Latest news with #AnotherSimpleFavor
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Lively Slams & Shames Justin Baldoni's Lawyers Over Making Her Deposition Public, Leaking Details Of Last Week's Sit-Down For 'Media Campaign'
(Updated with Lively's sanctions motion against Bryan Freedman) Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni came face-to-face last week as the It Ends With Us actress gave a deposition in the fierce fight over whether sexual harassment and retaliation occurred on the film and the online fallout around its premiere a year ago. Regardless of what Lively did or did not say in response to questions by Wayfarer Studios co-founder Baldoni's lead lawyer Bryan Freedman and others, a letter from the Another Simple Favor star's own attorneys filed today in federal court makes it pretty clear in hindsight the July 31 sit-down did not go well. More from Deadline ADVERTISEMENT 'In rushing to file on the public docket the entirety of the 292-page transcript on the day they received it, with no plausible legal reason to do so, the Wayfarer Defendants and their counsel have proved Ms. Lively's point,' the correspondence Monday from Esra Hudson to Judge Lewis Liman says slamming Team Baldoni's blunt move and wanting everything permanently sealed ASAP. 'The transcript was ostensibly filed in support of their argument that there is no basis to assert that Bryan Freedman or his firm have participated in, fueled and advanced a smear campaign against Ms. Lively such that their conduct has 'amounted to public relations work rather than that of an attorney.' 'But, in fact, this tactic perfectly demonstrates the counsel-as-PR agent role because there is no conceivable legal purpose to file the whole transcript, particularly given that it has not been reviewed, corrected or finalized, and a mere two pages of it were cited in their argument,' the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP partner adds, also pointing the finger at Baldoni's side for 'immediately' leaking 'details from the deposition to the tabloid media.' Hudson adds: 'The letter and attachment should be seen for what they are: a manufactured excuse to force the transcript into the public domain as fodder for the Wayfarer Defendants' media campaign.' In an August 1 letter from Baldoni's side, which was filed the same day the depo transcript was under temporary seal, attorney Kevin Fritz certainly teases out what was said the day before. 'Upon questioning by Freedman at her recent deposition, Lively admitted that the only ongoing 'smear campaign' about which she has personal knowledge involves (redacted).' Among the details that were dribbled out of the meeting at Lively's lawyers' Manhattan offices last Thursday was what Lively was wearing, what time the deposition started (10:13 am ET) how husband Ryan Reynolds was there with her, what her side did and said, and that Baldoni himself was in the room. 'Consistent with their goal of creating a media circus around Ms. Lively's deposition, it also appears that the Wayfarer Defendants immediately leaked details from the deposition to the tabloid media,' Hudson's letter notes to Judge Liman, who has been short tempered about such actions in the past. Now, whether or not those leaks came from Team Baldoni or not, the fact is such info did quickly end up in the likes of the Daily Mail and TMZ, which have had a lot of Team Baldoni scoops over the past year. 'The narrative created was that Ms. Lively needed a large contingent of people with her to testify, while misleadingly suggesting that only Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Freedman were present for the deposition on their side,' today's three-page letter said. 'The reality is that Ms. Lively testified across the table from Mr. Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel, all of whom attended this deposition in person, as well as eight attorneys representing the Wayfarer and Wallace Parties, two of whom questioned her.' ADVERTISEMENT With Baldoni's $400 million countersuit tossed out in June and Deadpool star Reynolds, the New York Times and others dropped from the matter altogether, Lively's trial against Baldoni is set to start on March 9, 2026. At the same time, a sideshow of sorts is playing out in federal and California state court with the billionaire Sarowitz-backed-Baldoni battling insurance companies over covering his legal fees. And let's be honest, from the get-go, this whole case has been a media feeding feast with highs and lows, literally and figuratively. Also, truth be told, very soon after Lively filed her initial complaint with California's Civil Rights department last December, and saw it covered exclusively by the NYT, the actress accused Baldoni's legal team of playing to the media as much as the court docket in the clash between the duo and their inner circles. Both in and out of court, the often hard-nosed and media savvy (Hello Megyn Kelly) Freedman has become the magnet for most of this criticism with some bold moves and some ham-handed tactics (the Madison Square Garden crack as exhibit #1) Monday Lively's team had no comment on her lawyer's letter to Judge Liman, and reps for Baldoni could not be reached for comment. A rare case of duel silence in this high volume and high profile case. ADVERTISEMENT Later in the day, not for the first time and clearly for public consumption, Lively's lawyers filed a motion for sanctions against Freedman, claiming the successful LA-based attorney has frequently let loose with 'biased and inflammatory pre-trial indictments of Ms. Lively's character, credibility, and reputation' and 'publicly slandering' the actress, as they said in a slightly redacted memorandum of law accompanying the motion. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The Advertiser
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Actress Blake Lively accused of harassment
Blake Lively has been accused of trying to "harass and intimidate" a YouTuber. Content creator Lauren Neidigh, who posts under the username LethalLauren904 has sought a protective order against the former Gossip Girl star after the 37-year-old actress attempted to subpoena her as part of her legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, who she is suing for sexual harassment and retaliation. Lauren slammed the subpoenas that Blake's team had sent to Google and X in an attempt to gain information, even though the one against her had been dropped, Us Weekly reports. The YouTuber claimed she had tried to speak to Blake's lawyers but they were "largely unresponsive" and could not explain why her banking information was relevant to the case. She wrote in a letter to the judge: "[Lively's] Subpoena targeted creators who have expressed unfavourable opinions about her online. The Subpoena was not supported by any evidence. "It served to intimidate, harass, chill constitutionally protected free speech, and threaten the safety and privacy of non-parties who are not involved in this litigation." And though the Another Simple Favor star had dropped the subpoena, she left it open-ended, meaning it could still be reissued in the future, which Lauren argued placed "an undue burden on [her] and (served) to harass and intimidate [her] for her lawful expression of her unfavourable opinions of [Lively] online." The content creator requested a protective order prohibiting Blake from issuing any further subpoenas for her information due to the "ongoing threat" of "further abusive discovery requests" down the line, which she argued were designed to "intimidate" her for her "lawful expression". She also asked for sanctions. The subpoenas had sought information on the accounts of several content creators, including financial detail on some of them, with Lauren, Kassidy O'Connell and others opposing the legal demands, insisting Blake had no authority to obtain their private information. At the time, the actress' representative insisted the requests were not "accusations of wrongdoing" but simply "tools for gathering admissible evidence in federal court". Blake Lively has been accused of trying to "harass and intimidate" a YouTuber. Content creator Lauren Neidigh, who posts under the username LethalLauren904 has sought a protective order against the former Gossip Girl star after the 37-year-old actress attempted to subpoena her as part of her legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, who she is suing for sexual harassment and retaliation. Lauren slammed the subpoenas that Blake's team had sent to Google and X in an attempt to gain information, even though the one against her had been dropped, Us Weekly reports. The YouTuber claimed she had tried to speak to Blake's lawyers but they were "largely unresponsive" and could not explain why her banking information was relevant to the case. She wrote in a letter to the judge: "[Lively's] Subpoena targeted creators who have expressed unfavourable opinions about her online. The Subpoena was not supported by any evidence. "It served to intimidate, harass, chill constitutionally protected free speech, and threaten the safety and privacy of non-parties who are not involved in this litigation." And though the Another Simple Favor star had dropped the subpoena, she left it open-ended, meaning it could still be reissued in the future, which Lauren argued placed "an undue burden on [her] and (served) to harass and intimidate [her] for her lawful expression of her unfavourable opinions of [Lively] online." The content creator requested a protective order prohibiting Blake from issuing any further subpoenas for her information due to the "ongoing threat" of "further abusive discovery requests" down the line, which she argued were designed to "intimidate" her for her "lawful expression". She also asked for sanctions. The subpoenas had sought information on the accounts of several content creators, including financial detail on some of them, with Lauren, Kassidy O'Connell and others opposing the legal demands, insisting Blake had no authority to obtain their private information. At the time, the actress' representative insisted the requests were not "accusations of wrongdoing" but simply "tools for gathering admissible evidence in federal court". Blake Lively has been accused of trying to "harass and intimidate" a YouTuber. Content creator Lauren Neidigh, who posts under the username LethalLauren904 has sought a protective order against the former Gossip Girl star after the 37-year-old actress attempted to subpoena her as part of her legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, who she is suing for sexual harassment and retaliation. Lauren slammed the subpoenas that Blake's team had sent to Google and X in an attempt to gain information, even though the one against her had been dropped, Us Weekly reports. The YouTuber claimed she had tried to speak to Blake's lawyers but they were "largely unresponsive" and could not explain why her banking information was relevant to the case. She wrote in a letter to the judge: "[Lively's] Subpoena targeted creators who have expressed unfavourable opinions about her online. The Subpoena was not supported by any evidence. "It served to intimidate, harass, chill constitutionally protected free speech, and threaten the safety and privacy of non-parties who are not involved in this litigation." And though the Another Simple Favor star had dropped the subpoena, she left it open-ended, meaning it could still be reissued in the future, which Lauren argued placed "an undue burden on [her] and (served) to harass and intimidate [her] for her lawful expression of her unfavourable opinions of [Lively] online." The content creator requested a protective order prohibiting Blake from issuing any further subpoenas for her information due to the "ongoing threat" of "further abusive discovery requests" down the line, which she argued were designed to "intimidate" her for her "lawful expression". She also asked for sanctions. The subpoenas had sought information on the accounts of several content creators, including financial detail on some of them, with Lauren, Kassidy O'Connell and others opposing the legal demands, insisting Blake had no authority to obtain their private information. At the time, the actress' representative insisted the requests were not "accusations of wrongdoing" but simply "tools for gathering admissible evidence in federal court".
Pink Villa
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni Legal Drama: It Ends With Us Co-Stars Come Face-to-Face for First Time in Case Deposition
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni faced each other for the first time since the beginning of the legal drama in December. The co-stars met for the case deposition, which began on July 31. According to the media reports, the mother of four was questioned over her accusation of the actor-filmmaker while Baldoni was present in the room. As revealed by the sources, the Another Simple Favor star sat all day for the deposition while being under oath during the questioning. Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's case deposition begins According to her initial complaint, Blake Lively claimed that her co-star, Justin Baldoni, engaged in inappropriate behavior with her on the sets of It Ends With Us. The actress also filed the complaint against Baldoni for running a smear campaign against her. Weeks later, the Jane the Virgin star also filed a countercase against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for extortion and defamation. Previously, the deposition date was announced to be July 17. However, with a mutual decision, the co-stars went on to agree that the hearing should take place at the end of the month. Ahead of the initiation of the deposition, the filmmaker's attorney, Bryan Freedman, made headlines for asking the hearing to take place "at Madison Square Garden, sell tickets or stream it, and donate every dollar to organizations helping victims of domestic abuse.' In the earlier interview with People Magazine, Freedman said, 'Since Ms. Lively is open to testifying, let's make it count.' He added, 'Hold the deposition at MSG, sell tickets or stream it and donate every dollar to organizations helping victims of domestic abuse.' Meanwhile, in response to the request, Lively's team released a statement where they stated that Freedman was trying 'to make this matter a public spectacle at every turn.' Lawyers of Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively announced that the trial for the case is set to begin in March 2026.
AsiaOne
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Blake Lively accused of harassment and intimidation, Entertainment News
Blake Lively has been accused of trying to "harass and intimidate" a YouTuber. Content creator Lauren Neidigh, who posts under the username LethalLauren904 has sought a protective order against the former Gossip Girl star after the 37-year-old actress attempted to subpoena her as part of her legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, who she is suing for sexual harassment and retaliation. Lauren slammed the subpoenas that Blake's team had sent to Google and X in an attempt to gain information, even though the one against her had been dropped, Us Weekly reports. The YouTuber claimed she had tried to speak to Blake's lawyers but they were "largely unresponsive" and could not explain why her banking information was relevant to the case. She wrote in a letter to the judge: "[Lively's] Subpoena targeted creators who have expressed unfavourable opinions about her online. The Subpoena was not supported by any evidence. "It served to intimidate, harass, chill constitutionally protected free speech, and threaten the safety and privacy of non-parties who are not involved in this litigation." And though the Another Simple Favor star had dropped the subpoena, she left it open-ended, meaning it could still be reissued in the future, which Lauren argued placed "an undue burden on [her] and [served] to harass and intimidate [her] for her lawful expression of her unfavourable opinions of [Lively] online." The content creator requested a protective order prohibiting Blake from issuing any further subpoenas for her information due to the "ongoing threat" of "further abusive discovery requests" down the line, which she argued were designed to "intimidate" her for her "lawful expression". She also asked for sanctions. The subpoenas had sought information on the accounts of several content creators, including financial detail on some of them, with Lauren, Kassidy O'Connell and others opposing the legal demands, insisting Blake had no authority to obtain their private information. At the time, the actress' representative insisted the requests were not "accusations of wrongdoing" but simply "tools for gathering admissible evidence in federal court." The spokesperson added: "There is no silencing of content creators, they are obviously making their views known. This is a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Justin Baldoni and a number of other Wayfarer defendants and we are simply seeking information to aid in our fact gathering. "Remember [Baldoni's crisis PR rep's] own words: to shield Justin Baldoni from the possibility that Blake Lively might publicly reveal he sexually harassed her and others, [Baldoni's rep] planned an 'untraceable' media campaign designed to 'bury' Ms. Lively. "The subpoenas to social media companies are one piece of the puzzle to connect the evidentiary dots of a campaign that was designed to leave no fingerprints." Days later, the investigation into Lauren, Kassidy, and a third social media star was dropped but Blake is still in the process of gathering information on other content creators who had spoken about her and Justin, who she has alleged arranged a smear campaign in retaliation for her complaining about his conduct on the set of It Ends With Us. Justin has denied the allegations against him. [[nid:720863]]
Perth Now
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Blake Lively accused of harassment and intimidation
Blake Lively has been accused of trying to "harass and intimidate" a YouTuber. Content creator Lauren Neidigh, who posts under the username LethalLauren904 has sought a protective order against the former Gossip Girl star after the 37-year-old actress attempted to subpoena her as part of her legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, who she is suing for sexual harassment and retaliation. Lauren slammed the subpoenas that Blake's team had sent to Google and X in an attempt to gain information, even though the one against her had been dropped, Us Weekly reports. The YouTuber claimed she had tried to speak to Blake's lawyers but they were "largely unresponsive" and could not explain why her banking information was relevant to the case. She wrote in a letter to the judge: '[Lively's] Subpoena targeted creators who have expressed unfavourable opinions about her online. The Subpoena was not supported by any evidence. "It served to intimidate, harass, chill constitutionally protected free speech, and threaten the safety and privacy of non-parties who are not involved in this litigation." And though the Another Simple Favor star had dropped the subpoena, she left it open-ended, meaning it could still be reissued in the future, which Lauren argued placed 'an undue burden on [her] and [served] to harass and intimidate [her] for her lawful expression of her unfavorable opinions of [Lively] online." The content creator requested a protective order prohibiting Blake from issuing any further subpoenas for her information due to the "ongoing threat" of "further abusive discovery requests" down the line, which she argued were designed to "intimidate" her for her "lawful expression". She also asked for sanctions. The subpoenas had sought information on the accounts of several content creators, including financial detail on some of them, with Lauren, Kassidy O'Connell and others opposing the legal demands, insisting Blake had no authority to obtain their private information. At the time, the actress' representative insisted the requests were not 'accusations of wrongdoing' but simply 'tools for gathering admissible evidence in federal court.' The spokesperson added: 'There is no silencing of content creators, they are obviously making their views known. This is a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Justin Baldoni and a number of other Wayfarer defendants and we are simply seeking information to aid in our fact gathering. 'Remember [Baldoni's crisis PR rep's] own words: to shield Justin Baldoni from the possibility that Blake Lively might publicly reveal he sexually harassed her and others, [Baldoni's rep] planned an 'untraceable' media campaign designed to 'bury' Ms. Lively. "The subpoenas to social media companies are one piece of the puzzle to connect the evidentiary dots of a campaign that was designed to leave no fingerprints.' Days later, the investigation into Lauren, Kassidy, and a third social media star was dropped but Blake is still in the process of gathering information on other content creators who had spoken about her and Justin, who she has alleged arranged a smear campaign in retailiation for her complaining about his conduct on the set of It Ends With Us. Justin has denied the allegations against him.
