NEW YORK, March 18 -- A Live Nation ticketing executive sought to distance his company from his own words in a New York court yesterday, insisting controversial messages about fans did not reflect corporate thinking as a major antitrust trial intensifies.

"I was speaking for myself, not Live Nation as a whole," said Benjamin Baker, head of ticketing for Venue Nation, as reported by US media outlets, after being confronted with private Slack messages in which he mocked customers and boasted about "robbing them blind, baby."

Baker's testimony has become a flashpoint in the high-stakes case brought by more than 30 US states, which accuse Live Nation and its ticketing arm, Ticketmaster, of stifling competition and driving up prices for conc...