Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds Seek Court Intervention Against Justin Baldoni's Lawyer
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have taken action to request the court's intervention in silencing Justin Baldoni's lawyer following the unauthorized release of footage from the set of "It Ends With Us."
Per TMZ, the couple submitted a formal request to the court on Jan. 21. As per the legal documents, Lively and Reynolds are seeking a protective order to prevent Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, from participating in what they describe as "improper conduct," including an alleged "harassing and retaliatory media campaign" against them.
Lively and Reynolds have made accusations against Freedman for allegedly breaching court regulations that prohibit lawyers from making statements to the media that could potentially bias the jury and are unrelated to the case at hand.
The letter also stated that Lively had previously sent a cease-and-desist notice to Baldoni's company, Wayfarer Studios, followed by a second one to Freedman in December 2024.
According to an insider who spoke to the outlet, "It is grossly unfair to impose a gag order after Justin has been defamed by the New York Times in an article that they say has cost him three jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars."
"All Justin wants to do is release videos and text messages to prove the allegations are false."
The insider added, "It is unbelievable that Blake Lively would go on a takedown campaign against Justin and then immediately turn around and say she wants a gag order so that Justin can't defend himself."
The "Gossip Girl" star has also addressed the unedited clip recently released by Baldoni from It and emphasized that it shows her discomfort around the 40-year-old actor.
Following the recent release of 10 minutes of unedited video footage by Baldoni's team, there is reportedly a strong belief among his legal team that the video effectively discredits Lively's allegations of sexual harassment, as reported by TMZ.
According to a statement to the outlet from Lively's lawyers, "Justin Baldoni and his lawyer may hope that this latest stunt will get ahead of the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is damning."
Her lawyers also argued that the footage depicted Baldoni making multiple advances towards Lively by leaning in towards her. They further pointed out that during these moments of leaning in, he persistently tried to kiss her, planted kisses on her forehead, and nuzzled his face and mouth against her neck.
In addition, it is alleged in Lively's complaint that Baldoni engaged in inappropriate behavior by touching her lip with his thumb, complimenting her scent, and conversing with her in a manner inconsistent with his usual behavior.
The lawyers also argued that Baldoni spontaneously created "every moment" captured in the video "with no discussion or consent in advance and no intimacy coordinator present."
