Justin Baldoni's Lawyer Says Blake Lively is Attempting to Go Against the Constitution: 'Set a Dangerous Precedent...'

Justin Baldoni's lawyer responds to Blake Lively's motion to dismiss his defamation lawsuit against her. Here's what happened.

Apoorva Rastogi
Written by Apoorva Rastogi , Entertainment Journalist
Updated on Apr 04, 2025 | 04:23 PM GMT | 3.9K
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Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively on the set of It Ends With Us (Getty Images)

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's legal battle continues to grow more complicated. In March, as reported by People magazine, Lively's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the It Ends With Us director's $400 million defamation countersuit against her, calling it "baseless" and a "profound abuse of the legal process that has no place in federal court." They claimed it was an attempt by Baldoni and his team to "bury" and "destroy" the Gossip Girl alum for speaking out against sexual harassment.

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Now, according to documents obtained by People magazine, Bryan Freedman, the Jane the Virgin star’s legal representative, has filed a response to Lively's motion. According to the attorney, these were "Lively's calculated efforts" to "extort and manipulate" his client. The documents also claim her plan was to coerce Wayfarer Studios into "ceding total control over the film It Ends With Us," but when that plan backfired, she attempted to "defame and scapegoat Baldoni and Wayfarer."

Furthermore, Freedman told People Magazine, that this case could "set a dangerous precedent by barring the courthouse doors" for his client.

He continued, "Ms. Lively and her circle of Hollywood elites cannot prevent my clients from exercising their constitutional right to petition the court to clear their names from her false and harmful claims."

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively on the set of It Ends With Us (Getty Images)

The legal debacle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively began in December 2024, when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni. However, even before that, fans had already sensed tension between the two due to the tumultuous It Ends With Us promotional campaign—during which the film’s director was noticeably absent, if present at all. This led netizens to speculate about a possible feud between the stars of the Colleen Hoover adaptation. Neither party addressed the rumors publicly at the time—until Blake filed her lawsuit.

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With each passing week, the legal battle grows more entangled and messy. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for the latest updates on the case.

ALSO READ: Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni: Judge Grants IEWU Actress' Request For Confidentiality Order for Sensitive Information

About The Author
Apoorva Rastogi
Apoorva Rastogi
Entertainment Journalist

Apoorva has been a pop-culture fanatic for years. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Jour...

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