Movies

Celebrities’ Lawyers Clash in $400M Defamation Battle

BBG News

On Monday, attorneys representing Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are expected to engage in a dispute at the federal court. Sources near Team Baldoni have informed DailyMail.com that their actions were innocent when they published an extensive collection of confidential legal documents online, as these materials were not subject to any wrongdoing.

In simpler terms, the actors from The It Ends with Us movie aren’t required to show up at the preliminary meeting for their lawsuits over defamation, which is scheduled for 11am in New York, marking the initial phase of the dispute valued at $400 million.

Introducing an extra layer of mystery will come from the unforeseen participation of prominent lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, renowned for defending Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged victims.

The disclosure made over the weekend unveiled that the seasoned attorney will represent Leslie Sloane, Lively’s publicist and fellow defendant, in court. Sloane stands accused of conspiring to harm Baldoni’s reputation.

Expensive legal representatives are expected to argue about numerous points, such as Lively’s request for a restraining order and the claim that she declined to meet with Bryan Freedman, who is leading counsel in Baldoni’s case, for questioning.

The 37-year-old actress is strongly criticizing Freedman for his inappropriate and vindictive remarks towards her, addressed to the media. She aims for Judge Lewis Liman to restrain the vocal attorney from making further statements.

It’s unlikely that her mood has gotten better since Team Baldoni fulfilled their promise on Saturday by posting fresh details about their high-profile legal dispute on a dedicated website.

The website lawsuitinfo.com was launched, featuring links to an updated version of Baldoni’s complaint and a chronological diagram illustrating key events in the escalating conflict that unfolded during filming for their 2024 adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s popular novel, as the dispute intensified.

The cache holds unexpected proof that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s well-known Hollywood husband, appeared to appreciate Baldoni prior to their relationship turning sour. He texted him, expressing: “I’m thrilled for Blake to open her creative vault with someone as vibrant as you … I just happen to admire you, Justin.

In another engaging message to 41-year-old Baldoni, Lively discusses the script for the crucial rooftop scene in the movie, stating: “If we had more time together, you would understand how playful and delightful the dialogue exchanges will be.

‘It’s my love language. Spicy and playfully bold, never with teeth.’

It is yet unclear what Judge Liman, a judge appointed by Trump, thinks about the recent public relations strategy of Team Baldoni.

Instead, Freedman and his legal team are expected to assert that the two documents in question were simply publicly accessible court records, which could be found on the federal government’s Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system.

To clarify, the source mentioned to DailyMail.com that there’s no profit being made from this. Instead, it’s merely a webpage providing access to publicly available legal papers.

This isn’t an attempt to stir things up; rather, it’s another piece of proof demonstrating Justin and his group’s commitment to maintaining openness at all times.

Additionally, Judge Liman will need to determine if attorney Freedman, known for his bulldog-like tenacity in show business, can question Lively under oath as a representative of Baldoni and his studio, Wayfarer Studios.

In a court filing on Friday, lawyers for Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds expressed their disagreement with the main lawyer for the Wayfarer Parties being the one to question Blake Lively during her deposition.

In essence, the legal representatives for the Lively parties have expressed their objection to Bryan J. Freedman personally conducting the deposition of Ms. Lively, due to vague comments allegedly made by Mr. Freedman.

Fritz stated that the action was unjustified, further explaining that parties involved in a lawsuit don’t possess the authority to decide which lawyers representing their adversaries are allowed to question them during a deposition.

Potential matters that could arise in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York may involve routine procedures such as gathering evidence (discovery) and setting timelines for either side to submit a request to dismiss the case.

The lively pairing of actor-director Baldoni shone brilliantly in “It Ends with Us,” contributing significantly to its unexpected success at the box office, earning a staggering $351 million against a relatively low production cost of $25 million.

However, subsequent legal disputes have shed light on the deterioration of their relationship, with the former Gossip Girl star reportedly pushing for more creative freedom and expressing discomfort during intimate sequences.

Initiated conflicts by asserting, in a civil rights complaint filed in California in December 2020 and a subsequent federal lawsuit, that Baldoni entered her trailer when she was bare-chested, displayed graphic footage of his wife giving birth to her, and forcibly kissed her (biting and sucking on her lips) during an unscripted kissing scene.

Additionally, she alleged that the man with two children was involved in a plot to tarnish her image, pointing out a text from Melissa Nathan, his publicist, that said: “We can discredit anyone.

Her shocking allegations captured worldwide attention due to the simultaneous release of a detailed 4,000-word New York Times article, which drew extensively from a civil rights lawsuit.

In a surprising turn of events, Baldoni filed a lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds, alleging that it was actually their camp engaging in defamation, and demanding compensation amounting to $400 million as a result.

He claimed that she manipulated the messages in his texts and emails, collaborating with the influential Hollywood publicist, Sloane, to spread harmful news articles about him through the media.

According to Baldoni, it seems like the entire plan was to restore Lively’s image, as she faced harsh comments due to her perceived brusqueness and challenging demeanor during interviews and public appearances.

The controversy around his leading actress, who has blonde hair, was not intentionally created, according to his argument.

Baldoni additionally filed a lawsuit against The Times for a sum of $250 million, asserting that they heavily relied on Lively’s unsubstantiated and personally beneficial story, reusing much of it without verification, while overlooking a wealth of evidence that went against her statements.

In a newer version of his federal lawsuit, he contends that The Gray Lady possessed unique early access to her civil rights complaint’s details, pointing out an October 31st date mentioned in the metadata as evidence for their published article.

If it’s established that Times staff members prepared their materials well ahead of time, as some claim, then they might forfeit the usual legal protection granted to journalists when they cite from publicly available court documents, according to their attorneys’ argument.

The newspaper intends to strongly counter these allegations. According to a representative, the recent accusations about metadata are deemed as false and inaccurate by them.

Last month, the conflict between Baldoni and Lively took an unexpected turn when DailyMail.com released unpublished raw video footage of them performing a passionate dance scene as their characters Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid. This footage showed a young florist and her charismatic yet abusive neurosurgeon lover.

According to Lively’s lawsuit, Baldoni is accused of moving closer to her, then gently tracing his lips along her ear and down her neck while saying, “It smells so good,” during their encounter. This action is a crucial point in her claims.

According to footage from DailyMail.com, the duo can be observed exchanging friendly yet work-related chatter during breaks. Baldoni teasingly inquired of Lively whether he was growing a beard on her.

She responds, “It seems I might be getting a sunless tan.” This leads Baldoni to comment, “That smells nice,” and they both share a laugh.

Freedman marked the video as evidence showing his client acted correctly and had no secrets, while Lively argued it supported her accusations of harassment instead.

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2025-02-03 17:22

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