Actress Blake Lively counters ongoing defamation claims orchestrated by attorney of Justin Baldoni
In the ongoing legal dispute between actress Blake Lively and actor-director Justin Baldoni, Lively's team has accused Bryan Freedman, Baldoni's lead attorney, of violating court orders by leaking details of Lively's deposition to the media. This allegation has sparked a series of escalating events, including a request for sanctions against Freedman.
Lively is suing Baldoni for sexual harassment and retaliation, accusations that Baldoni denies. The conflict has recently become more heated, with Lively's attorneys accusing Freedman of creating a "media circus" and engaging in a deliberate campaign to undermine Lively’s credibility and taint the jury pool.
Freedman has been accused of conducting a "press tour" designed to damage Lively's reputation, giving interviews to several media outlets such as TMZ, People, Billy Bush, and Megyn Kelly. In one such interview, Freedman suggested that Lively is "afraid of the truth."
Lively's lawyers claim that this narrative is untrue and harmful. They have also accused Baldoni's team of attempting to manipulate public perception and have requested legal sanctions against Freedman for allegedly violating professional conduct rules in New York, where the lawsuit is filed.
Baldoni's legal team has filed a motion related to a discovery dispute, with the 292-page transcript of Lively's deposition attached as an exhibit in their filing. Freedman also implied that Lively might not attend her deposition, which she did on 31st August.
In response, Lively's lawyers stated that Baldoni's team is advancing a false narrative that Lively is afraid of her deposition testimony becoming public. They have filed a motion seeking sanctions against Bryan Freedman.
Recently, a judge blocked Blake Lively's attempts to subpoena Freedman for information about his dealings with other celebrity clients, limiting her ability to investigate Freedman’s professional conduct further. The deposition details remain sealed under a protective order, but coverage confirms ongoing disputes over pre-trial publicity and attempts to manage or manipulate media narratives related to the case.
As the case proceedings continue under protective orders to shield sensitive deposition content from public exposure, the legal battle between Lively and Baldoni's teams shows no signs of abating. The current status is one of escalation, with Lively’s legal team formally requesting sanctions against Freedman for alleged leaks and misconduct, a judge limiting subpoenas of Freedman, and the case proceedings continuing under protective orders.
[1] New York Post
[2] Variety
[3] The Hollywood Reporter
[4] Deadline
[5] The Wrap, Variety
The ongoing legal dispute has attracted attention from numerous entertainment news outlets, with Blake Lively's team accusing Justin Baldoni's lead attorney, Bryan Freedman, of creating a media frenzy by leaking sensitive information to various celebrities-frequented media platforms such as The New York Post, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and The Wrap.
This alleged conduct by Freedman has intensified the conflict, as Lively's legal team believes he is deliberately manipulating public perception and tainting the jury pool. The team's goal appears to be to protect their client's credibility and reputation amidst the escalating events in the case involving sexual harassment and retaliation allegations.
