Latest news with #LivelyParties
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NEWS OF THE WEEK: Justin Baldoni slams Blake Lively's request for privacy
The It Ends With Us stars' legal battle continues, with Justin's latest legal filing, in which he questioned Blake's request for a protective order over their case, arguing she had already widely publicised numerous details of their fight. "Given how actively the Lively Parties have publicized and litigated Ms. Lively's claims in the media, we are surprised to now learn how vehemently she wants to prevent the public from accessing material and relevant evidence.' Justin, 41, and Blake, 37, have been locked in a legal skirmish since December 2024 when she filed a sexual harassment complaint against him…
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Judge calls Blake Lively's subpoenas for Justin Baldoni's phone records 'overly intrusive'
A judge sided with Justin Baldoni in a phone records fight amid his legal battle with Blake Lively. Lively sought to subpoena Baldoni and his associates' phone records going back to 2022. The judge called the subpoenas "overly intrusive and disproportionate to the needs of the case." Justin Baldoni scored a win in his fight to keep his phone records out of the ongoing legal battle with his "It Ends With Us" costar Blake Lively. The Manhattan federal judge overseeing Lively's sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni and Baldoni's defamation countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, ruled Friday that Lively cannot subpoena Baldoni and his associates' phone records going back to 2022. In a written order, US District Judge Lewis Litman called Lively's subpoenas for the phone data "overly intrusive and disproportionate to the needs of the case." "Lively mainly argues that the Subpoenas will help to identify 'the larger network of individuals' who perpetuated a negative media campaign against her," the judge wrote. "But according to Lively's complaint, this negative campaign did not begin until approximately August 2024." "It is therefore unclear how communications to and from" Baldoni and his associates "in 2022 and 2023 would reveal individuals who participated in the campaign," Litman wrote. Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, hailed the judge's order as a "big win" for his client in a statement to Business Insider. "The Court put a stop to Ms. Lively's egregious attempt to invade our clients' privacy," Freedman said, adding, "No matter how the Lively Parties may try to spin this decision, the Court saw their efforts for what they really are: a desperate fishing expedition intended to salvage their debunked claims long after they already savaged our clients' reputations in the New York Times." A spokesperson for Lively questioned what Freedman is "hiding" in a statement to BI. "After promising to release all the 'receipts,' Freedman ran into court to keep secret the phone records of who" Baldoni and the co-defendants named in Lively's suit, "were calling during their retaliatory campaign" against Lively, the spokesperson said. "So, instead of getting these records from the phone carriers the way we initially requested, the judge has ruled that if we simply submit more specific requests, we will be able to get the records we are seeking. Today we will do that, we are submitting those requests directly to defendants involved and we look forward to seeing the records," the spokesperson said. Lively's legal team first issued subpoenas earlier this month to AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile for incoming and outgoing calls or texts messages going back to December 2022, but Baldoni's team quickly tried to block it. Lively narrowed the scope of those subpoenas, but Baldoni's team said it didn't go far enough. The judge agreed, saying in his Friday ruling that the subpoenas issued by Lively's lawyers "implicates legitimate privacy interests." Litman wrote that even though Lively has adjusted her requests "the phone records themselves would still contain sensitive information regarding which doctors, psychologists, or even acquaintances" Baldoni and his co-defendants "spoke to, and when." Lively's lawsuit accuses Baldoni, who is also the director of "It Ends With Us," of sexual harassment on the set of the 2024 movie and of engaging in a retaliatory online smear campaign against her. Baldoni has denied the allegations. The judge noted in his ruling that Lively's complaint already identifies "many individuals who allegedly participated in a negative media campaign." Litman wrote that Lively's legal team "may make discovery requests tailored to those individuals" and that Lively "is permitted to use the tools of discovery to identify the contact information or telephone numbers for those individuals." "Even assuming additional individuals participated in the alleged campaign, the hope that discovery will turn up information on such participants does not justify the broad scope of the Subpoenas," Litman wrote. Though Litman ordered that the subpoenas "must be quashed to the extent they seek the phone records" of Baldoni and his codefendants — which include his production company, Wayfarer Studios, his fellow producers, and his publicists — the judge denied Baldoni's motion involving the portions of the subpoenas that seek the phone records of people not named as defendants in the lawsuit. Baldoni's attorneys told the judge in a Friday letter that the subpoenas seek the phone records of employees of Wayfarer Studios. "The Wayfarer Employees object to the Subpoenas for the same reasons set forth by the Wayfarer Parties," the letter read. Litman ordered that Lively's legal team respond by March 4, saying no action would be taken while the motion is pending. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Justin Baldoni claims Blake Lively is trying to ‘shield' public from evidence amid legal battle
Justin Baldoni has claimed that Blake Lively is hiding evidence for the sake of her reputation, amid thelegal battle. In a letter sent to a judge on Tuesday and obtained by Page Six, Baldoni's legal team accused Lively of trying 'to shield, from public view, documents and information exchanged herein,' after she asked for an enhanced protective order. The document comes amid the actors' ongoing legal battle after Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and alleged he started a campaign to 'destroy' her reputation. 'Given how actively the Lively Parties have publicized and litigated Ms. Lively's claims in the media, we are surprised to now learn how vehemently she wants to prevent the public from accessing material and relevant evidence,' the new letter reads. The document alleged that the Gossip Girl star and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, gave an 'otherwise confidential administrative complaint' to The New York Times when she first filed her lawsuit in December. Baldoni also accused her of sharing 'thousands of pages of original documents, including text messages and emails,' which were also allegedly confidential. 'Ms. Lively's counsel and 'spokesperson' routinely attempt to rehabilitate her tarnished image with bold statements to the press, such as characterizing the Wayfarer Parties' Complaint as 'another chapter in the abuse playbook,'' the letter continued, referring to Baldoni's production company. Last week, Lively asked a judge for a stronger protective order than the court's 'model' one, after receiving 'violent' messages amid her and Baldoni's legal battle. 'As detailed in Ms. Lively's Amended Complaint, Ms. Lively, her family, other members of the cast, various fact witnesses, and individuals that have spoken out publicly in support of Ms. Lively have received violent, profane, sexist, and threatening communications,' the new letter, which was obtained by E! News, stated. In addition, the actor's team asked for certain material to be categorized as 'an Attorney's Eyes Only,' which would make those legal documents highly confidential. Lively's request references the online backlash she faced last year, claiming it was 'so vicious that Meta publicly stated that 'kind of online harassment is wrong and we condemn it.' Before that, Lively also filed an amended complaint, obtained by The Independent, where she expressed that the 'emotional impact' of the online scrutiny has been 'extreme' for her, Reynolds, and their four children — James, 10, Inez, eight, Betty, five, and Olin, two. 'There are days when she has struggled to get out of bed, and she frequently chooses not to venture outside in public,' the document reads. 'While she has fought to maintain her personal life and business interests, behind closed doors she has suffered from grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety.' The filing adds that Reynolds has 'been affected mentally, physically, and professionally by his wife's and children's pain. 'Worst of all, however, has been the impact on their young children, who have been traumatized and emotionally uprooted in ways that have substantially impacted their well-being.' Rumors of a feud between Baldoni and Lively on the set of It Ends with Us — based on the Colleen Hoover book of the same name — started percolating online last year, as they appeared to avoid each other during the film's promotional tour. At the time, Lively was called out for a 'tone-deaf' approach to the movie, with fans claiming she failed to treat its heavy subject matter with the appropriate solemnity. In the lawsuit against Baldoni, filed in December, Lively alleged that the backlash she received was part of a carefully orchestrated effort by Baldoni's PR team. The Jane the Virgin alum is suing The New York Times for $250 million, and he is counter-suing Lively and her husband for $400 million. The lawsuit against the couple alleges that they're attempting to 'destroy' Baldoni's reputation and career. In January, a New York federal judge informed both parties to prepare for a trial in March 2026. After this, Lively and Reynolds' attorneys filed a notice stating that they would seek to dismiss Baldoni's counter-lawsuit.
The Independent
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Justin Baldoni claims Blake Lively is trying to ‘shield' public from evidence amid legal battle
Justin Baldoni has claimed that Blake Lively is hiding evidence for the sake of her reputation, amid the legal battle. In a letter sent to a judge on Tuesday and obtained by Page Six, Baldoni's legal team accused Lively of trying 'to shield, from public view, documents and information exchanged herein,' after she asked for an enhanced protective order. The document comes amid the actors' ongoing legal battle after Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and alleged he started a campaign to 'destroy' her reputation. 'Given how actively the Lively Parties have publicized and litigated Ms. Lively's claims in the media, we are surprised to now learn how vehemently she wants to prevent the public from accessing material and relevant evidence,' the new letter reads. The document alleged that the Gossip Girl star and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, gave an 'otherwise confidential administrative complaint' to The New York Times when she first filed her lawsuit in December. Baldoni also accused her of sharing 'thousands of pages of original documents, including text messages and emails,' which were also allegedly confidential. 'Ms. Lively's counsel and 'spokesperson' routinely attempt to rehabilitate her tarnished image with bold statements to the press, such as characterizing the Wayfarer Parties' Complaint as 'another chapter in the abuse playbook,'' the letter continued, referring to Baldoni's production company. Last week, Lively asked a judge for a stronger protective order than the court's 'model' one, after receiving 'violent' messages amid her and Baldoni's legal battle. 'As detailed in Ms. Lively's Amended Complaint, Ms. Lively, her family, other members of the cast, various fact witnesses, and individuals that have spoken out publicly in support of Ms. Lively have received violent, profane, sexist, and threatening communications,' the new letter, which was obtained by E! News, stated. In addition, the actor's team asked for certain material to be categorized as 'an Attorney's Eyes Only,' which would make those legal documents highly confidential. Lively's request references the online backlash she faced last year, claiming it was 'so vicious that Meta publicly stated that 'kind of online harassment is wrong and we condemn it.' Before that, Lively also filed an amended complaint, obtained by The Independent, where she expressed that the 'emotional impact' of the online scrutiny has been 'extreme' for her, Reynolds, and their four children — James, 10, Inez, eight, Betty, five, and Olin, two. 'There are days when she has struggled to get out of bed, and she frequently chooses not to venture outside in public,' the document reads. 'While she has fought to maintain her personal life and business interests, behind closed doors she has suffered from grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety.' The filing adds that Reynolds has 'been affected mentally, physically, and professionally by his wife's and children's pain. 'Worst of all, however, has been the impact on their young children, who have been traumatized and emotionally uprooted in ways that have substantially impacted their well-being.' Rumors of a feud between Baldoni and Lively on the set of It Ends with Us — based on the Colleen Hoover book of the same name — started percolating online last year, as they appeared to avoid each other during the film's promotional tour. At the time, Lively was called out for a 'tone-deaf' approach to the movie, with fans claiming she failed to treat its heavy subject matter with the appropriate solemnity. In the lawsuit against Baldoni, filed in December, Lively alleged that the backlash she received was part of a carefully orchestrated effort by Baldoni's PR team.
Fox News
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Justin Baldoni calls out Blake Lively for demanding privacy after publicizing sexual harassment allegations
Justin Baldoni pushed back on Blake Lively's proposed protective order, claiming the actress had already "publicized" the sexual harassment allegations. Baldoni's legal team filed a response to Lively's request for "heightened protections" and privacy in a letter to the court filed Tuesday and obtained by Fox News Digital. Lively and Baldoni have been locked in a legal back-and-forth over the actress' claims that the "It Ends With Us" star sexually harassed her. "Given how actively the Lively Parties have publicized and litigated Ms. Lively's claims in the media, we are surprised to now learn how vehemently she wants to prevent the public from accessing material and relevant evidence," the court documents read. The "Jane the Virgin" star's lawyers pointed to a number of examples they claim show Lively chose to publicize the allegations. According to Baldoni's legal team, Lively provided "the otherwise confidential administrative complaint" filed with the California Civil Rights Department. They also accused Lively's PR team of making "bold statements" to the media in order to "rehabilitate her tarnished image" and pointed to Ryan Reynolds' "planned skit" for "SNL50" that referenced the "It Ends With Us" legal battle as evidence. Baldoni's team emphasized their approval of the court's model protective order, but noted having an "attorneys' eyes only" (AEO) designation for discovery was "not warranted." "Although the Lively Parties contend that the ability to designate information AEO is appropriate because the 'litigation involves claims of sexual harassment in the workplace,' … Ms. Lively has already publicized the alleged details of the so-called 'harassment' in her Amended Complaint spanning 138 pages and almost 500 paragraphs." Lively and others who have spoken out in support of the actress have received "violent" messages, leading the "Gossip Girl" star to request "heightened" protections, according to a letter filed in court Feb. 20 and obtained by Fox News Digital. "As detailed in Ms. Lively's Amended Complaint, Ms. Lively, her family, other members of the cast, various fact witnesses, and individuals that have spoken out publicly in support of Ms. Lively have received violent, profane, sexist, and threatening communications," the court docs read. "For example, in the days after January 31, 2025 – when the Wayfarer Plaintiffs filed their Amended Complaint, including a 100-plus page exhibit with text threads – one fact witness known to publicly support Ms. Lively and whose texts the Wayfarer Parties excerpted (ostensibly without his permission) received a written threat indicating that the witness's family would be sexually assaulted and killed unless the witness agreed to 'make a statement and give the truth,'" the letter continued. Lively's team claimed that releasing certain discovery in the legal drama between the "A Simple Favor" star and Baldoni "will create a 'defined, specific and serious injury' to parties and non-parties, such as by violating their privacy, exposing them to threats, and creating a climate of possible witness intimidation." The battle over the protective order comes after Lively subpoenaed Baldoni's phone records. The actor pushed back on the scope of the requests in a letter to the court filed Monday, noting Lively's legal team had agreed to withdraw some requests for data but not all. In December, Lively detailed allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, intentional affliction of emotional distress, negligence and more against Baldoni and film producer Jamey Heath in a complaint first filed with the California Civil Rights department and later in federal court. Baldoni, in his own lawsuit filed in January, insisted that Lively had "falsely" accused him in an attempt to repair her reputation following the fallout of the movie's press tour after the actress took control of the film. Baldoni's legal team claimed that Lively had no evidence of a deliberate smear campaign and had instead worked to repair her reputation by accusing the actor and others of sexual harassment. Lively filed her amended complaint on Feb. 18, claiming that two female cast members were willing to testify to the "unwelcome behavior" Baldoni exhibited on set. However, Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, slammed the new version of the lawsuit as "unsubstantial hearsay." Fox News Digital has reached out to reps for Lively for comment.
