Breaking down the latest developments in the high-profile legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. From dismissed lawsuits to shocking revelations, we explore the court's ruling on the $400 million defamation case, workplace harassment claims, and the aftermath of "It Ends with Us" film controversy.
04:42Furthermore, while Lively was accused of gaining control over the film through intimidation,
04:47Lyman noted that the allegations did not qualify as wrongful threats, but rather as legitimate negotiation tactics.
04:53What Lively did was legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions,
05:00so that's why that got thrown out.
05:01Concerning Blake's unsigned promotion agreement, the judge stated there was no contractual obligation for her to promote the film,
05:08which undermined claims of diminished value.
05:10Lyman also suggested it wasn't defamation for Ryan Reynolds to tell his agents at WME,
05:15which at the time represented Baldoni, that Justin was a, quote,
05:19sexual predator, since he may have genuinely believed it to be true.
05:24Therefore, no malice was intended.
05:26What would ever happen to me?
05:28Lots of stuff.
05:29Statement from Blake Lively's attorneys and the New York Times.
05:33In the wake of a court ruling, Blake Lively's attorneys, Ezra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb,
05:38declared a, quote, total victory and complete vindication for Lively and others who were implicated in Justin Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit.
05:46According to Hudson and Gottlieb, the lawsuit was dismissed as, quote, a sham by the court.
05:51They were efforts to bury our clients.
05:54They were efforts to silence them, to retaliate against them for speaking out.
06:01They also expressed their intent to pursue further legal action for, quote,
06:05attorney's fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni and Wayfarer's partner, Steve Sarowitz.
06:11The judge also dismissed Justin Baldoni's $250 million defamation suit against the New York Times for an article published by the newspaper about Lively's accusations.
06:21A spokesperson for the New York Times also expressed gratitude for the court's recognition of the lawsuit as, quote,
06:27a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting.
06:30They say this affirms the importance of protecting journalism and they vow to, quote,
06:34continue to stand up in court for our journalism and for our journalists when their work comes under attack.
06:40Statement from Justin Baldoni's attorney.
06:43Justin Baldoni's legal team is speaking out.
06:46In response to Blake Lively's legal team claiming victory, Justin Baldoni's attorney, Brian Friedman,
06:51shot back with a defiant statement of his own.
06:54Friedman argues that the recent court ruling, which dismissed his client's defamation claims,
06:59is not the decisive blow Lively's team is making it out to be.
07:02He reiterated that the court has given his team the green light to amend four out of seven claims against Lively,
07:08which he says will allow them to present new evidence and refine allegations.
07:12He also once more denied Lively's accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation,
07:17calling them, quote,
07:18false and untraceable because they are, quote,
07:21baseless.
07:22With confidence, Friedman says he looks forward to taking Lively's deposition,
07:26promising that the facts will be on Justin Baldoni's side.
07:28This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation in a non-existent smear campaign,
07:35which Ms. Lively's own team conveniently describes as, quote,
07:38untraceable because they cannot prove what never happened.
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07:57Message from Blake Lively.
07:59Blake Lively spoke out following the judge's dismissal of Justin Baldoni's lawsuits,
08:04calling the experience painful but ultimately empowering.
08:07The actress weighing in on Instagram writing,
08:10I felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us.
08:15In a statement on Instagram, the actress expressed her gratitude for the support she received
08:20and her determination to continue advocating for women's rights.
08:23Lively emphasized that while she was fortunate to have the resources to fight back against the lawsuit,
08:29many others are not as lucky.
08:31She vowed to, quote,
08:32continue to stand for every woman's right to have a voice in protecting themselves,
08:36including their safety, their integrity, their dignity, and their story.
08:41Along with her statement,
08:42Lively shared a list of organizations that provide resources and support for women.
08:46Have you been following the public feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni?
08:50Do you think it's time for everyone involved to move on?
08:53Share your thoughts in the comments below.
08:55But please be civil.
08:56This was an entire saga.
08:58It ended up ensnaring Taylor Swift and other celebrities.
