Signal usage. Employees like Katherine Case and Breanna Butler testified about the messaging app strategy.

“Jen Abel conspired with Melissa Nathan, Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer to orchestrate a smear campaign and she did it in secret. Conversations were moved to an auto-deleting platform and evidence was destroyed.”

Why This Matters for the Case

The Signal allegations could dramatically shift the case trajectory. Lively’s team wants Judge Lewis Liman to issue an adverse inference. That means the court would assume destroyed messages contained evidence of the smear campaign.

This strategy addresses a core problem: Lively struggles to prove the smear campaign happened without the actual messages. Using auto-delete features suggests consciousness of guilt. The defense counters that many people use Signal for privacy without wrongdoing intent.

The destroyed evidence argument could prove decisive at trial. Courts take spoliation seriously. Judges often penalize parties who destroy evidence before litigation begins. The August 2024 timeline matters greatly here.

Evidence and Court Filings

The motion details a troubling pattern of document games. Lively’s lawyers filed 12 discovery motions to get defendant documents. Some were improperly hidden behind attorney-client privilege claims.

Allegation	Details
Auto-Delete App	Signal used to destroy campaign planning messages
Voice Memos	Audio messages also allegedly auto-deleted systematically
Timeline	Destruction continued even after December 20, 2024 filing
Coordination	Abel allegedly directed social-media messaging to promote Baldoni

A separate filing from Jonesworks LLC (the PR firm) corroborates the Signal allegations. The company claims Abel conspired outside official channels. She allegedly worked directly with Baldoni and Wayfarer to orchestrate the campaign.

What Comes Next in the Legal Battle

Lively’s team seeks court-ordered sanctions and an adverse inference. They want Judge Liman to assume the destroyed messages contained evidence supporting her smear campaign claims.

• Judge must decide whether to issue adverse inference instruction.
• Baldoni’s legal team will respond with their own evidence destruction defenses.
• Discovery closed recently, limiting new evidence collections.
• Trial preparation intensifies heading into March 2026.
• Public attention remains extremely high on this case.

Baldoni maintains his defense throughout. He denies orchestrating any smear campaign. He claims online backlash against Lively was organic from regular people objecting to her alleged behavior.

Could Auto-Deleting Apps Prove the Smoking Gun?

The Signal evidence cuts both ways legally speaking. One side argues using auto-delete apps proves consciousness of guilt. The other side argues many privacy-conscious people use Signal daily without wrongdoing involved.

Lively’s team benefits from the timing here badly. Baldoni allegedly switched to Signal in August 2024. That’s precisely when tensions escalated on set about the film’s premiere and marketing strategy.

The court filings describe systematic evidence destruction efforts spanning months. This suggests deliberate planning, not casual privacy preferences. Judge Liman faces a critical decision on whether destroyed messages constitute intentional spoliation under court rules.

Sources

• Deadline – Reporting on court filings and legal allegations from October 2025.
• ABC News – Comprehensive timeline of the Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni legal battle.
• The New York Times – Coverage of workplace allegations and documented evidence.