NCAA responds to Trump’s executive order on women’s sports

The NCAA responded to President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep biological men out of women’s sports on Wednesday night.

Trump signed the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D..C., in front of female athletes on National Girls & Women in Sports Day.

NCAA President Charlie Baker responded to the executive order in a statement, saying it provided a “clear, national standard.” 

Baker said the NCAA Board of Governors would review it and take steps to align the organization’s policy in the coming days.

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“The NCAA is an organization made up of 1,100 colleges and universities in all 50 states that collectively enroll more than 530,000 student-athletes,” the statement said. “We strongly believe that clear, consistent and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today’s student-athletes instead of a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions. To that end, President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard.

“The NCAA Board of Governors is reviewing the executive order and will take necessary steps to align NCAA policy in the coming days, subject to further guidance from the administration. The Association will continue to help foster welcoming environments on campuses for all student-athletes. We stand ready to assist schools as they look for ways to support any student-athletes affected by changes in the policy.”

Trump was joined by Independent Women ambassadors Riley Gaines, Payton McNabb, Paula Scanlan, Sia Liilii, Lauren Miller, Kim Russell, Kaitlynn Wheeler, Linnea Saltz and Lily Mullens.

“This doesn’t have to be long. It’s all about common sense,” Trump said before signing the order, adding that “women’s sports will be only for women. The war on women’s sports is over.”

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a briefing before Trump signed the executive order that it “upholds the promise of Title IX.”

Leavitt said Trump expected the NCAA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to comply.

“He does expect the Olympic committee and the NCAA to no longer allow men to compete in women’s sports,” she said. “I think the president, with the signing of his pen, starts a very public pressure campaign on these organizations to do the right thing for women and for girls.

“Again, this is an incredibly popular position. There have been many notable female athletes who have had the courage to speak out against some very powerful institutions in this country. They deserve to have a voice and a say. The president is bringing their voice to the highest level of the White House. He expects these organizations to comply with this federal executive order he will be signing today.”

Felicia Martin, vice president of the NCAA’s Eligibility Center, spoke at a congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day and suggested the NCAA Board of Governors is already discussing potential policy changes once Trump’s executive order goes into effect. 

“We know that this is an issue and a national conversation happening around participation,” she said. “The Board of Governors is right now having conversations about what potential next steps might be, but this is absolutely one of those issues that is ongoing. 

“But without a national standard that can be applied across the board, all of us are making decisions based on what we think is the best for student-athletes and opportunities.”

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Martin added that she expects more clarity on a national standard later in the day from Trump. She also said the Board of Governors would make its decisions on any policy changes based on the specific details of the executive order.

Meet the Biden-era USAID leader facing backlash amid DOGE crackdown

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has recently become the target of Elon Musk’s DOGE efforts to slash government waste and spending, bringing increased scrutiny to the record of Samantha Power, the agency’s administrator during almost the entire Biden administration.

Power, who previously served as the United States ambassador to the United Nations from 2013 to 2017 in the Obama administration after serving on his National Security Council, took the reins of USAID in the early days of the Biden administration and was tasked with overseeing the tens of billions of dollars budgeted for foreign aid. 

“One of the most pressing challenges facing our nation is restoring and strengthening America’s global leadership as a champion of democracy, human rights, and the dignity of all people,” then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said in a statement at the time of Power’s appointment. “Few Americans are better equipped to help lead that work than Ambassador Samantha Power.”

Power was directly involved in the Obama administration’s surveillance of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and sought to obtain Michael Flynn’s redacted identity using an “unmasking” request on at least seven occasions, Fox News Digital previously reported, despite testifying under oath before the House Intelligence Committee that she had “no recollection” of ever making such a request even once.

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Fox News reported in 2017 that Power was “unmasking” at such a rapid pace in the final months of the Obama administration that she averaged more than one request for every working day in 2016, and she even sought information in the days leading up to President Trump’s inauguration, according to multiple sources close to the matter.

Power’s tenure at USAID was also not without controversy, even from her own party, including an incident in which she faced a public revolt from current and former staff in 2024 over her support of Israel.

Critics also took issue with her repeatedly meeting with influential liberal foundations while serving in her role at USAID, which Fox News Digital reported in 2023, included George Soros’ Open Society Foundations at least two times, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at least five times, and meetings with several other powerful groups like Ford and Rockefeller foundations. 

Power’s supporters say she has played a critical role in providing U.S. assistance to war-torn areas like Ukraine and Gaza along with aiding the relief of humanitarian crises that have developed in places like Haiti, Armenia and Sudan. 

“The best testament to USAID’s contribution is the surge in PRC-backed and Russian-backed propaganda maligning USAID and our work around the world,” Power said in an exit interview with Politico last month. “And it’s really picked up a lot over the last year and a half. We counted 81 malicious and false propaganda campaigns, really dedicated campaigns, aimed at denigrating USAID and our reputation. So we’re doing something that is getting on their nerves.”

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Power, who is married to former Obama administration official and professor Cass Sunstein, added, “We are an agency that has thousands of people around the world representing the United States, both because it’s in the interests of the American people to have health systems that are more secure and can spot infectious diseases and tackle them, to change regulations so it’s easier for American businesses to invest, but also to show up and to show the importance of investing in the partnership — and not investing in a manner that just leaves countries saddled with debt.”

USAID has been increasingly questioned by Republicans over its alleged funding of research relating to the coronavirus at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, as well as millions in aid that supports LGBT rights abroad and dozens of millions of dollars for migrant crises in other countries, like the nearly $45 million slated to provide emergency food assistance and economic support for Venezuelan migrants in Colombia.

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Democrats counter that the agency plays a vital role in U.S. national security interests and say it should remain independent. They point to the work USAID did to counter Soviet influence during the Cold War, a sphere of influence that could remain a concern amid China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Tech billionaire and DOGE Chair Elon Musk has been on a warpath against USAID, which is an independent U.S. agency that was established under the Kennedy administration to administer economic aid to foreign nations, as he leads DOGE’s mission of cutting government fat and overspending at the federal level. 

Musk announced in an audio-only message on X over the weekend that “we’re in the process” of “shutting down USAID.”

“On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm (EST) all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs,” USAID’s website currently says. “Essential personnel expected to continue working will be informed by Agency leadership by Thursday, February 6, at 3:00pm (EST).”

A Fox News Digital review of USAID’s recent history shows that it has repeatedly been accused of financial mismanagement and corruption long before Trump’s second administration, with spending that took place under Power’s reign likely to continue to be a focus of conversation with Republicans.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., sent a letter to Power in October 2024, sounding the alarm on the “likely misuse of more than one billion dollars in U.S. humanitarian aid sent to Gaza since October 2023,” Fox Digital reported at the time. 

A Syrian national named Mahmoud Al Hafyan, 53, was charged in November 2024 for allegedly diverting more than $9 million in U.S.-funded humanitarian aid to terrorist groups, including the Al-Nusrah Front. The Al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, is a designated terrorist organization with ties to al-Qaeda, according to the State Department.

The Government Accountability Office published a report in 2023 finding that both USAID and the National Institutes of Health directed taxpayer funds to American universities and a nonprofit organization before the money found its way to Chinese groups, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Eight auditors and employees for the USAID inspector general’s office sounded the alarm to the Washington Post in 2014 that negative findings surrounding the agency’s work were removed from final reports and audits.

Trump repeatedly proposed slashing the nation’s foreign aid budget for USAID and the State Department during his first administration, including proposing in his first year in office to slash the budgets by 37%, which Congress rejected. 

“With $20 trillion in debt, the government must learn to tighten its belt,” Trump said in 2017 while advocating for the cuts.

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Power sat down with late-night host Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night and defended USAID’s work and warned against shutting it down, claiming that children overseas in line for tuberculosis treatment were told to go home as a result of Trump’s executive order.

“Programs that were running, the people we’re depending on, in some cases, for life-saving medicine, like medicine, if you have HIV, that keeps you alive, quite literally,” Power told Colbert. “Or if you’re in Sudan and you have a child who’s wasting away because of malnutrition, a miracle paste, a peanut paste that USAID provides brings that kid back from the brink of death. All of those programs are shuttered.”

Democrat lawmakers took part in a rally against DOGE on Tuesday outside the Treasury Department, arguing that Musk’s actions are unconstitutional and a threat to Democracy. 

“My heart is with the people out on the street outside USAID, but my head tells me, ‘Man, Trump will be well satisfied to have this fight,’” veteran strategist David Axelrod, who served with Power in the Obama administration, said this week. “When you talk about cuts, the first thing people say is: Cut foreign aid.”

FCC releases raw ‘60 Minutes’ transcript from Kamala Harris interview

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) released the unedited transcript and video handed over by CBS News of its controversial “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

The raw transcript showed CBS News had aired only the first half of her response to “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker’s question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not “listening” to the Biden administration in a preview clip that aired on “Face the Nation,” but aired only the second half of her response during the primetime special. 

“But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening,” Whitaker said in the October 2024 interview. “The Wall Street Journal said that he— that your administration has repeatedly been blindsided by Netanyahu, and in fact, he has rebuffed just about all of your administration’s entreaties.”

“Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region. And we’re not going to stop doing that. We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end,” Harris responded. 

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CBS News separately released the raw transcript and unedited footage from the interview on its website. 

“We are posting the same transcripts and videos of our interview with Vice President Kamala Harris that we provided to the FCC. They show — consistent with 60 Minutes’ repeated assurances to the public — that the 60 Minutes broadcast was not doctored or deceitful,” CBS News wrote. “In reporting the news, journalists regularly edit interviews — for time, space or clarity. In making these edits, 60 Minutes is always guided by the truth and what we believe will be most informative to the viewing public — all while working within the constraints of broadcast television.”  

The network went on to say it aired a “longer portion” of Harris’ answer on “Face the Nation” while airing a “shorter excerpt” during the primetime special without acknowledging that none of what aired in the preview clip was featured on “60 Minutes.”

“As the full transcript shows, we edited the interview to ensure that as much of the vice president’s answers to 60 Minutes’ many questions were included in our original broadcast while fairly representing those answers. 60 Minutes’ hard-hitting questions of the vice president speak for themselves,” CBS News added.

CBS News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital‘s request for comment. 

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President Donald Trump’s FCC chair Brendan Carr ordered CBS News to hand over the unedited transcript as part of its investigation into whether the network violated the FCC’s “news distortion” policy after a complaint was filed.

“The policy says you can’t swap answers out to make it look like somebody said something entirely different,” Carr told Fox News’ Dana Perino on Monday, later adding it would have been “fine” if it was edited for length and clarity.

In a preview clip that aired on “Face the Nation,” Harris was asked why it seemed like Netanyahu wasn’t listening to the U.S. 

“Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of, many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region,” Harris responded in the “Face the Nation” clip. 

Harris was mocked by conservatives for offering a lengthy “word salad” to Whitaker. But when that same question aired the following night in the primetime election special, a shorter, more focused answer from the vice president followed.

“We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end,” Harris said in the primetime special. 

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Critics accused CBS News of editing Harris’ “word salad” answer to shield the vice president from further backlash, and there were calls for the network to release the full transcript after it only shared transcripts of what had aired. CBS News refused to release the raw transcript at the time.

In October, Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News alleging election interference over its handling of the “60 Minutes” interview, accusing the network of aiding his Democratic rival through deceptive editing just days before the election. 

“To paper over Kamala’s ‘word salad’ weakness, CBS used its national platform on 60 Minutes to cross the line from the exercise of judgment in reporting to deceitful, deceptive manipulation of news,” the lawsuit stated.

Trump attorneys argued the edits were done in an effort to “attempt to tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party as the heated 2024 Presidential Election — which President Trump is leading — approaches its conclusion.”

“CBS’ partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference through malicious, deceptive, and substantial news distortion calculated to confuse, deceive, and mislead the public,” the lawsuit read. 

CBS parent company Paramount Global is reportedly considering settling the suit ahead of a planned merger with Skydance Media in hopes of preventing potential retribution by Trump’s FCC, which has the authority to halt the multibillion-dollar transaction. Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, is reportedly in favor of settling with the president. 

Social Security saves taxpayers over $1,000,000 by axing ‘X’ gender marker

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced Wednesday that the Social Security Administration’s move to terminate a contract dealing with the “Gender X” marker on public-facing applications will save over $1 million in taxpayer funds.

“The Social Security Administration has terminated its contract for the “Gender X initiative marker” and removed all references to gender ideology from public-facing applications,” DOGE wrote on X. “This saves > $1M and is in accordance with the President’s Executive Order…”

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office aimed at shifting the language used by the federal government in documentation, including a move to replace the term “gender” with “sex” on official documents.

“The erasure of sex in language and policy has a corrosive impact not just on women but on the validity of the entire American system,” the order signed by Trump states. “Basing Federal policy on truth is critical to scientific inquiry, public safety, morale, and trust in government itself.”

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The move also reversed changes made during the Biden administration, including giving Americans who do not identify with either of the two biological sexes the option to mark documents such as passports with an “X” instead of “male” or “female.”

Late last month, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services were told not to make a final decision on any application that would produce a document with an “X” marker for gender.

Social Security appears to be the next agency to make modifications when it comes to a person identifying sex on an application.

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The Social Security Administration did not respond to FOX Business’ request for comment on the matter.

After learning of the savings, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. weighed in on X.

“$1,000,000 people,” she wrote. “Government waste at its finest- and this is just the tip of the iceberg.”

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The South Carolina Republican made headlines in November with a bill to ban biological males from women’s bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol, which was inspired by the election of Sarah McBride, D-Del., the first openly transgender person elected to the House.

Late-night hosts mock Schumer for recent attempts to slam President Trump

Christian singer’s Super Bowl performance is ‘vindication’ after being ‘canceled’

Christian music star Lauren Daigle is celebrating a full-circle moment after being tapped to perform at this year’s Super Bowl.

On Sunday, the 33-year-old singer will join jazz musician Trombone Shorty for a rendition of “America the Beautiful” during the Super Bowl pregame show at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. 

Daigle’s performance in NOLA during one of the most-watched TV events in the world comes years after New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell called for her to be removed as a performer when the city hosted “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Celebration.”

Ahead of the Super Bowl, Daigle joined Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo for an appearance on the “Arroyo Grande” podcast during which she explained feeling vindicated as she prepares to perform on one of the biggest stages in the world.

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“To get this moment years later, I would say for anybody watching that has had their reputations smeared in any sort of way and they are just waiting for the moment of vindication, sometimes it only takes five years,” Daigle told the “Arroyo Grande” podcast. 

In 2020, Cantrell publicly lambasted Daigle after the two-time Grammy Award winner gave an impromptu performance at an outdoor prayer service, concert and rally hosted by Christian singer and worship leader Sean Feucht.

The event, near New Orleans’ famed Jackson Square in November 2020, was part of Feucht’s “Let Us Worship” tour, which also served as a protest against COVID-19 restrictions on churches. 

According to The Times-Picayune, the event drew several hundred attendees, many of whom went mask-less in defiance of local public health orders.

Afterward, Cantrell blasted Daigle for participating in the event and later sent a harsh letter to the producers of “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve” to demand that the Lafayette, Louisiana, native be banned from performing.

At the time, Daigle issued a statement explaining she was riding her bike when she spontaneously decided to stop by Feucht’s event since he was a longtime friend. She told Arroyo her performance was not planned in advance, and Feucht asked her to sing. 

In her statement, Daigle wrote that she was “disappointed that my spontaneous participation has become part of the political discourse, and I’m saddened by the divisive agendas of these times.”

Daigle also confirmed that though she had been involved in talks with the producers of “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve,” she was never a confirmed performer for the TV special.

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“I would have been, and still would be, honored to represent our city on New Year’s Eve, and although I was aware of discussions regarding my involvement, an offer was never made,” she said.

While speaking with Arroyo, Daigle noted she was “definitely not invited” to the telecast and shared her reaction to Cantrell’s letter.

“I think from that letter, too, she quoted, ‘She’s a weapon to society,'” Daigle recalled. “And I went home to Lafayette, and I got in my parents’ bed and I pulled the covers over my head as an adult. I was like, ‘Gosh, here we are again.’ Because now there’s no amount of public ridicule that is fun.”

Looking back, Daigle said she had a different perspective about the controversy.

“What I learned is that when people need an element of hope, coming together is one of the most beautiful things,” she said. “It is one of the most incredible rights that we have in this country. It is. And I think to take that away from people is so disheartening, especially in a time like that.”

Now Daigle will take the stage in New Orleans as the city hosts the Super Bowl for the first time since 2013.

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The singer told Arroyo she was in disbelief when Trombone Shorty called her to ask if she would perform “America the Beautiful” with him at Sunday’s game.

“I picked up the phone, and there was a little bit of, ‘Is this real? Is this actually going to happen? Is it real?’ I want to know that it’s real,” she recalled. “And then it became a ‘Yeah, it was real.’ It was a real call. And I was tickled.”

Daigle also shared some details about what fans can expect from her performance with fellow Louisiana native Shorty. She told Arroyo Shorty’s arrangement of the classic patriotic song will pay tribute to both New Orleans and her hometown.

“He said, ‘You know, I wanted to give a hat tip to New Orleans because we’re here. But I also know you’re from Lafayette. So, I wanted to give a hat tip to Lafayette.’ So, he came up with this arrangement that rhythmically suits both places,'” Daigle said.

Daigle also shared that her rendition will be influenced by her Christian roots. The musician said she began to practice the song after receiving Shorty’s call.

“I immediately tried to think … how does it feel the most human in my voice?” Daigle said. “How will it cut through to this generation, the age that we are living in right now, the political climate that we’re living in right now? How can I use this song to cut through to people who might be jaded toward our country or might not love what we have in this country or what we’ve built in this country?

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“How can I use this song? And the line, and I’m not trying to sound cliché at all because I know, ‘Hello, Christian,’ whatever. But when it says, ’God shed His grace on me,’ that line, it just really gripped me to the core in a way,” she added. 

“I’ve sang songs over talking about God, right? But when you see a song that is meant for something else, and it still includes the power of God in it … it’s meant to honor our nation and show the beauty of our nation. Right? But they also know God has done something for this nation. There’s something unique about this. To be able to sing that song with a true conviction versus just, ‘Yeah, I’m just going to jump up on stage and have this opportunity.'”

Popular Hollywood director publicly backs ‘It Ends With Us’ star amid legal battle

One day after Blake Lively caught heat for promoting her upcoming film during her nasty legal fight with Justin Baldoni, director Paul Feig publicly expressed support for the 37-year-old actress. 

On Tuesday, a social media post was shared by Prime Video announcing the upcoming premiere of Lively’s new film, “Another Simple Favor,” which she stars in alongside Anna Kendrick. 

The post, which also tagged Lively, Kendrick, Feig, Amazon MGM Studios and the film’s official Instagram page, received a mix of reactions from fans. 

One user wrote, “Paul Feig’s cut or Blake’s cut?” It was seemingly a reference to her “It Ends With Us” drama with the film’s director, Baldoni. 

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“It’s my cut. There is no other cut. Blake has been nothing but supportive and a dream to work with,” Feig wrote about Lively, who sued Baldoni for sexual harassment, retaliation and emotional distress in December. “She is the best and an amazing collaborator and I’m her biggest fan. Just wanted to clear that up.”

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“Has no one told her she’s canceled,” another user commented on the Prime Video Instagram post. 

“I’ll never watch anything with Blake Lively ever again,” one fan chimed in. 

“Girl we are not supporting you anymore PACK IT UP,” another person wrote.

Though others were quick to show their support. 

“Was never really into this series but I’ll be watching to support Blake,” one user wrote. 

“I’m so happy that the world finally gets to have another round [heart eye emoji] lord knows we need it,” wrote another.

Representatives for Lively did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment at the time. 

The new film promotion comes over a month after Lively filed her lawsuit against Baldoni and film producer Jamey Heath. She first filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights department and later filed one in federal court in December. 

In response, Baldoni filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of civil extortion and defamation. 

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Since then, the public feud has only escalated. 

Baldoni accused Lively of holding their film, “It Ends With Us,” hostage over the use of a Taylor Swift song.

In a lengthy timeline shared on Baldoni’s website, which also features an amended lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds, the actor and director shared a text exchange between Heath, a Sony Film executive and a Sony marketing executive (who had allegedly just spoken with Lively) that details Lively’s alleged “escalating demands” over the film’s release and “veiled threat” over the use of Swift’s song, “My Tears Ricochet.”

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“While Lively is holding the Film hostage in the edit room, she is simultaneously stalling the Film’s marketing by refusing to approve key materials, including the trailer release,” the timeline states, alongside screenshots of various messages between the three individuals. 

“Lively will not approve the trailer release unless she is granted more time in the edit room with her personal editor. Adding to the pressure, Lively made a veiled threat, implying she might ‘change her mind’ about reaching out to Taylor Swift to secure the use of ‘My Tears Ricochet’ for the trailer if her demands are not met.”

“My Tears Ricochet” was used in the film’s first trailer and a scene in the movie. 

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Baldoni’s team also released unedited footage from the set of “It Ends With Us.” Both Lively and Baldoni have claimed the footage bolsters their respective claims.

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After the release, Lively’s legal team demanded a gag order be issued against Baldoni’s lawyer. 

“As Ms. Lively’s counsel have attempted, repeatedly, to caution Mr. Freedman, federal litigation must be conducted in court and according to the relevant rules of professional conduct,” court documents state. “His conduct threatens to, and will, materially prejudice both the Lively Case and the Wayfarer Case by tainting the jury pool, because his statements are deliberately aimed at undermining the ‘character, credibility, [and] reputation’ of numerous relevant parties.”

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On Jan. 23, Baldoni’s lawyers filed a response, calling Lively’s gag order attempt an “intimidation tactic” and “tactical gamesmanship.”

Baldoni and Lively’s legal teams were in federal court Monday, where the judge ordered that they follow the New York Rules of Professional Conduct, which limit speaking to the press.

Neither party will be permitted to make statements to the press that have a “substantial likelihood” of prejudicing a jury. However, the legal teams will be allowed to defend their clients in the media against publicity not created by either side.