Justin Baldoni hits back at Blake Lively’s gag order attempt as ‘tactical gamesmanship’.
Justin Baldoni’s legal team won’t let Blake Lively’s gag order request go quietly.
Earlier this week, the actress requested a gag order against Baldoni’s attorney, Brian Friedman, after Friedman released unedited footage from the set of “It Ends With Us.”
In a court appearance Tuesday, Lively’s team criticized Friedman for giving media coverage that could have tainted the jury even as the actress’ sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni went to court.
On January 23, Baldoni’s attorneys responded to Lively’s gag order attempt as an “intimidation tactic” and “tactical gamesmanship.”
Justin Baldoni Filed Unpublished Claim ‘It Ends With Us’ Film Denies Blac Lively’s Sexual Harassment Allegations
Blake Lively accuses Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment in a federal lawsuit filed Dec. 31. (Getty Images)
“Lively Parties use attorney disciplinary rules as a form of intimidation after Wayfarer Parties make public allegations that they prove to be false,” Baldoni’s legal team wrote.
“The Lively Party’s desire to force the Wayfarer Party to privately defend the allegations made publicly is not a valid basis for a gag order. This is a game of tactic, and it’s offensive.”
“The tactical game is polite, and offensive.”
After a “bombshell” New York Times article involving Lively’s sexual harassment allegations against Baldoni, he said releasing the unedited “It’s Over With Us” footage was crucial to protecting his client.
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Calling the backlash from the article “absolutely tragic,” Baldoni and his team added that they were “cast out of polite society” as a result. The letter said Baldoni “has suffered damages totaling hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of Ms. Lively’s scorched-earth media campaign.”
Representatives for Lively did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The unedited video of “This Ends With Us,” shared by Baldoni’s attorney and obtained by Fox News Digital, reportedly addresses the actress’ claims about the slow dance scene.
WATCH: Justin Baldoni Releases Unreleased ‘It Ends With Us’ Footage Featuring Black Live
Lively claims Baldoni “smells really good,” according to a sexual harassment lawsuit filed Dec. 20 by Fox News Digital.
“Later, when Ms. Lively objected to this behavior, Mr. Baldoni’s response was, ‘I’m not even attracted to you.’
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however, Baldoni insisted The comment was made in response to Lively’s self-acceptance of spray tan. Throughout the video, which is nearly 10 minutes of raw footage, Baldoni directs the scene as Lively engages him in conversation because she says it’s “more romantic” than seeing each other.
As Baldoni hangs around Lively’s neck, the actor jokingly asks, “I’m growing a beard today?” “Maybe I’ll have some spray tan on you,” she laughed.
“It smells good,” Baldoni continued, to which Lively replied, “Well, it’s not, it’s my body makeup.”
Blake Lively has requested a gag order against Justin Baldoni’s legal team in their ongoing court battle. (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images; Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
“The videos taken on May 23, 2023 clearly disprove Ms. Lively’s behavior,” a statement shared at the start of the clip reads. The scene in question is designed to show the two actors falling in love and longing to be close to each other. It is said that both actors behave well within the framework of the picture and are in a mutual respect and professional feeling. All three of these are engraved. sequence.”
Lively’s legal team said the unedited video was “disturbing evidence” and “substantiated” her allegations of sexual harassment.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in “It Ends With Us” January 12, 2024. (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Blake Lively called Baldoni’s unedited video “compelling evidence” that “proves” her sexual harassment allegations. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)
“Justin Baldoni and his attorney may hope that this latest incident will preempt the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is painful. Every frame of the released image confirms what Ms. Lively said in paragraph 48 of the letter. Lively’s legal team filed her complaint in a statement to Fox News Digital. He said.
“The video shows Mr. Baldoni repeatedly leaning in to Ms. Lively, trying to kiss her, kissing her forehead, rubbing her face and mouth on her neck, puckering her lips with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and talking to her in an inappropriate manner.
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“At each moment, Mr. Baldoni was approached without any discussion or agreement and without any intimate facilitator. . . .
Justin Baldoni has filed his own $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
“The video shows Ms. Lively turning back and repeatedly asking the characters to talk. Any woman who has been touched inappropriately in the workplace will understand Ms. Lively’s discomfort. They will recognize her callous attempt to mitigate unwanted touching. No woman should have to defend against being touched without her consent by her employer.”
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Last week, Baldoni A 400 million dollar lawsuit On Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds.
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhaltz contributed to this report.