Blake Lively's lawyers seek tight hold over release of information in
lawsuit against Justin Baldoni
[March 07, 2025]
By LARRY NEUMEISTER
NEW YORK (AP) — A lawyer for actor Blake Lively asked a federal judge
Thursday to impose strict rules to prevent anyone associated with Justin
Baldoni getting personal or intimate information about her or other
celebrities while potential evidence is shared among attorneys as her
sexual harassment claims against her costar in “It Ends With Us”
proceeds toward trial.
Meryl Governski, representing Lively, told Judge Lewis J. Liman in a
telephone conference that some materials must be shared only between
lawyers to protect her client and others. The judge did not immediately
rule.
Lively sued Baldoni, his production company and others in New York in
late December for sexual harassment and attacks on her reputation and
sought unspecified damages. Baldoni later countersued, accusing Lively
and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and
extortion and seeking at least $400 million in damages.
Governski said some defendants in Lively's lawsuit filed in late
December against Baldoni, his production company and others seemed to be
operating on an unlimited budget as they “try to ruin the lives of Ms.
Lively and her family.”
“There is an insatiable appetite for any information about this case, no
matter how benign it is,” Governski said. “The defendants have bragged
in text messages about being able to publish information without
fingerprints.”
She said one category of information that needs to be kept between
lawyers related to medical information, including mental health, and
that “personal and intimate conversations with unrelated third parties”
must be kept out of the public eye because — while the public relations
value would be high — the evidentiary value would be “virtually
nonexistent.”
Governski said there were “dozens and dozens of third parties” that
would be identified by name in discovery materials, and “we think there
is a significant chance of irreparable harm if marginally relevant
information with high-profile individuals who are unrelated to the case
fall into the wrong hands.”
Bryan Freedman, representing Baldoni and his production company, scoffed
at Governski's statements, saying the judge's proposed order to keep
potential evidence in the case secret while it is shared between
attorneys and their clients was sufficient.
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This combination of images shows Blake Lively at the London
screening of the film "It 'Ends With Us" on Aug. 8, 2024, left, and
Justin Baldoni at the world premiere of the film in New York on Aug.
6, 2024. (AP Photo)
 Freedman said the case was similar
to others, despite the fame of its litigants, and he should be able
to discuss potential evidence with his clients to properly defend
them.
“Frankly we see no difference because someone is a celebrity” as to
how the case should proceed, he said.
Freedman said Lively's lawyers could request that certain sensitive
materials, such as medical information related to her claims that
she suffered emotional distress, be kept between lawyers when the
issue arises.
“If they need greater protection and need our clients not to see
something, they could make a specific showing,” he said.
The judge said he expects to rule soon. He noted there was a
“presumption of public access” to the courts, and he cited the
public's right to know how the court's resources are being used.
He has already warned lawyers to obey court rules about making
public statements that could endanger a fair trial and suggested he
could order a trial scheduled for March 9, 2026, to occur sooner if
lawyers continued making fiery public comments.
“It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling
2016 novel that begins as a romance but takes a dark turn into
domestic violence, was released in August, exceeding box office
expectations with a $50 million debut. But the movie’s release was
shrouded by speculation over discord between Lively and Baldoni.
Lively became widely known after she appeared in the 2005 film “The
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.” She bolstered her stardom on the
TV series “Gossip Girl” from 2007 to 2012 before starring in films
including “The Town” and “The Shallows.”
Baldoni starred in the TV comedy “Jane the Virgin,” directed the
2019 film “Five Feet Apart” and wrote “Man Enough,” a book pushing
back against traditional notions of masculinity.
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