Blake Lively Granted Protective Order Amid Justin Baldoni Legal Battle

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New details have emerged in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s ongoing legal battle.   

In a court ruling dated July 14, Judge Lewis J. Liman agreed to the actress from “It Ends With Us” movie’s petition for a protective order. This order asked the director’s team to disclose all individuals scheduled to attend her deposition three days after her request was made.

As per the legal papers acquired by TopMob News, it appears that Lively will be responsible for setting up a designated workspace with printing and copying capabilities, which can be used by the opposing counsel, as indicated.

In simpler terms, Baldoni and his team at Wayfarer Studios should inform Lively about the people who will be present during her deposition that’s scheduled for July 17, which is exactly two days before.

In my professional opinion as a lifestyle expert, I’d like to clarify why I sought a protective order in this situation. According to the legal documents filed on July 11, it appears that my former associates have been unwilling to comply with my reasonable requests for cooperation. This is the reason behind my petition for a protective order in the ongoing lawsuit against them.

The statement proposes that the defendants have not disputed their intention to create a bothersome public spectacle by making Ms. Lively walk through the paparazzi, inviting unidentified attendees such as journalists, media influencers, or employing various other disruptive methods.

Even though I’ve repeatedly tried to discuss my worries with Ms. Lively, the defendants seem unwilling to engage on these matters. Instead, they keep asserting their authority over all logistical and security matters, leaving me feeling sidelined.

For his part, Baldoni’s legal team opposed Lively’s motion in a July 13 letter to the judge.

The legal team for the actor from “Jane the Virgin” stated, “Lively’s arguments are based entirely on unfounded accusations and questionable authority against the opposing counsel. There is no evidence provided to back up her claims that this deposition was orchestrated as a ‘publicity stunt.’

The letter continued by implicating Lively for exploiting her fame, citing a December article from The New York Times which focused on Lively’s accusation of sexual harassment by Baldoni and her claims that he was retaliating against her through a smear campaign.

It’s interesting that Lively claims the Wayfarer Parties are attempting to attract media attention regarding her deposition, given that she herself actively sought and received widespread coverage from The New York Times for her allegations. Moreover, it seems her representatives also offered quotes to the press in a manner favorable to her. However, the court finds that Lively’s attempts to exert control over the film, which is central to this dispute, should not be confused with unprofessional behavior or outbursts from her counsel.

TopMob News has reached out to Lively and Baldoni’s reps for comment.

This recent development in their legal dispute arises a month following when Judge Liman discarded Baldoni’s countersuit against Lively, her spouse Ryan Reynolds, her representative Leslie Sloane, and his lawsuit against the New York Times.

For more on Lively and Baldoni’s legal saga, keep reading.

Four months following the theater release of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us” adaptation, I, Blake Lively, filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against my costar Justin Baldoni and his associates on December 20th, as reported by The New York Times.

In the complaint obtained by TopMob News, Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios (Wayfarer), its CEO Jamey Heath, its cofounder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel, RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace and Street Relations Inc. were named as defendants.

I alleged in my complaint that Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates “initiated a complex press and digital strategy in retaliation” for expressing concerns about supposed misconduct on set, claiming that I and other cast and crew members “experienced intrusive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior” by Baldoni and Heath.

The actress further stated that this alleged campaign against her led to “significant harm” both personally and professionally. The accusations listed in the complaint include sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to investigate, prevent and/or remedy harassment; aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation; breach of contract; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligence; false light invasion of privacy and interference with prospective economic advantage.

The day after, The New York Times released an article detailing a counterattack smear operation that Baldoni and his allies are said to have carried out against Lively, based on her CRD complaint. In the piece, the publication shared messages from Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist), which were part of her complaint. The newspaper’s website also made available the related court documents for perusal by its readers.

 “I hope my legal action will help expose these underhanded retaliatory strategies aimed at damaging individuals who speak out about misconduct,” Lively told the outlet, “and provide protection to others who might become targets.

 

—Reporting by Sara Ouerfelli

In response to the allegations made by Lively, I, as a lifestyle expert, must clarify the stance of Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives. It’s disheartening that Lively and her team would make such grave and entirely unfounded accusations against my clients, as an apparent tactic to improve her tarnished reputation stemming from her own words and actions during the film campaign; statements and media interactions that were visible in real-time and uncensored, allowing for public scrutiny and opinion formation. These claims are wholly fabricated, outrageous, and deliberately sensationalized with the intent to harm publicly and perpetuate a narrative in the media.

I also wish to address Wayfarer’s decision to engage a crisis manager. This step was taken prior to the film’s marketing campaign. My clients did not take any proactive measures nor retaliate, but instead addressed incoming media inquiries only to ensure balanced and accurate reporting and monitored social activity. What is notably absent from the selectively presented correspondence is the lack of evidence that there were no proactive measures taken with the media or otherwise; just internal planning and private communication, which is standard practice among public relations professionals.

After an article published by The New York Times on December 21, William Morris Endeavor (WME) chose to sever ties with Baldoni. This decision was subsequently confirmed by Ari Emanuel, CEO of the agency’s parent company Endeavor, in communication with the outlet.

However, it’s important to note that WME has refuted claims made by Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband, suggesting any involvement in the separation between Baldoni and the agency. These allegations were later brought forth by Baldoni in a lawsuit against The New York Times (more details on that below).

“In Baldoni’s filing, there is a claim that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere. This is not true.” They further clarified that Baldoni’s former representative was neither present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere nor did they experience any pressure from Reynolds or Lively to drop Baldoni as a client at any point in time.

After Lively’s CRD filing and a New York Times article, several well-known figures expressed their support for her accusations against Baldoni. Among them was the author of “It Ends With Us,” Hoover. On Instagram Stories on December 21st, she wrote, “You have always been honest, kind, supportive, and patient since the day we met, @blakelively. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”

Jenny Slate, who played Baldoni’s character Ryle’s sister, also showed her support for Lively. In a statement to Today on December 23rd, she said, “As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation.” She added, “Blake is a leader, loyal friend, and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her. What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.”

Brandon Sklenar, a love interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom, shared a link to the complaint published on The New York Times’ website and wrote, “For the love of God read this.”

Furthermore, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn expressed their solidarity with her.

Liz Plank recently shared on Instagram that she is stepping down from her role as co-host on “The Man Enough Podcast”. She expressed gratitude for the trust, stories, and community that she has been a part of during her time there. Although she didn’t specify a reason for leaving, it comes in the wake of Blake Lively’s complaint against Henry Joost, her co-host, and other Wayfarer associates. Plank emphasized her commitment to the values they built together and her desire to continue fighting for justice. She also mentioned that she will share more about this transition soon as she reflects on the situation. In the meantime, she vowed to support anyone who calls out injustice and holds those responsible accountable.

Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s former publicist, and her agency Jonesworks LLC have filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel, crisis communications specialist Nathan, and another individual named in New York on Christmas Eve. The lawsuit claims that these defendants secretly conspired for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and her agency, breach contracts, and steal clients. They allegedly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch a smear campaign against one of Baldoni’s film co-stars, then used the situation to create a rift between Jones and Baldoni, and falsely blame Jones for the smear campaign when she had no involvement. Abel worked at Jonesworks until last summer, according to her LinkedIn profile. The lawsuit also alleges that Abel and Nathan have continued to falsely accuse Jones as their misconduct is being exposed, defaming and attacking her in the industry. Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer Jones’ clients, are accused of breaking their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refusing to settle the dispute privately in arbitration. The defendants were contacted for comment by TopMob News.

According to a report published by Variety on December 23, Lively’s legal team claimed they obtained the texts mentioned in The New York Times article through a subpoena sent to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents both Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and their respective associates, informed Variety that none of his clients were served with a subpoena regarding this matter. He further stated that he plans to sue Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s attorneys without proper authorization.

Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, Wallace and Street Relations filed a lawsuit against The New York Times Dec. 31.

In the lawsuit obtained by TopMob News, The New York Times is accused of libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud and breach of implied-in-fact contract for its article about a retaliatory smear campaign the plaintiffs allegedly conducted against Lively after she voiced concerns about purported misconduct on set.

Saying the report was “false” and based on Lively’s CRD complaint, the plaintiffs denied the accusations and alleged messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context.

“Despite its claim to have ‘reviewed these along with other documents[,]’ the Times relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative,” the lawsuit says, “lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives.”

They also allege “it was Lively, not Plaintiffs, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign.” She has denied this.

The New York Times said it plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.”

“The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead,” it stated to TopMob. “Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article.”

On that very day, Lively initiated a legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, Nathan’s company TAG, and Abel in New York. The court documents acquired by TopMob News reveal that she is accusing the defendants of sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to address harassment, aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation, breach of contract, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and false light invasion of privacy.

The charges in this lawsuit were initially disclosed in the CRD complaint she filed earlier that month. In response to this lawsuit, Baldoni and his associates have counter-sued _The New York Times_ – where Lively is not named as a defendant. However, her lawyers responded to TopMob by stating that “the contents of this lawsuit do not alter the claims in her CRD and federal complaints.”

In their statement, they further explained that the premise of Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was not a ploy to avoid suing Baldoni or Wayfarer, as claimed by the defendants. They added that “the narrative provided for the Wayfarer lawsuit is false,” and that her federal complaint filed today proves this assertion.

In their lawsuit against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team have made it clear that they are not finished taking legal action. According to court documents, there are other wrongdoers implicated in this case, and it’s important to note that this won’t be the only lawsuit filed. During a Jan 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman confirmed that they intend to sue Lively as well.

The speculation surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended there. For example, social media users have suggested that Reynolds may have teased Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has yet to respond publicly to these rumors, but Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman has shared his perspective. In an interview on “The Megyn Kelly Show,” posted on YouTube on January 7, Freedman stated:

“My interpretation of that is if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make fun of Justin Baldoni. You don’t make light of the situation. Instead, you take it seriously. You file complaints with HR and follow proper legal procedures. What you don’t do is laugh it off and turn it into a joke.

Ms. Lively’s legal team has stated that since she filed a lawsuit against them, there have been further instances of harassment towards her. The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges sexual harassment and retaliation, supported by solid evidence. This is not a petty disagreement or he-said-she-said situation, as claimed by Wayfarer and their associates. Instead, they engaged in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against Ms. Lively when she tried to safeguard herself and others on the film set. Their reaction to her lawsuit has been more attacks against Ms. Lively.

As the legal process unfolds, her lawyers remind everyone that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in every workplace and industry. A common strategy to deflect allegations of this nature is to blame the victim or reverse the roles of the victim and offender. They also emphasize that media statements do not serve as a defense for the claims against Lively, and they will vigorously pursue her case in court.


 

On January 16th in New York, Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, Abel (publicist), Nathan (crisis communication specialist) and It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, Leslie Sloane (Lively’s publicist) and Vision PR. The suit alleges civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of good faith, intentional and negligent interference with contracts, among other charges.

The plaintiffs deny Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a smear campaign against her. Instead, they accuse her of taking control of It Ends With Us and collaborating with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to tarnish the plaintiffs’ reputation in the media after she faced criticism for promoting the film. (Lively maintains that she promoted the movie according to Sony’s marketing plan.)

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the defendants collaborated with The New York Times to release a sensational news story that was as untrue as it was damaging. The publication maintains its report’s accuracy.

In response to TopMob, Freedman stated, “Either Blake Lively was deceived by her team or she deliberately and consciously misrepresented the truth.

Lively’s legal team labeled his lawsuit as “an additional instance in the script of an abuser,” stating to TopMob News, “This narrative is familiar: A woman discloses substantial proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the offender tries to shift the blame onto the victim. This behavior is commonly known as DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.

She stated that he retaliated when she accused him, implying that Baldoni wants to alter the perception that Lively assumed creative control and estranged the cast from him.)

It was further stated that the proof will reveal that both the cast members and others had unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Additionally, the evidence will demonstrate that Sony requested Ms. Lively to supervise their portion of the film, which they then chose for distribution and went on to achieve considerable success.

Her team went on to slam Baldoni’s reaction to her allegations of harassment.

In response to sexual harassment accusations, they blamed her for wanting it and held her responsible. Their reasoning for the incident was that of her attire. As their lawyers explained, this approach shifts the focus from the abusive act onto the victim. It is a desperate attempt to dodge the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint and will ultimately fall short.

In a recent development, Baldoni’s legal representative shared unseen footage from the set of the movie “It Ends With Us“. They stated that the actions portrayed in this footage directly contradict Ms. Lively’s depiction of Baldoni.

In a statement, Baldoni’s lawyers explained that the sequence under discussion was intended to depict the blossoming romance between the characters, as they yearned for physical proximity. It’s important to note that both actors were portraying their roles effectively and appropriately, demonstrating respect and professionalism throughout.

Nonetheless, Lively’s legal representatives argue that the video aligns precisely with what Ms. Lively stated in her lawsuit, suggesting that each scene was spontaneously created by Mr. Baldoni without any prior discussion or agreement.

In a statement, TopMob News was informed that the video depicts Ms. Lively leaning back and continually requesting the characters to simply converse. Any female who has experienced unwanted touching at work may identify with Ms. Lively’s unease.

 

In their ongoing case, the couple wrote to the presiding judge, asking for Freedman, who heads Baldoni’s legal team, to be subjected to a restraining order on speech. This is to prevent any inappropriate behavior during the court process.

A seven-minute audio message, allegedly from Baldoni, was leaked online during the filming of It Ends With Us, where he seemed to discuss the movie’s rooftop scene that Lively rewrote. This conversation, reportedly held with Reynolds and their mutual friend Taylor Swift, was also mentioned in the message.

He said, “It’s great to have friends as imaginative as them, who happen to be among the most creative individuals worldwide. The trio of you is simply astonishing!” (to Lively)

In the recording, it appears Baldoni also seemed to express an apology towards the actress for not responding favorably to her script, stating, “I made a mistake. An important aspect of my character is that I’ll acknowledge and apologize when I fall short.

Exactly one month following Lively’s official legal action against Baldoni, the scheduled court hearing was set for March 9, 2026.

According to reports from TopMob News, Baldoni’s legal team has made modifications to their initial counterclaim filed against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane in the U.S. District Court on January 16th. The updated claim now includes The New York Times as well.

In the revised paper, Baldoni claimed that Lively and her associates conspired for several months, disseminating untruths to The New York Times.

As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but express my concerns about the recent allegations surrounding my beloved institution. The filing, distinct from the $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, claims that they manipulated the truth by selectively choosing and altering communications, stripping them of crucial context. Worse yet, these communications were deliberately spliced together to mislead, a practice that I find deeply troubling.

Baldoni established a site detailing his lawsuit against Lively, featuring the amended complaint filed on January 31 by his legal team, along with a “chronology of significant events.” The chronology reportedly includes screenshots of text conversations involving Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni that were shared.

The site went live a month following Freedman’s announcement that they would publish all text messages exchanged between the two parties.

In an interview with NBC News on January 2nd, Baldoni’s lawyer expressed that they desire transparency and want all relevant documents to be made public. They believe that people should form their own opinions using actual receipts as evidence.

In the revised lawsuit, Lively’s legal team asserted that two additional female colleagues who worked on “It Ends” reported experiencing discomfort due to Baldoni’s conduct during filming.

TopMob News obtained a complaint stating that Ms. Lively wasn’t the only one voicing concerns about Mr. Baldoni. The complaint, dating back to May 2023, detailed similar experiences of discomfort from Ms. Lively and other individuals. Crucially, contrary to the story Defendants have spun, Mr. Baldoni admitted to these complaints in writing at the time, acknowledging that women besides Ms. Lively had expressed discomfort with his behavior.

In the spirit of my unwavering fervor as a devoted fan, I must express that the revised lawsuit, surprisingly, failed to mention the two potential testifiers whom Lively claimed would speak up. This is because, regrettably, we find ourselves in a chilling environment filled with threats, harassment, and intimidation, which seems to be orchestrated by the Defendants’ relentless retaliation campaign.

Speaking with TopMob, I’ve taken issue with the allegations made against me, stating they are largely based on “flimsy rumors” and I’ve suggested that those who remain anonymous are now unwilling or hesitant to validate or endorse these claims publicly.

Following Baldoni’s allegations that Sloane was spreading “harmful tales” depicting him as a “sexual predator” and organizing a “defamatory campaign” at Lively’s instruction, Sloane moved to have the lawsuit dismissed by filing a motion for it.

According to documents acquired by TopMob News, Sloane’s legal representative argued that there was no substantiation for the charges leveled against their client, and instead, she was unwarrantedly drawn into the lawsuit as a diversionary tactic to obscure Lively’s allegations.

On February 28, a representative from Lively’s litigation team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher revealed to Variety that they had enlisted Nick Shapiro, a former Deputy Chief of Staff at the CIA, to provide counsel on the legal communications strategy regarding the ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in the Southern District of New York.

Shapiro, who served for the CIA from 2013 to 2015 during the Obama administration, subsequently took on roles as Visa’s vice president of global security and communications, and Airbnb’s head of worldwide crisis management. After spending three years at the vacation rental company, he established his own consulting firm, 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.

The New York Times wants out of the second lawsuit worth $400 million, which also includes Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane; it’s already in a different lawsuit with Baldoni for $250 million.

In the court documents, the newspaper contended that Baldoni’s team was spinning a biased story that has attracted significant attention, but it asserted that “The Times should not be involved in this legal matter.

After The New York Times requested that their case be dismissed, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman agreed and put off the process of discovery, as reported by TopMob News based on the documents they acquired.

The court granted a request for a temporary pause in the exchange of information and documents between the parties, following the newspaper’s motion filed on February 28, which the judge is currently reviewing.

In the March 4 document, Liman pointed out that the New York Times’ arguments provide “solid reasons” and “a convincing case” suggesting that their motion to discard the case could be upheld.

Additionally, the judge expressed his viewpoint that Baldoni’s legal team won’t be unduly disadvantaged if the court chooses to delay its decision on the ongoing motion, during this stay.

In response to TopMob News, a representative from the New York Times commented on the recent ruling, stating, “We are grateful for today’s court decision, as it upholds the significant First Amendment principles involved. The court has prevented Mr. Baldoni from imposing discovery requests on our newspaper in a case that lacked merit.

Following Baldoni’s allegation that Lively was exploiting her friendship with Taylor Swift to gain greater creative control over “It Ends With Us”, and his legal team attempting to summon Swift, a representative for the singer responded forcefully.

In a statement released to TopMob News on May 9th, it was clarified that Taylor Swift has not been physically present on the movie set. Furthermore, she had no role in casting or creative decision-making for the film, didn’t compose the score, and neither watched any edits nor made comments on the production.

In simpler terms, Taylor Swift’s connection to the movie was granted permission to use one of her songs, ‘My Tears Ricochet.’ However, her representative argues that this subpoena for documents is not about the legal aspects of the case. Instead, it seems to exploit Taylor Swift’s name to generate public interest and sensational headlines, rather than focusing on the actual facts of the matter.

Baldoni’s attorneys withdrew their request later that month, per Lively’s legal team.

In a ruling, the judge approved a request to discard the counterclaim against Lively, Reynolds, and their representative, as Baldoni and his lawyers were unable to substantiate claims that the couple defamed him. Additionally, the judge dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuit against The New York Times.

On Instagram Stories, Lively expressed her feelings about facing a retaliatory lawsuit, stating, “Just like countless others, I’ve experienced the hurt of such legal battles, along with the constructed embarrassment intended to undermine us.” She continued, “Although the lawsuit against me was dismissed, not everyone has the means to defend themselves.

She expressed, “I am filled with love and appreciation towards those who have supported me. Some of you are familiar to me, while others are not, but I will always cherish and champion each one of you.

In response to TopMob News, Baldoni’s lawyer stated that Lively’s claim of victory is actually misleading.

The attorney stated that this case involves allegations of unfounded sexual harassment and retribution, along with an alleged baseless smear campaign. Interestingly, Ms. Lively’s own team refers to these claims as ‘untraceable’, likely because they can’t provide evidence for events that supposedly never occurred.

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2025-07-14 23:50