Lawyers for Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni attended their first court hearing on 3 February for the It ends with us Drama – on which the judge promised to go up the expected test date of March 2026 if the respective parties continued to litigate in the press – but that is just one of the many new developments in the case.
During the weekend, the legal team of Baldoni brought a changed lawsuit against Lively, which he suits $ 400 million, together with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for civil extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy. They also launched a website with documents related to the case.
Lively initiated the legal battle, first with a complaint and then a lawsuit, which claimed that Baldoni had been sexually harassed in the set of the 2024 film, which was based on the best -selling novel of Colleen Hoover, and then launched a smear campaign against her When she spoke when she spoke. Baldoni directed the film and played Lively’s Love Interest.
What happened during the 1st hearing
It was expected that neither lively nor Baldoni would be present for the hearing, CNN reported, and that turned out to be the case.
Familiar news and daily pleasure, exactly in your inbox
Watch yourself-the Yodel is the source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.
According to Deadline, the hearing, under the supervision of the Federal Judge Lewis J. Liman in New York, a potential gag order focused on. Liman said that if the case was still ‘placed in the press’, the test date of March 2026 would be moved because the media attention could infect a jury pool.
Variety reported that the court advised both parties to adhere to the New York rules of professional behavior, which block lawyers to make comments that can have a “substantial probability” to influence a jury. However, the rule allows lawyers to talk to the press to protect their customers against negative publicity.
Deadline reported that Liman said that Lively will not be dropped off at the moment. The judge also said that Lively should not choose who deposits her.
Baldoni’s chief advisor Bryan Freedman, left, spoke to the press after the hearing for the process on 3 February 2025 (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
That is important because the Baldoni team said they wanted Lively the explanation to take place as quickly as possible, but the Lively Lively indicated that they would not agree by Baldoni’s main lawyer, Bryan Freedman. The lawyers of LIVENIVE and REYNOLDS sought a protective order to stop Freedman of what they said was an “intimidating and retaliation campaign” against the couple.
According to the deadline, the issue of Baldoni’s court case was discussed in court. Baldoni’s lawyer said that only documents that are publicly accessible are on the website.
The judge has adopted the timeline of 168 pages baldoni to the amended complaint of 31 January of Baldoni. He said he thinks it is violating the federal court procedure because it is a story. Lively’s lawyer said they intend to make that document strick.
The lawsuit of Lively and the Baldoni countersuit will be combined for the process, to which both parties have agreed. What was new was that Freedman told the judge that he would pull the plug on Baldoni’s individual lawsuit against the New York Times, Deadline reported. That is because the changed complaint from Baldoni has added the news output as a suspect.
Lively’s Chief Advisor Michael Gottlieb leaves the court on 3 February 2025 (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
The main lawyer of Lively, Michael Gottlieb, said they were not a message that Baldoni added the New York Times to his counters out until it was reported by Media on January 31. He said that Lively and Reynolds may submit a changed complaint, possibly with new claims.
Outside the court, Gottlieb reporters told that he was ‘very happy’ with how the hearing went. Freedman said that he “could not be more satisfied” and wants the case to “go as quickly as possible as we can and prove our innocence.”
The following to be considered is Lively and Reynolds the motion to completely reject Baldoni’s court case.
Baldoni launched a public website with lawsuits
The members of the Legal Team of Baldoni said they were planning to share in public documents with regard to the case on a special website aimed at defending the filmmaker against the allegations of Lively, and established on Friday.
The website, entitled Laws Office info, has the changed complaint and a “timeline of relevant events” of 168 pages with regard to the dispute and production of the film. It starts with an e -mail from Baldoni to Hoover on January 1, 2019, about the It ends with us Book and ends with the claim about the New York Times Metadata on January 29, 2025.
Including were rather unseen – and not – -divergent – text messages, including a lively sent to Baldoni in April 2023 that discussed a rewriting of the film’s roof scene.
“If you knew me (personally) longer, you would have an idea of how flirty and nice the ball will play. It is my love language. Spicy and playfully daring, never with teeth … ‘, she would send Baldoni an SMS.
Another was reportedly sent from Reynolds to Baldoni in February 2023 and said how excited he was for lively to work with Baldoni.
“I am enthusiastic that Blake reveals her creative piggy bank with someone who is as dynamic as you. This will be incredible. I happen to love you, Justin, “said Reynolds.
Baldoni, who claimed that he was steamed by Lively in a bid for creative control of the film, also claimed that the actress refused to meet the intimacy coordinator for the film. He shared notes of that meeting.
“These notes would later become the basis for Lively’s complaint, in which she states that Baldoni would talk about his own sex life and insert free scenes with the character of Lively Orgasming,” said Baldoni’s timeline. “As can be seen in the notes, these entries come directly from the notes of the intimacy coordinator. … Ideally, these conversations would have taken place directly between Lively and the intimacy coordinator, as Baldoni had asked; Lively, however, refused to meet her. ‘
Baldoni also claimed that Reynolds had fired him from their mutual agency, WME, that WME denied. The timeline on the website states that the production company of Baldoni ‘was’ informed that Reynolds contacted WME on July 15, 2024 ” Deadpool & Wolverine Premiere After-Party on July 22 and said, “The agency works with a” sexual predator. “
Baldoni also published on the website, a statement that he claimed that Lively and Reynolds demanded that he had released in August 2024. This was around the time of the premiere, while rumors were unbridled from the battle between the CO stars. Baldoni said he refused to issue the statement.
‘It ends with us Was a troubled production for which we take full responsibility, “ran the alleged explanation. “We are very sorry for everyone we have upset to private and public. Blake Lively, Colleen Hoover, the entire cast and crew led with professionalism in every step of the road, every negativity that is aimed at us is to possess. We mutually agreed that the cast would promote the film individually and understood why. “
The website launch followed the release of Baldoni’s team of a 10-minute clip of a slow-danceing scene Baldoni and lively recording for the film. Baldoni also recorded some texts in his lawsuits against the NYT and Lively.
The initial lawsuit of Lively against Baldoni also included texts. Baldoni claimed that he was lubricated by the news exit and lively because they took texts he had sent and reported them from the context.
A short timeline of the Lively v. Baldoni Legal Battle
With several lawsuits and even more claimants, here is a fast guide for the legal battle …
August 9, 2024: It ends with us Theaters touches. Prior to the release, there were rumors about a feud between the director actor and actress.
December 20, 2024: Lively complaint about sexual harassment against Baldoni at the California Civil Rights Department.
December 21, 2024: The New York Times Story, “We Can Bury Elky”: Inside a Hollywood Launch Machine “comes out with texts that are reportedly showing the alleged campaign of Baldoni to wheat the reputation of Lively after she accused him of misconduct .
December 31, 2024: Lively is officially present a federal lawsuit against Baldoni, his Wayfarer Studios and his publicists, claiming that she had been taken revenge for reporting the misconduct.
Baldoni and his publicists present a lawsuit of $ 250 million against the New York Times for defamation on the article.
January 16, 2024: Baldoni Counteries Lively, Reynolds and her publicist for $ 400 million, who accuse them of defamation.
January 31, 2024: Baldoni submits a changed complaint against Lively, Reynolds, her publicist and the New York Times and launches his lawsuit.