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Julia Smith
Author
Julia Smith
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Justin Baldoni has tapped disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s (SBF) lawyer to represent him as his legal fight against Blake Lively intensifies, court documents obtained by People on Thursday reveal.
Alexandra Shapiro Set To Rep Baldoni In Landmark Lively Case
The “It Ends With Us” director has brought in Alexandra Shapiro to represent him ahead of his March 2026 trial against his former co-star, per a notice of appearance filed by Shapiro and verified by People.
A former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Shapiro is currently representing Bankman-Fried as he appeals his November 2023 conviction on seven fraud and conspiracy charges tied to FTX’s stunning collapse back in 2022.
Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs – who previously was a cellmate of Bankman-Fried in New York federal prison – also hired Shapiro in the lead-up to his July 2025 partial acquittal on racketeering and sex trafficking charges.
Taylor Swift Shakes Off Justin Baldoni Deposition
News of Baldoni’s latest legal move comes just one week after Judge Lewis Liman rejected his team’s request for an extension to depose Taylor Swift – a longtime friend of Lively’s, though their current relationship status remains unclear.
Liman argued that Baldoni’s lawyers waited too long to depose Swift and noted that Baldoni’s camp had withdrawn a subpoena sent to the pop star this past spring after voluntarily being provided information by Swift’s legal team.
“Discovery has been going on in this case for approximately six months,” Liman said. “They have offered no evidence that they have served a renewed subpoena on Swift… Having failed to demonstrate appropriate diligence, the requested extension is denied.”
SBF Awaits Key Appeal Date
Meanwhile, Bankman-Fried is serving his 25-year sentence for orchestrating the massive crypto scheme behind bars at FCI Terminal Island, a low-security prison in his home state of Southern California.
Oral arguments for his appeal are scheduled for November 4 at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York.
However, with the average criminal appeal success rate historically low, it remains to be seen if Shapiro will be successful in overturning Bankman-Fried’s conviction.
