Latest news with #ItEndsWithUs'
Egypt Independent
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Egypt Independent
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's legal fight isn't over
While Justin Baldoni's suit against Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds has been dismissed, she isn't done fighting her claims against her 'It Ends With Us' director and co-star – and Baldoni isn't done fighting back. Michael Gottlieb, the attorney representing Lively in her civil sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Baldoni, told CNN the actress intends to continue pursuing her lawsuit against Baldoni. In a conversation with Jake Tapper on Monday, Gottlieb said Lively is 'determined to see her claims through and to pursue them to have a full public accountability of what she's alleged happened to her.' His statement came the same day a judge dismissed Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, as well as their publicist. He also dismissed a separate claim from Baldoni against the New York Times, who first reported Lively's allegations. Gottlieb added that the power couple feels 'vindicated' by the ruling, as well as 'grateful to the individuals and organizations that have stood by Ms. Lively as she's pursued these claims.' 'I think that today is a message that these kind of retaliatory lawsuits that are really designed to silence and punish people who speak up won't work. They are not going to work. They won't be tolerated by our justice system and they will not be successful,' Gottlieb added. 'And I think that's an important message for those who want to speak up against the mistreatment that they may face in their workplaces.' Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, responded with a statement provided to CNN on Tuesday. 'Ms. Lively and her team's predictable declaration of victory is false, so let us be clear about the latest ruling,' he said. 'The Court has invited us to amend four out of the seven claims against Ms. Lively, which will showcase additional evidence and refined allegations. This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation and a nonexistent smear campaign,' the statement continued. 'With the facts on our side, we march forward with the same confidence that we had when Ms. Lively and her cohorts initiated this battle and look forward to her forthcoming deposition, which I will be taking. Freedman ended his statement by thanking 'the Internet sleuth community who continue to cover the case with discernment and integrity.' It was yet another chapter in a nearly year-long legal feud between Lively and Baldoni, which grew to include Reynolds, the couple's publicist, Leslie Sloan, and the New York Times. Lively filed a civil rights complaint in December 2024 claiming that she was sexually harassed by Baldoni during production of the film and then was retaliated against for speaking up about her alleged mistreatment. He quickly denied her claims, fling suit against her and Reynolds in January 2025 alleging that the superstar couple sought to 'destroy' him and his career, after hijacking his film, 'It Ends With Us.' Baldoni also sued the New York Times as the first to report on Lively's allegations of sexual harassment alleging that the newspaper published an article 'rife with inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and omissions' that relied on Lively's 'self-serving narrative.' Motions to dismiss filed by Lively, Reynolds, Sloan and the New York Times were all granted on Monday. 'We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting,' a spokesperson for the New York Times said on Monday. 'Our journalists went out and covered carefully and fairly a story of public importance, and the court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism. We will continue to stand up in court for our journalism and for our journalists when their work comes under attack.' In his ruling Monday, the judge held that Baldoni can file an amended complaint on the allegations of tortious interference with contract, relating to Reynolds and Lively, and breach of implied covenant, relating to Lively, by June 23. Gottlieb acknowledged that the judge's ruling allowed for Baldoni to file an amended complaint relating to what he called 'ancillary or side claims,' but he underscored that the core defamation allegations are 'gone from the case.' CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister contributed to this report.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Taylor Swift's texts exposed in Blake Lively court loss — will this strain the popstar's relationship with Travis Kelce?
In a dramatic legal twist involving the upcoming film It Ends With Us, a judge has denied 's motion to keep her private messages with pop icon out of reach from 's legal team. The decision, handed down by Judge Lewis J. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Liman on June 18, 2025, underscores how deeply celebrity communications are becoming entangled in this high-profile legal showdown. Judge rejects Blake Lively's request to keep Taylor Swift texts private in explosive 'It Ends With Us' legal battle While Justin Baldoni initially subpoenaed Taylor Swift in connection with the harassment and retaliation lawsuit surrounding the production, the subpoena was later withdrawn. However, his team continued pressing for access to Blake Lively's conversations with Swift, arguing they were vital to understanding the environment on set and could potentially validate or refute Lively's allegations. Judge Liman ruled against both Lively's protective order and Baldoni's own cross-motion, stating, 'Lively's motion is rooted in the broader concern that the Wayfarer Parties are using demands for communications with Swift not 'to obtain information relevant to claims and defenses in court, but to prop up a public relations narrative outside of court.'' Lively's representative issued a strongly worded statement in response: 'We will continue to call out Baldoni's relentless efforts to exploit Ms. Swift's popularity, which from day one has been nothing more than a distraction from the serious sexual harassment and retaliation accusations he and the Wayfarer parties are facing.' The same representative pointed to earlier attempts by Baldoni's team to manipulate Swift's massive fan base, referencing a crisis PR strategy document that allegedly called her a 'bully' and encouraged a plan to sway public opinion by weaponizing her image. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Despite the judge's rejection of both motions, the legal tension remains high. The court acknowledged that Lively had represented Swift as having knowledge of conversations around the film's work environment, making the request for messages 'reasonably tailored.' Also Read: Swift, who contributed her song 'My Tears Ricochet' to the film's soundtrack but held no production role, has yet to comment on the controversy. What began as a literary adaptation has now evolved into a legal drama of its own—one involving pop royalty, Hollywood power players, and a courtroom spotlight none of them likely anticipated.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Judge shakes off Blake Lively's motion to keep texts with Taylor Swift confidential
Some of Blake Lively's text messages with friend Taylor Swift could play in court, in a recent development of the actor's winding legal battle against her 'It Ends With Us' co-star Justin Baldoni. U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman on Wednesday filed an order denying the 'Gossip Girl' alumna's request to keep her messages with Swift out of litigation, according to legal documents reviewed by The Times. 'Given that Lively has represented that Swift had knowledge of complaints or discussions about the working environment on the film, among other issues, the requests for messages with Swift regarding the film and this action are reasonably tailored to discover information that would prove or disprove Lively's harassment and retaliation claims,' reads the order. Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios filed a request for production connected to the Lively-Swift texts in February, asking for ''all documents and communications related to or reflecting Lively's communications with Taylor Swift' about their their 2024 romantic drama and subsequent legal proceedings. The 'It Ends With Us' co-stars have engaged in a legal back-and-forth for months after Lively accused director Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the film and accused his team of orchestrating a smear campaign against her in December. The allegations first surfaced in a report from the New York Times. She formally sued 'Jane the Virgin' alumnus Baldoni in federal court on Dec. 31. Baldoni and nine other plaintiffs — including his crisis PR team and executives at Wayfarer Studios — hit back that same day with a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, 'Deadpool' star Ryan Reynolds, and a separate defamation complaint against the New York Times. Liman dismissed Baldoni's complaints, which failed to meet legal standards, earlier this month. The judge said in his Wednesday order that 'Lively's motion is rooted in the broader concern that the Wayfarer Parties are using demands for communications with Swift not 'to obtain information relevant to claims and defenses in court, but to prop up a public relations narrative outside of court.'' Wednesday's order also denied Baldoni's cross-motion to compel Lively to produce documents connected to the production. Baldoni's team subpoenaed Swift earlier this year, but eventually withdrew it after the singer and her legal reps dismissed it as an 'unwarranted fishing expedition,' according to Variety. In a statement shared with multiple outlets, a representative for Lively reacted to this week's order, claiming 'Baldoni's desire to drag Taylor Swift into this has been constant dating back to August 2024' and is an effort to influence the singer's fan base. In the past, the devoted league of Swift supporters known as Swifites have banded together to criticize the singer's high-profile exes and in recent years, rallied against Ticketmaster over allegations of fraud, price-fixing and antitrust violations. 'We will continue to call out Baldoni's relentless efforts to exploit Ms. Swift's popularity, which from day one has been nothing more than a distraction from the serious sexual harassment and retaliation accusations he and the Wayfarer parties are facing,' the spokesperson added, according to People. Representatives for Swift and Baldoni did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment.
USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Judge: Justin Baldoni can see texts between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively
Judge: Justin Baldoni can see texts between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively Show Caption Hide Caption Blake Lively's team slams Baldoni's over Taylor Swift subpoena Blake Lively's team has condemned Justin Baldoni's team's decision to subpoena Taylor Swift, calling it a blatant attempt to exploit Lively's friendship for tabloid attention. unbranded - Entertainment Justin Baldoni can obtain private text messages between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift that pertain to the filming of 'It Ends With Us,' a court ruled on Wednesday, June 18. It's the latest development in an ongoing legal feud between co-stars Lively and Baldoni, over what occurred on the set of the film, released in 2024. Baldoni, who also directed the film, first sued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times in late 2024 after the actress went public with claims that Baldoni sexually harassed her and helped orchestrate a smear campaign against her. The lawsuit was filed in response to Lively's sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in late 2024, and the Times article about it. Lively previously sought a protective order to prevent sharing the text messages requested by Baldoni's lawyers, arguing that the communications were irrelevant to the case, and could instead be used "to prop up a public relations narrative outside of court." However, Judge Lewis Liman ruled on Wednesday that the information is pertinent because Lively identified Swift as someone who would know about complaints or discussions regarding the working environment on the set of the film. "Given that Lively has represented that Swift had knowledge of complaints or discussions about the working environment on the film, among other issues, the requests for messages with Swift regarding the film and this action are reasonably tailored to discover information that would prove or disprove Lively's harassment and retaliation claims," the judge wrote. Baldoni's legal team will only have access to messages about 'It Ends With Us' and the co-stars ongoing legal battle. USA TODAY has reached out to Baldoni and Lively's representatives for comment on the development. Baldoni's $400M extortion lawsuit against Lively, the Times dismissed Liman previously dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against Lively, Reynolds and the Times on June 9. However, the judge gave Baldoni's team a second chance to address specific claims by filing a second amended complaint – for breach of implied covenant and tortious interference with contract – by June 23. "As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it," Lively's lawyers said on June 9 in a statement to USA TODAY. "We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation." In a statement obtained by USA TODAY on June 10, Baldoni's lawyers slammed the Lively team's "predictable declaration of victory" in the case, suggesting they intend to refile four of their claims, as Liman has recommended. Contributing: Taijuan Moorman and Brendan Morrow
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Justin Baldoni can view messages between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively, says court
A New York federal judge has ruled that actor-producer Justin Baldoni can access messages between actress Blake Lively and singer Taylor Swift. These messages are related to the film 'It Ends With Us' and the ongoing legal case between the movie's stars, according to a report by Variety. A New York federal judge has ruled that actor-producer Justin Baldoni can access messages between actress Blake Lively and singer Taylor Swift . These messages are related to the film 'It Ends With Us' and the ongoing legal case between the movie's stars, reported Variety. According to the publication, Lively had asked the court to prevent Baldoni from obtaining these messages, arguing that he was trying to involve Swift to gain public attention. However, Judge Lewis Liman disagreed and found that the messages might provide crucial information relevant to the case. In his order, the judge stated that while public opinion plays a role in high-profile cases, the messages could offer useful insights. He also reminded the parties that a protective order is in place, so the messages cannot be shared with the press. "A motion or request may be, and in this case often has been, both a legitimate litigation tactic and an attempt to maneuver in the broader court of public opinion," the judge wrote. Baldoni's lawyers had earlier sent subpoenas to Swift and her legal team. However, Swift's team issued a statement saying that she had no role in the film except allowing one of her songs to be used. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo They also said she only saw the film weeks after its release. Following this, Baldoni's team withdrew the subpoenas. Lively's lawyers sought to resolve the matter entirely, insisting that Swift was not involved. However, the judge ruled that since Lively had mentioned Swift's knowledge of issues on the film set, her messages could help prove or disprove her claims of harassment and retaliation. Lively had sued Baldoni in December, accusing him and his publicists of spreading false stories about her in the media after she spoke about sexual harassment during the film's production. Baldoni filed a countersuit, accusing her of ruining his reputation, but that case was dismissed last week.
