The judge presiding over the case, Lewis J. Liman, confirmed two important dates in the ongoing legal battle between the pair, with proceedings set to “consolidate” both Lively’s lawsuit and Baldoni’s countersuit, in which he requested a whopping US$400 million ($706m) in damages after claiming the actress orchestrated a smear campaign against him.
Brandon Sklenar, Colleen Hoover, Isabela Ferrer and Blake Lively at a screening of It Ends with Us. Photo / Getty Images
The trial date could change should they need more time or be cancelled if both sides decide to settle out of court.
In court documents, obtained by E! News, Liman also revealed a pre-trial hearing will take place on February 3, where Lively’s legal team, led by Michael Gottlieb, will address her and her 48-year-old husband Ryan Reynolds’ request for a gag order against Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, after they accused him of “improper conduct”.
A letter obtained by People magazine saw Baldoni’s lawyer Kevin Fritz ask the judge to deny the gagging order if it is formally requested, branding it an “intimidation tactic”.
They wrote: “[Lively’s] desire to force the Wayfarer Parties to defend themselves privately against allegations made publicly is not a proper basis for a gag order.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in It Ends with Us. Photo / Sony Pictures
“It is tactical gamesmanship, and it is outrageous.”
The letter went on to argue Lively started “the media feeding frenzy” by alleging she provided a copy of her original complaint to the New York Times, who broke down her allegations against the movie in their We Can Bury Anyone article, which was published in December.
Baldoni subsequently sued the news outlet over the article before launching his own legal action against Lively.
In their request to the judge, Lively and Reynolds accused Freedman of violating court rules that stop legal counsel from making comments to the media that are irrelevant to a case and could prejudice a jury.
Lively’s team claims the video corroborates her allegations of harassment, detailing moments where Baldoni allegedly touched her without consent during an unscripted scene.
Her team said: “Justin Baldoni and his lawyer may hope that this latest stunt will get ahead of the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is damning.”
Baldoni’s lawyer dismissed these claims, maintaining his innocence and releasing the footage as evidence of professionalism on set.
