Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are asking for a restriction on Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, from making public statements or disclosing information to the press. In a letter sent to Judge Lewis J. Liman and obtained by E! News, their legal team states that nearly every day since Lively filed her initial complaint, Mr. Freedman has given interviews on TV, spoken on podcasts, made written statements, and released information (even documents as simple as document preservation demands) to the media in Hollywood. They believe that Freedman is attempting to influence the potential jury pool by manipulating the media narrative.
The letter suggests that Freedman’s actions are essentially an extension of the alleged retaliation campaign initiated by Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios following Lively’s initial criticism of Baldoni’s behavior on the set of “It Ends With Us.” Lively accused Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and crisis PR firm The Agency Group of sexual harassment and retaliation. These allegations were reported in the New York Times. Baldoni is currently suing Lively, Reynolds, their PR rep, and the NYT for defamation, extortion, and libel. It’s important to note that Freedman represents both Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios in this matter.
One significant issue brought up in the letter is the recently disclosed “It Ends With Us” behind-the-scenes footage released by Freedman on the 21st. Both Baldoni and Lively assert that this footage supports their version of events. As stated by Lively’s team to The Hollywood Reporter, “Justin Baldoni and his lawyer may believe that this recent maneuver will precede damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is incriminating.” They further added, “Each frame of the BTS footage substantiates her account. The video depicts Mr. Baldoni repeatedly moving towards Ms. Lively for a kiss, touching her forehead, brushing his face and mouth against her neck, flicking her lip with his thumb, caressing her, complimenting her scent, and conversing with her out of character. Each instance was spontaneous on the part of Mr. Baldoni without any prior discussion or consent, and no intimacy coordinator was present.
Lively’s legal team explains that her behavior with Baldoni, where she was seen joking, was an attempt on her part to pacify him. They add that any woman who has experienced inappropriate workplace touch would understand Lively’s unease. They believe these women would also recognize her use of humor as a strategy to divert unwanted touching.
On a contrasting note, Freedman argues that the footage supports Baldoni/Wayfarer’s account of events. He explains to THR that before filing her lawsuit, Ms. Lively attempted to tarnish Justin Baldoni’s reputation publicly through The New York Times. “When Baldoni defends himself by presenting facts and evidence in public, it is seen as morally and ethically wrong by Ms. Lively and her team,” he says. However, Freedman notes that truth and authenticity apply to everyone, regardless of their preferences. Given the forthcoming video and evidence, it’s clear why Ms. Lively might not want this unfold publicly now.
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2025-01-23 03:53