In the latest in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal battle, lawyers for both ‘It Ends With Us’ stars have been called in for settlement talks. This update came hours after the actor suffered a major blow after a US judge dismissed 10 of 13 claims, including sexual harassment.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have been called in to ‘resolve’
According to the Daily Mail, lawyers for the two actors have been unexpectedly called to discuss their client’s final openness to settling the case before it goes to trial. Both sides have been told to address “their client’s updated settlement position”. The attorneys, who have been ordered to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Cave in separate sessions on Monday, will not be admitted to a public hearing, the attorneys said. Lively’s lawyers are reported to be up at 3:00 p.m., while Baldoni and his company Wayfarer Productions will get it an hour later.
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively can’t make it up
Settlement talks between Blake and Justin that took place in mid-February lasted several hours, but were futile as both sides were prepared to go to trial. It remains to be seen whether Monday’s arguments differ, given that Manhattan federal judge Lewis Liman also dismissed the “defamation and conspiracy” claims filed by Lively, but agreed to uphold the “retaliation and breach of contract” claims against Baldoni. Their civil trial has been set for May 18.
Justin Baldoni’s lawyer makes a statement
Baldoni’s lead attorney, Bryan Freedman broke his silence on the major victory in the case. Speaking to TMZ, “It’s great to see that the judge’s ruling confirms what the legal team believed from day one.”His statement read: “From day one of this case, when Justin and the other defendants were blindsided by these allegations, the legal team on the ground from the start has spent long days and nights defending this case through transparency, releasing the actual text messages, and welcoming and facilitating all documents that reveal the truth.”“Neither Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath nor the other defendants participated in the sexual harassment of Blake Lively,” he reiterated and despite his client being accused of DARVO (Denial, Assault, Reverse Victimization and Offense) and being labeled as a “predator,” Freedman added: “Our clients are very good people who do not have sexual relations. They have deserved a vigorous defense, directed through transparency.“
Justin Baldoni’s legal team ready to go to trial
Supporting attorneys, Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach, also expressed delight at the big win. In a statement to The Daily Mail, they said: “We are very pleased that the Court has dismissed all claims of sexual harassment and all claims brought against the defendants: Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel. These were very serious allegations, and we thank the Court for its careful consideration of the facts, the law and the evidence provided.“They shared their decision to take the matter to trial, saying, “What remains is a significantly reduced case, and we look forward to presenting our defense to the remaining claims in court.”
Blake Lively’s legal team reacts
Although the judge dismissed all the “sexual harassment” claims, Lively’s lawyer Michael Gottlieb insisted that her allegations remain “the beating heart of Ms Liverly’s case”. That is why he filed a lawsuit.According to Gottlieb’s statement shared with PEOPLE, he said, “The court held that Ms. Lively’s sexual harassment claims could not go to a jury because Ms. Lively did not sign a contract, is an independent contractor instead of an employee, and the offending conduct occurred in New Jersey instead of California.”
About the case
Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath for alleged inappropriate behavior and comments during the filming of the romantic drama “It Ends with Us.”The complaint alleges that Baldoni – who directed the film – spoke inappropriately about her sex life and sought to alter the film to include non-consensual sex scenes that were not in the script. Baldoni and Wayfarer studios countered Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds with extortion and defamation claims, but Judge Liman dismissed those claims last year.Heath also claimed to have seen Lively while she was topless, despite being asked to leave. He also said Baldoni ran a PR campaign to tarnish Lively’s reputation. Wayfarer previously insisted that neither the studio, executives nor PR team did anything to retaliate against Lively.
