Justin Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman addressed using the word ‘victim’ amid the ongoing lawsuit between his client and Blake Lively.
Freedman appeared on The Town podcast Thursday to discuss the legal battle sparked by Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation—claims Baldoni denies—while also addressing his countersuit against Lively, which she also denies.
During a pre-trial hearing on March 6, Freedman told the court that no one ‘has any intent of harming Ms. Lively in any way’ and defended Baldoni, saying, ‘My clients have a right to defend themselves. That is in no way abusing the victim.’
On the podcast, Belloni pressed Freedman on his wording, asking, ‘Does that mean you agree that Blake is a victim here?’
Freedman responded, ‘I actually think that a lot of people are victims here.’
He continued, referencing other parties named in the various complaints, ‘I think Justin is a victim here, I think Melissa Nathan is a victim. I think Jed Wallace is a victim. I think Jen Abel is a victim.’
Justin Baldoni ‘s attorney Bryan Freedman addressed using the word ‘victim’ amid the ongoing lawsuit between his client and Blake Lively; (seen in 2023)
On the podcast, Belloni pressed Freedman on his wording, asking, ‘Does that mean you agree that Blake is a victim here?’ (seen in August)
The latest development follows reports that while Lively has secured a protective order in the case, it won’t fully shield the legal battle from public scrutiny.
Despite the Gossip Girl star, 37, receiving a modified protective order by a federal judge on Thursday, DailyMail.com has learned the court limited the scope of the restrictions she sought.
While both the former It Ends With Us costars’ teams will have the option to designate some sensitive material to be restricted to ‘attorneys’ eyes only’ (AEO), ultimately, if the case goes to trial, it’s unlikely the court will ‘seal or otherwise afford confidential treatment’ for any documents that end up as evidence.
This means that as long as the actress and Baldoni, 41, do not settle out of court, ‘very few secrets’ will stay hidden and ‘everything will come out at trial anyway.’
According to People, Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled that the materials protected by Attorneys’ Eyes Only designation ‘can only be applied if their disclosure is ‘highly likely to cause a significant business, commercial, financial or privacy injury.’
In regards to the latest legal update, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, told DailyMail.com: ‘We are fully in agreement with the Court’s decision to provide a narrow scope of protections to categories such as private mental health records and personal security measures that have never been of interest to us as opposed to Ms. Lively’s exceedingly over broad demand for documents for a 2.5 year period of time which the court rightly quashed.’
He continued: ‘We remain focused on the necessary communications that will directly contradict Ms. Lively’s unfounded accusations.’
Despite the Gossip Girl star, 37, receiving a modified protective order by a federal judge on Thursday, DailyMail.com has learned the court limited the scope of the restrictions she sought (Baldoni seen in 2024)
Freedman also stated that he and his team will continue to ‘oppose any efforts by Ms. Lively and her team to hamper’ his clients’ ability to defend against her attacks by incorrectly categorizing important information as “trade secrets,” especially considering there were no issues in providing these communications willingly to The New York Times.
Meanwhile. a spokesperson for Lively told DailyMail.com: ‘Today, the Court rejected the Wayfarer Parties’ objections and entered the protections needed to ensure the free flow of discovery material without any risk of witness intimidation or harm to any individual’s security. With this order in place, Ms. Lively will move forward in the discovery process to obtain even more of the evidence that will prove her claims in Court.’
Last week, Lively’s attorneys claimed that without proper protections, Baldoni might tell the press about her security arrangements and her medical information
She also feared her conversations with celebrity friends and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, could be leaked as well as details about her children.
Baldoni’s attorneys hit back and said that the idea they would do this was ‘offensive’ and said that Lively was asking for a ‘different law’ to protect their powerful and famous friends.
Just weeks earlier, Lively asked a judge for a stronger protective order after receiving ‘violent’ messages.
Both Baldoni and Lively previously agreed to a protective order (PO), but the actress has now asked for more protection instead of the court’s ‘model’ order.
In Lively and Reynolds’ letter to Judge Lewis J. Liman in New York, obtained by People, the couple requested ‘additional protections.’
This includes ‘an Attorney’s Eyes Only (‘AEO’) category.’
It applies to ‘Confidential Discovery Material of such a highly confidential and personal, sensitive, or proprietary nature that the revelation of such is likely to cause a competitive, business, commercial, financial, personal or privacy injury.’
The attorneys that submitted the letter for Blake and Ryan claimed that [there is] ‘good cause exists for the Court to adopt the Proposed PO’ and referenced to the star’s recently amended complaint.
‘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.’
Justin’s legal team responded to Blake’s new protective order request in a statement and said, ‘We do not condone dangerous rhetoric targeted toward anyone no matter the situation.’
Last month, Lively and Reynolds (pictured in February 2024) asked Judge Lewis J. Liman in a letter for ‘additional protections’
They also alleged to have received similar communications amid the ongoing lawsuit.
‘Anyone receiving violent messages by anonymous parties is abhorrent,’ his team continued in the statement.
‘When private parties were wrongfully accused by Lively and her paid team of wrongdoing, they received continuous death threats and visits to private homes where young children reside…
‘No one should have to face that, especially private parties who do not have means for security detail.’
Upon filing her lawsuit in December, Blake not only sued Baldoni but also producer Jamey Heath, Wayfarer Studios co-founder Steve Sarowitz, crisis PR expert Melissa Nathan, Jed Wallace and his publicist Jennifer Abel.
Along with his $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Justin is also suing the New York Times $250 million in a libel lawsuit after the publication reported on Lively’s allegations.
Baldoni (seen in 2024) and Lively have sued each other for defamation and claimed they both tried to destroy each other’s reputation
In February, Blake amended her complaint and claimed two actresses from It Ends With Us will provide additional evidence to support her own allegations.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jenny Slate – who played the role of Allysa in the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel – had lodged a complaint against CEO of Wayfarer Studios Jamey Heath.
However, in her amended documents, Blake notably did not reference Slate by name.
Slate had allegedly held a conversation with Heath over her dissatisfaction of the apartment she was renting in NYC amidst filming It End With Us.
Jenny, who has a four-year-old daughter, had explained that the space wasn’t working out but felt like she couldn’t find a different residence due to already putting down a $15,000 deposit.
Health allegedly offered to reimburse the actress her lost deposit through Wayfarer Studios so she could move into a new place.
Lively was the first to sue at a court in New York and Baldoni retaliated with a $400 million defamation case against Lively, 37, and her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48 (pictured in August 2024)
But Slate claimed that he used ‘language’ that made her feel ‘uncomfortable,’ and sources alleged ‘he focused intensely on the sanctity of motherhood and Slate’s role as a mother.’
Following the alleged interaction, Jenny filed a complaint to Sony – the distributer for It Ends With Us.
A separate source informed The Hollywood Reporter that Jamey recalls the communication to be very different from Slate’s recollection.
He has also stated that the production company offered assistance – which was then ‘weaponized against them.’
Lively notably filed an amended complaint late Tuesday night, claiming the two actresses on set also had uncomfortable experiences with her It Ends With Us director and co-star.
Baldoni is also suing the New York Times for defamation for publishing a lengthy story about Lively’s claims last December
According to a spokesperson for Blake, the complaint does not name the alleged victim-witnesses or include their texts or screenshots in order to protect their privacy.
‘Importantly, however, these victim-witnesses have given Ms. Lively permission to share their communications in the Amended Complaint as they are laid out, and they will testify and produce documents in the discovery process,’ the spokesperson said.
The complaint is said to contain ‘significant contemporaneous evidence’ that Blake was not alone in raising allegations of on-set misconduct, along with ‘corroboration of her original claims.’
It also reportedly claims ‘evidence detailing the threats, harassment, and intimidation’ of not just Blake, but ‘numerous innocent bystanders.’
In January, a judge scheduled a trial date for their lawsuits in March of 2026, and both parties have already decided to skip any attempt at mediation.
Meanwhile, Justin’s lawyer has claimed the allegations have cost his client ‘a substantial amount of work.’
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