I think the fact that Daniel backpedaled and said his blackmail comment wasn't meant as blackmail doesn't really change anything.
The message has two parts - the response that X wants from Y, and the possible negative consequences for Y. The proximity of the two parts makes the implied link clear (to most people, anyway).
I assure you that 99% of judges and prosecutors would recognise this as blackmail (modulo variance in different countries' legal definitions of the crime).