‘It Ends With Us’ Lawsuit: Judge Issues Mixed Ruling in Blake Lively’s Subpoena for 2 Years of Justin Baldoni Team’s Phone Records

by

In the ongoing dispute between Blake Lively and her “It Ends With Us” co-star and director Justin Baldoni, a federal judge handed down a decision that was partly in favor of Lively. The judge granted a portion of her subpoena for phone records, but rejected some requests he deemed too invasive and excessive for the requirements of the case.

Lawyers representing Lively have asked for call and message history between Baldoni, his PR team, and other Wayfarer Studios employees related to “It Ends With Us”, from December 1, 2022, up until now. However, Judge Lewis Liman explained that while the content of these calls and messages isn’t being requested, the phone records themselves could disclose sensitive information about who Baldoni or Wayfarer Studios spoke to, such as doctors, psychologists, or acquaintances, and when these conversations took place.

Lawyer Bryan Freedman, representing Baldoni, commended the court’s decision in a statement, “The Court effectively halted Ms. Lively’s blatant attempt to violate our clients’ privacy. This is a significant victory. Despite how the Lively team may present this decision, the Court clearly recognized their actions for what they truly are: a last-ditch attempt to validate discredited claims, long after they had already tarnished our clients’ reputations in the New York Times.

However, Lively managed to make some headway in specific areas. Judge Liman allowed Lively to make more precise requests for phone records and further stated that Baldoni’s team had not shown a reason why Lively could not obtain phone details regarding individuals who were not involved in the court case (non-parties).

In his ruling, the judge stated that The Wayfarer Groups could potentially claim a right to privacy over their personal phone records. However, he noted that they have not provided any reason or justification for claiming privacy rights over the communications of non-involved parties.

The dispute between actors Lively and Baldoni is one of the most intensely-contested feuds among Hollywood’s elite in recent times. Lively has alleged that Baldoni engaged in sexual misconduct during the filming of “It Ends With Us,” further claiming he coordinated a malicious online reputation attack against her after she opposed his actions. Meanwhile, Baldoni asserts that Lively and her spouse, Ryan Reynolds, have fabricated accusations with the intention of damaging his career. Additionally, Baldoni has taken legal action against The New York Times for publishing stories about Lively’s harassment claims before she filed a lawsuit.

Pat Saperstein contributed to this report.

Read More

2025-02-28 23:46