Blake Lively’s legal team is raising concerns about alleged misleading statements made by Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, regarding their ongoing legal dispute. Lively’s lawyers filed a letter in the Southern District of New York, requesting a court hearing to discuss the conduct of both attorneys after Freedman released video footage from the set of their film, “It Ends With Us.” He claims the footage contradicts Lively’s claims about Baldoni’s behavior during production.
According to Lively’s lawyers, this recent footage release follows two cease-and-desist letters they previously sent, one directed at Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, and the other to Freedman himself. These letters requested Freedman to cease what they characterized as defamatory statements concerning Lively, noting that such statements do not fall under litigation privilege. They emphasized the ethical obligations of lawyers, stating that “lawyers are not publicity agents.”
Their filing highlighted concerns that Freedman’s public statements could negatively influence the jury pool, which could prejudice both Lively’s sexual harassment case and Baldoni’s defamation suits. The letter calls for a protective order to manage future proceedings, citing the potential harm from Freedman’s selective disclosures.
This legal battle began when Lively filed a complaint in December regarding her experiences on the set, which she described as a “hostile work environment” filled with “repeated sexual harassment” from Baldoni. In response, Baldoni has denied the accusations and has initiated multiple lawsuits against Lively, including a $250 million libel suit against The New York Times for its coverage of the case.
Lively’s legal team has framed Baldoni’s actions as reflective of a broader issue of retaliation against women who come forward with allegations of harassment, asserting that such moves are part of a pattern historically used to silence victims.
Overall, as this case unfolds, it underscores the critical tensions surrounding workplace harassment claims and the broader implications for both the victims and the accused within the entertainment industry. Encouragingly, the attention on such disputes may reinforce the need for clearer standards and support systems for individuals bringing these matters to light.