In a heated legal battle unfolding in Hollywood, actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are taking firm action against co-star Justin Baldoni. The dispute centers around allegations of misconduct on the set of the film "It Ends With Us," where Lively and Baldoni starred together. The couple is now seeking a gag order to halt what they claim is an ongoing smear campaign orchestrated by Baldoni and his associates. This includes an alleged harassment incident during an unscripted scene on set, which Lively's team argues has been compounded by a negative media campaign.
The controversy erupted when Justin Baldoni's legal team released a video purportedly showing a scene between Baldoni and Blake Lively on set. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds contend that Baldoni's behavior during this scene was inappropriate, alleging harassment. Their attorney, Esra Hudson, has detailed accusations of a retaliation campaign, stating that it involves "highly destructive behind-the-scenes elements, including the regular engagement of Melissa Nathan with her vast tabloid media sources to influence a steady stream of negative media regarding Ms Lively."
Blake Lively's team further accuses Justin Baldoni and his associates of engaging in a "sophisticated and 'untraceable' digital social media manipulation campaign designed to impact social media algorithms." These claims have been strongly refuted by Baldoni's attorney, Kevin Fritz, who insists that the video evidence demonstrates professionalism on set. In response to the gag order request, Fritz argues that it is an overreach, stating, "Requiring counsel to heed the ethical rules that bind them is not a gag order. It is a mechanism that would ensure the proceedings in this Court are not prejudiced by counsel's conduct outside of the courtroom."
Amidst the legal wrangling, Justin Baldoni has filed a lawsuit against Blake Lively and her publicist for $546 million. The case is currently under review by Judge Lewis J. Liman, who has yet to deliver a ruling on the gag order request. Meanwhile, Esra Hudson has reiterated her client's stance through a letter to Judge Liman, stressing the necessity for a protective order to safeguard Blake Lively from further extrajudicial statements made by Baldoni's legal team.
The video released by Justin Baldoni's camp, which was intended as evidence of his innocence, has been described as damaging by Blake Lively's team. They maintain that it supports their allegations of harassment, stating, "Justin Baldoni and his lawyer may hope that this latest stunt will get ahead of the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is damning."
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