- Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s legal battle heats up ahead of court hearing as the case is set to commence on February 5, 2025.
- Lively has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment during the filming of It Ends With Us.
- In retaliation, Baldoni has filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for defamation and civil extortion.
The legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni over alleged sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us has escalated. Lively filed a complaint in December 2024, accusing Baldoni of misconduct and retaliation, including an alleged smear campaign to tarnish her reputation.
Baldoni refuted Lively’s allegations and retaliated by suing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for $400 million, citing defamation, civil extortion, and invasion of privacy.
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Both parties’ lawyers met at a pre-trial conference on February 3, 2025, presided over by Judge Lewis J. Liman, who warned against making public statements that could influence potential jurors. The judge’s caution came after Baldoni’s team launched a website to share legal documents and evidence countering Lively’s accusations. Judge Liman hinted at the possibility of implementing a gag order to prevent further media interference in the case, with neither Lively nor Baldoni attending the conference.
Baldoni’s amended lawsuit includes text messages and emails that he contends disprove Lively’s allegations. His legal team claims that Lively declined to work with the intimacy coordinator during filming and instead arranged private meetings with Baldoni to discuss scenes. These assertions are part of Baldoni’s broader defense strategy, which includes accusations that Lively and Reynolds leveraged their influence to damage his reputation.
Lively’s legal team has dismissed Baldoni’s countersuit as an effort to shift blame onto the victim. They maintain that her allegations are supported by substantial evidence and have criticized Baldoni’s public relations tactics as misleading. Despite the ongoing legal challenges, sources close to Lively describe her as focused on her family while staying in regular contact with her legal team.
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Last Updated on February 4, 2025 by 247 News Around The World
