The legal battle between Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni just got even messier.
A Manhattan federal judge has sided with Justin Baldoni in court, blocking Lively’s attempt to subpoena his phone records, calling it “overly intrusive and disproportionate.”
Why Lively Wanted the Records
Lively’s legal team sought access to Baldoni’s phone data from as far back as 2022, arguing that it would expose a coordinated effort to smear her reputation following her sexual harassment lawsuit against him. The request was swiftly challenged by Baldoni’s lawyers, who called it a desperate “fishing expedition.”
Judge’s Ruling: A Win for Baldoni
Judge Lewis Litman wasn’t convinced by Lively’s arguments. He ruled that the subpoenas were too broad and unnecessary for the case, especially since Lively herself had already named multiple individuals allegedly involved in the so-called smear campaign.
“Lively mainly argues that the subpoenas will help to identify ‘the larger network of individuals’ who perpetuated a negative media campaign against her. But her complaint states this campaign did not begin until August 2024, making records from 2022 and 2023 largely irrelevant.” – Judge Lewis Litman
Legal Teams Fire Back
Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, wasted no time declaring victory. “The court put a stop to Ms. Lively’s egregious attempt to invade our client (Justin Baldoni)’s privacy,” he stated. He accused Lively of trying to salvage “debunked claims” after already causing “severe reputational damage” to Baldoni.
In response, Lively’s team hinted that Baldoni has something to hide. “After promising to release all the ‘receipts,’ they’re now scrambling to block access to their records,” a spokesperson said. However, they noted that the judge left the door open for more specific requests, which they plan to file immediately.
What’s Next?
While the judge shut down Lively’s subpoenas for Baldoni’s phone records, he did not block access to communications from other individuals who may have been involved. Lively’s team has until March 4 to refine their discovery requests.
With accusations of harassment, defamation, and a supposed industry-wide smear campaign, this case is shaping up to be one of Hollywood’s ugliest legal battles. Stay tuned – this fight is far from over.
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