Drama alert! The legal feud between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively is getting even messier.
Justin Baldoni’s legal team is pushing back hard against Blake Lively’s request for a gag order, arguing that they have every right to defend their client publicly. According to legal documents obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman insists that his statements were “required to protect a client from the substantial prejudicial effect of recent publicity not initiated by the lawyer or the lawyer’s client.”
Baldoni’s Team Fights Back
Baldoni’s other lawyer, Kevin Fritz, claims that Lively’s media campaign has led to Baldoni being “exiled from polite society” and estimates damages totaling “hundreds of millions of dollars.” In a strongly worded statement, Fritz declared, “Having publicly made ruinous allegations that the Wayfarer Parties can prove are false, the Lively Parties now invoke attorney disciplinary rules as an intimidation tactic.”
He went on to accuse Lively’s team of “tactical gamesmanship” and called their request for a gag order “outrageous.”
The Controversial Video Leak
Tensions skyrocketed after Baldoni’s team released unedited footage of a dance scene from their movie It Ends with Us in an effort to counter Lively’s claims of sexual harassment.
Lively’s legal team responded swiftly, arguing that Freedman’s public comments about the leaked footage were deliberately intended to prejudice the jury pool. They accused him of attempting to undermine Lively’s “character, credibility, and reputation” while releasing potentially inadmissible evidence to sway public opinion.
According to Lively’s filing, Freedman’s actions violate Rule 3.6 of the New York Rules of Professional Conduct, which prevents attorneys involved in a civil matter from making extrajudicial statements that could influence proceedings.
More Receipts on the Way?
Freedman remains defiant, telling Extra that Baldoni’s team is preparing to release even more evidence, including additional correspondence and video footage to “directly squash her claims.”
Meanwhile, Lively’s legal team is seeking an immediate hearing, citing “imminent harm” caused by what they call “misleading and selective statements and leaks” by Baldoni’s team.
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What’s Next?
With both sides digging in their heels, this legal showdown is far from over. Will the court grant Lively’s gag order request, or will Baldoni’s team continue to fight the battle in the court of public opinion?
Stay tuned for the latest twists and turns in this escalating Hollywood legal drama!
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