January 31, 2025
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have escalated their legal battle with Justin Baldoni, now seeking court sanctions against Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, over alleged “extrajudicial statements” made to the media.
Their legal team is also moving to prevent Freedman from deposing Lively in her sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Baldoni.
According to Deadline, the latest legal maneuver comes just hours after Lively and Reynolds formally requested the dismissal of Baldoni’s $400 million defamation and extortion lawsuit against them, further intensifying the dispute between the It Ends With Us co-stars.
Moreover, the matter is set to be addressed in a pretrial conference on February 3 before federal Judge Lewis J. Liman in New York, where Lively and Reynolds' lawyers will push for a protective order against Freedman.
Meanwhile, Baldoni’s legal team, led by Kevin Fritz, has objected to Lively’s request, arguing that parties in litigation do not have the right to dictate opposing counsel’s role in depositions.
Additionally, the ongoing legal battle has been marked by a flurry of filings, public statements, and allegations, including Freedman’s claims that Lively and her team are doubling down on “revoltingly false” accusations against Baldoni.
Furthermore, the dispute has also extended to a separate $250 million lawsuit filed by Baldoni against The New York Times.