Blake Lively loses motion shielding Taylor Swift texts from Justin Baldoni
NEW YORK — Justin Baldoni scored a legal win Wednesday when a New York judge denied Blake Lively's motion to keep her communications with Taylor Swift out of the actors' legal battle.
Judge Lewis J. Liman denied 'Lively's motion for a protective order' meant to shield all communications between the reportedly estranged A-list pals from the case, according to the ruling obtained by Deadline.
But Liman ruled the Swift-Lively communications regarding 'It Ends With Us' — which Baldoni, 41, directed and starred in alongside 37-year-old Lively — 'are relevant.
'Lively herself has identified Swift as someone likely to have knowledge about complaints or discussions regarding the working environment on the set of 'It Ends With Us,' said Liman.
He also challenged Lively's legal team's position that the communications would be 'duplicative' after Baldoni's lawyers withdrew their subpoena of Swift 'and made public statements that they had 'everything that they needed.'
Rather, said Liman, 'The Wayfarer Parties have not yet received any communications between Lively and Swift.'
However, Liman did narrow the scope of Baldoni's initial sprawling request to only permit communications about the film or the ongoing case, as 'Lively has represented that Swift had knowledge of complaints or discussions about the working environment on the film, among other issues.'
Baldoni and the rest of the Wayfarer Parties were also cautioned against 'leak[ing] the requested communications to the press,' per a court-issued protective order.
'The mere fact that the request has been discussed in the press does not render it illegitimate.'
In late December, Lively filed a complaint and lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment on the film's set and a retaliatory online smear campaign. He filed a $400 million defamation and civil extortion countersuit against the actress, her husband Ryan Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane — which Liman dismissed last week. The judge simultaneously dismissed Baldoni's $250 million libel action against The New York Times' reporting of the allegations.
Baldoni has until next week to amend the claims for breach of implied covenant and tortious interference with contract.
The case is slated for trial next March.
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