Three months after Blake Lively levied sexual harassment allegations on the set of “It Ends With Us,” Justin Baldoni’s lawyer admitted a settlement likely isn’t in the forecast.
High-profile litigator Bryan Freedman noted his client has been “destroyed by this” as he broke down the cases during a recent appearance on Matthew Belloni’s “The Town” podcast.
“How long can this go on? I do not believe there will be a trial in this case,” Belloni told Freedman. “I just think that the potential for the circus and the damage to both sides here will ultimately win out and you guys will settle. So if that’s the case, why not just settle now?”
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Belloni added, “What is the number? What would it require for this to go away, just to stop?”
“You keep referring to it as a circus, and I get it,” Freedman said. “You see a lot of cases. You see a lot of things and you do a great job, but the reality is this is not a circus when you go through an experience like this.”
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Freedman added, “I’ve represented a lot of people in the worst moments of their careers, the worst moments of their life. Justin has been destroyed by this. This is a really serious thing, and in this day and age, the only way that you can truly get back is to prove your innocence.”
He noted how trials are now important “to prove your innocence.”
“And that’s what we’re actively working to,” he said. “So that may only be able to be done in a courtroom.”
Lively detailed allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, intentional affliction of emotional distress, negligence and more made by Baldoni and film producer Jamey Heath in a complaint first filed with the California Civil Rights department on Dec. 20 and later in federal court on Dec. 31.
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The same day Lively filed her federal suit, Baldoni filed a $250 million suit against the New York Times for a December article about the alleged smear campaign he attempted to run against his co-star.
Weeks later, Baldoni then named Lively and Reynolds in a separate $400 million defamation lawsuit in which he accused the Hollywood power couple of attempting to hijack “It Ends With Us” and create their own narrative.
In addition to releasing a website detailing the timeline of events that allegedly occurred, Baldoni’s team also shared unedited footage from the set of “It Ends With Us.” Both Lively and Baldoni have claimed the footage bolsters their respective claims.
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After the release, Lively’s legal team demanded a gag order be issued against Baldoni’s lawyer.
Judge Lewis Liman responded Thursday to Lively’s “attorney’s eyes only” (AEO) request for evidence in the ongoing case, granting a modified order that is expected to “protect the confidentiality of certain nonpublic and confidential material that will be exchanged pursuant to and during the course of discovery” in the case.
Liman said the court’s modified protective order was granted due to the risk of “gossip” being spread among both parties.
“These cases involve both business competitors and allegations of sexual harm,” Liman said in his court order. “Discovery will necessarily include confidential and sensitive business and personal information. The risk of disclosure is great. Both the Moving Parties and the Wayfarer Parties have accused opposing parties of providing private, sensitive, or confidential information to the media for their own business and personal advantage in ways that cannot easily be traced.”
A trial date has been set for March 2026.
Fox News Digital’s Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
