Justin Baldoni’s lawyer says Blake Lively’s request to dismiss his lawsuit is “abhorrent” and that she needs to be held “accountable.”
Hours after the actress’ lawyers slammed the director’s $400 million defamation lawsuit as “vengeful and rambling” — and asked the court to toss it out — Bryan Freedman responded with a statement of his own.
“Ms. Lively’s recent motion to dismiss herself from the self-concocted disaster she initiated is one of the most abhorrent examples of abusing our legal system,” he told People late Thursday.
“Stringent rules are put into place to protect the innocent and allow individuals to rightfully defend themselves. Laws are not meant to be twisted and curated by privileged elites to fit their own personal agenda.”
He also addressed Ryan Reynolds’ request to dismiss Baldoni’s lawsuit, saying, “As we said yesterday in response to Mr. Reynolds’ same cowardly measures, we will continue to hold Ms. Lively accountable for her actions of pure malice which include falsely accusing my clients of harassment and retaliation.
“Her fantastical claims will be swiftly debunked as discovery moves forward, easily disproved with actual, evidentiary proof.”
Earlier Thursday, Lively’s lawyers booked it to court and requested that a judge dismiss the “Jane the Virgin” star’s lawsuit against her, arguing that it is “profound abuse of the legal process that has no place in federal court.”
“The law prohibits weaponizing defamation lawsuits, like this one, to retaliate against individuals who have filed legal claims or have publicly spoken out about sexual harassment and retaliation,” the “It Ends With Us” actress argued in documents filed in the Southern District of New York court and obtained by Page Six.
She also alleged that she is “firmly protected by each of the litigation, fair report, and sexual harassment privileges” under California law, which means that Baldoni does not have the right to sue her.
She further slammed her co-star for seeking $400 million in damages, claiming that Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios co-plaintiffs “do not even try to explain its basis, much less specifically allege their so-called injuries.”
The “Gossip Girl” alum also vehemently denied extorting Baldoni, stating those claims arise “out of the exact same categories of protected speech that fail to support defamation.”
Her lawyers, Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, told Page Six in part, “This meritless and retaliatory lawsuit runs head first into three legal obstacles, including the litigation, fair report, and sexual harassment privileges, the latter of which contains a mandatory fee shifting provision that will require the likes of billionaire Steve Sarowitz, Wayfarer Studios, and others that brought frivolous defamation claims against Ms. Lively to pay damages.
“In other words, in an epic self-own, the Wayfarer Parties’ attempt to sue Ms. Lively ‘into oblivion’ has only created more liability for them, and deservedly so, given what they have done.”
Lively’s request for dismissal came in the footsteps of her own husband, Reynolds, asking the court to drop Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit against him.
Freedman also slammed this move, saying that Reynolds is “arrogantly asking to be dismissed from the case despite his publicly documented involvement extending far beyond just being a ‘supportive spouse.’”
“Mr. Reynolds was a key player in the scheme,” Freedman added, arguing that the Marvel actor’s fingerprints have “been all over this smear campaign against Justin and the Wayfarer team” since the beginning.
“Mr. Reynolds now attempts to reduce plainly cognizable claims to ‘hurt feelings,’ sending a clear message that bullying is acceptable. After lighting a match, Mr. Reynolds now seeks to run from the flames. It won’t work,” Freedman continued.
“The Wayfarer Parties’ claims against him are real, and they are serious. Mr. Reynolds can appear on as many sketch shows as he wants and feebly try to make light of his current situation, but we will not stop until he is held accountable for his actions.”
Baldoni, 41, and Lively, 37, have been entangled in a legal battle since December 2024. The “Simple Favor” star claimed in a California Civil Rights Department complaint and a subsequent lawsuit that Baldoni made inappropriate sexual remarks to her on the set of “It Ends With Us,” talked about his past porn addiction and other claims.
The “Five Feet Apart” director, who has denied all allegations made by Lively, hit back after with a defamation lawsuit naming the Hollywood couple, who has been married since 2012 and share four children.
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