Allegedly Golden

With the trial getting closer, the Lively case is busy.  This week, the judge will hear testimony from several expert witnesses who want to give opinions about the increase in negative sentiment about Lively during August of 2024.   I'll explain what the judge is looking for, how the opinions were crafted, and how important they are to Lively's case. Want to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

After more than a year of making content, I've been reflecting on the online ecosystem and my place in it. I'm taking a break from my usual podcast structure to talk about what I've learned, what has been good and bad about the experience, and what I'm looking to next. This episode is more about transparency than learning, but you will walk away knowing more about how I view my content from behind the scenes. Want to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

This episode dissects the lawsuit filed by the parents of a young Texas cheerleader who passed away from heart problems allegedly cause by caffeine consumption.  I also give some tips to companies trying to target middle-aged women, because they are getting it all wrong. Plus, some thoughts on what we've learned in Griffin and Lively this week. Want to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

Its time to take a breather from the Lively craziness to catch up on some of the other cases we're following.  There's action in both of the Karen Read civil cases; part of the lululemon v. Costco case was resolved while another is just beginning; the acknowledgments in Amy Griffin's book make Jane Doe's allegations more plausible; and the production company for SLOMW says Marciano waiver his right to sue when he signed up for Vanderpump Villa. Want to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

Want to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

This episode includes a comprehensive breakdown of the seven claims Jane Doe is bringing against Amy Griffin, her ghostwriter, and her publisher, with an explanation of what they mean. Plus, Tyler Perry and Matt Kalil get Nos from the judges in their cases, and I can't figure out where my anxiety is coming from. Want to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

In this episode, I explain the new facts Karen Read added to her complaint against the police and citizens she says framed her and what she's hoping it will accomplish. Also, updates on JT, the Social Media Trial (where we appear to be near a verdict), and the Idaho 4 case against WSU. Plus, some musings on the Taylor Frankie Paul situation.  Want to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

This episode tackles the concept of guilt, how i've tried to eliminate it from my life but it continues to creep in. Plus, a full rundown of all the legal action this week, some new cases i'm paying attention to, and law school 101 on "eggshell" plaintiffs. You'll also hear my confession about something i've been craving.Want to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

Tune in to hear:What the judge has ordered in JT's bid to keep body cam footage privateA sample of the jury instructions jurors will get in the social media negligence caseA former amazing race couple's allegations that their edit on the show was defamatoryWhy eBay is my new favorite scrollWhy causation is the most important element in all civil casesWant to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

Tune in to hear:What i've learned about possible reasons for my cult obsessionWhy I think it's a good sign for Baldoni that the decisions on his motions is taking awhileWhat made jurors tear up in the social media trialWhose depositions Karen Read wants to take in her wrongful death caseThe limitations of appealsWant to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

In this episode, i'm giving a full explainer on a mechanism being used in multiple high-profile cases to have the cases thrown out before they get started. It's all about free speech, but maybe not quite in the way the law intended. I'll also provide updates on all the big cases we are watching, with a little side rant about being a woman in 2026. Tune in to hear:-How Mark Zuckerberg explained Meta's decisions regarding minors using social media on the witness stand-Why discovery in the Jones v. Abel case is being reopened-How big entertainment companies are using laws that are supposed to help the little guy-Why it's so hard to sue someone for things they sayWant to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

In this episode, i'm bringing on my most-requested guest, my husband. We talk about everything from meeting at a law firm to coaching youth sports and everything in between. I'll also give updates on the social media trial, the mediations in the Lively and Jones cases last week, and the status of two civil cases Erika Girardi is still fighting. Tune into hear: Why I think the Lively Judge is more likely to issue an order on dispositive motions now that mediation is overWhat it's like to live with me (the good and the bad)What Mr. NAG thinks about Vanzan and all those sanctions motionsHow being an athlete can prepare you for a career in lawThe one question parents should never ask a baseball coachWant to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

In this episode, i'm doing a full breakdown of a case that should be on everyone's radar; a California trial where a young woman accuses Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snapchat of causing her mental health issues. She, along with more than a thousand other plaintiffs in a multi-district litigation, asserts that the platforms' algorithms and reward systems are inherently unsafe for children and that the platforms should be held accountable. I'll also do a mock opening statement for each side of the Lively v. Baldoni case to show how they might frame their case if they get to a jury. Tune into hear: Things that hit different when you're middle aged What we're waiting on in the lululemon and Karen Read cases The legal arguments the social media platforms have made to defend themselves against negligence claims from parents and childrenThe evidence both sides are trying to have sidelined in the upcoming trial, and the kinds of questions being asked in jury selectionHow the Lively case might be presented to a jury, from both sidesWant to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

In this episode, i'm sharing updates on several cases i've been following involving celebs and other people in the public eye. I give a brief overview of appeals and how they work, so we can follow some cases that are headed to that level in the coming months. I also break down a clean and easy way the judge in the Lively case can enter judgment for Wayfarer.  Tune into hear: The latest move by Angelina Jolie in her battle with Brad Pitt over their French Vineyard, Chateau Miraval, that has stopped the case in its tracksWhat Candace Owens filed recently in her attempt to dismiss the defamation case against her by the President of France and his wife based on Owens' content claiming that Brigitte Macron was born a manThe major Constitutional issue raised by The McCabes, the Alberts, and Brian Higgins as they ask the Federal Court to drop them from Karen Read’s civil rights lawsuit The two unsealed documents that I see as most damaging to Blake Lively’s case and whyA possible pathway for the Lively judge to end the case by only making two legal decisionsWant to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

In this episode, @littlegirlattorney and I take you inside the courtroom for the highly anticipated Lively v. Wayfarer hearing. A nearly three-hour proceeding that revealed far more through the judge’s questions than through the arguments themselves.We walk through what it was like to be in the room, the sheer scale and seriousness of the hearing, and why this judge’s level of preparation matters more than anything else that happened that day. From sexual harassment and retaliation to independent contractor status, defamation, spoliation, and extraterritorial application of California law, this episode breaks down the real legal fault lines shaping the case.Tune in to hear:What stood out immediately inside the courtroomWhy the judge’s preparation changed the tone of the hearingThe key legal issues at stake and how each side approached themHow sexual harassment claims are evaluated in creative environmentsThe high-stakes debate over employee vs. independent contractor statusWhy the retaliation argument appeared especially vulnerableThe defamation claims and the line between opinion and factWhy the spoliation motion faced steep oddsWhat the judge’s final questions may reveal about his thinkingWant to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

In this episode, I am exploring why celebrity culture feels different now...not because the glamour is gone, but because we understand too much about how image-making works behind the scenes. That understanding becomes especially important when celebrity narratives collide with the courtroom.This week’s Civil Disorder segment focuses heavily on the ongoing Lively litigation, as the court prepares for a pivotal hearing that could dramatically reshape (or even end) the case. A major development precedes that hearing: the judge’s decision on what evidence will remain sealed and what the public will finally be allowed to see.The episode breaks down why sealing evidence is unusual, what the law actually says about public access to court records, and why the distinction between confidential and private information matters more than most people realize. From discovery disputes to deposition secrecy, this case raises serious questions about transparency, litigation strategy, and whether selective secrecy has been used to shape public perception.Tune In to Hear:Why celebrity culture feels less glamorous (and more strategic) than everWhat the Lively case reveals about sealing evidence and court transparencyThe legal difference between confidential and private informationWhy Blake Lively’s deposition matters  and why not seeing it is unusualHow judges decide what the public has a right to see in civil casesWhat deposition testimony reveals about credibility before trialWhy Ryan Reynolds and agency communications may become publicHow litigation can be misused to create headlines instead of justiceWhy free speech protects more than most Americans realizeHow defamation and discrimination claims fit into First Amendment lawWhy bad speech isn’t fixed by more laws but by more speechWhat to watch for ahead of the upcoming court hearingWant to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

In this episode, I’m walking you through what to expect from the upcoming January 22 court hearing in the Blake Lively v. Wayfarer case and, more importantly, what that hearing is not.This episode focuses on the dispositive motions that could end the case before it ever reaches a jury. While headlines frame these motions as an attempt to “deny Blake Lively her day in court,” the reality is far more routine. In civil litigation (especially employment cases) summary judgment and judgment-on-the-pleadings motions are not only common, they are expected.The episode breaks down the major legal questions the court must resolve, including whether California law can apply to conduct that occurred in New York, whether Blake Lively was legally an employee or an independent contractor, and whether procedural missteps before filing suit could be fatal to her claims.Tune in to hear:What dispositive motions are and why they’re filed in most civil casesWhy this hearing is unusual and why the judge likely requested oral argumentHow judges use oral argument to identify appeal-proof rulingsThe eight major legal issues the court must decideWhether California law can apply to a New York-based film productionWhy employment status (employee vs. independent contractor) matters so muchHow pre-suit filing requirements could eliminate the case entirelyWhy the unsigned actor loan-out agreement is central to nearly every issueHow damages limitations could undercut key claimsWhat the evidence spoliation motion is really trying to accomplishWhy this case could end without any factual findings at allWant to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

This episode is a comprehensive, lawyer-level walkthrough of the Blake Lively employment discrimination lawsuit, designed to help listeners finally understand what actually matters (legally) in a case that has been buried under headlines, hot takes, and viral misinformation.From the very beginning, this case has been publicly framed as something it is not. It is not a criminal case. It is not a social media trial. And it is not a referendum on whether Blake Lively is “likable.” At its core, this is an employment discrimination and retaliation lawsuit arising out of a workplace…the set of It Ends With Us.Tune in to hear:Why this case is an employment discrimination lawsuit, not a criminal caseThe legal difference between sexual assault and sexual harassmentHow retaliation claims work and why harassment does not have to be proven firstWhat makes this case highly unusual compared to typical workplace casesWhy leaked texts and emails are not “facts” in the legal senseHow the New York Times article and Vanzan subpoena changed public perceptionWhat discovery revealed and what remains sealed from public viewWhy online smear campaigns are not illegal on their ownHow causation determines whether a claim survives or failsWhat the upcoming dispositive motions could mean for the future of the caseWant to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden

Welcome to the very first episode of Allegedly Golden-the podcast where civil law, pop culture, and high-stakes drama collide.In this inaugural episode, I’m sharing why this podcast exists, who it’s for, and why the civil side of the legal system deserves far more attention than it gets. With 25 years of experience in civil litigation, I pull back the curtain on how lawsuits actually work, why headlines often mislead, and how powerful people and institutions use the civil system behind the scenes.This show isn’t about hot takes or breaking news. It’s about reading the actual legal documents, understanding strategy, and learning how to think critically about what you’re being told…especially when the media gets it wrong.Tune in to hear:Why civil law is fundamentally different from criminal law and why that mattersHow media coverage often distorts civil lawsuits to sell a narrativeWhy strategy, timing, and procedure matter more than “winning” a single motionWhat people misunderstand about discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation lawWhy civil cases unfold publicly and slowly…right in front of us!How lawyers think, why they make certain choices, and what ethics actually requireThe difference between evidence in criminal cases vs. civil casesWhy the law is far more gray than most people realizeWhat kinds of high-profile civil cases this podcast will followWant to go deeper? If you want deeper dives, bonus episodes, and some very honest work-and-life talk, come hang out with me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/notactuallygolden/membership Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notactuallygolden?lang=en and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@notactuallygolden