Justin Baldoni (left) and Blake Lively in a scene from 'It Ends With Us'. Photo: Handout
Amid the seemingly never-ending drama surrounding It Ends With Us, Justin Baldoni’s attorney is saying his client will not be silenced by Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ calls for a gag order.
The A-list couple requested a judge put a stop to what they called a “retaliatory media campaign” on Tuesday (Jan 21) – the same day Baldoni’s team leaked behind-the-scenes footage intended to dispel Lively’s claims of sexual harassment on the set of the film.
“We will never be bullied by those suggesting we cannot defend our clients with pure, unedited facts,” attorney Bryan Freedman told TMZ on Saturday.
Freedman maintains the Gossip Girl alum and Deadpool star are attempting to wield their power to induce “pure fear,” which he claims they have a history of doing in Hollywood.
But according to attorney, Lively and Reynolds’ scare tactics are merely an indication of how scared they are themselves. He says their request for a gag order is nothing more than their attempt to “gag the truth.”
“It seems that in a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act,” he told TMZ.
Freedman’s latest statements come roughly a month after speculation of an on-set feud was confirmed by Lively filing a lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us, followed by a coordinated smear campaign meant to destroy her reputation.
On Dec 31, Baldoni sued The New York Times for US$250mil (RM1.09bil) over their article detailing Lively’s allegations, including what he claimed were “cherry-picked and altered communications stripped of necessary context.” Freedman dubbed the Times story a “well-calculated hit piece.”
Weeks later, Baldoni filed a US$400mil (RM1.74bil) lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds themselves, along with publicist Leslie Sloane, accusing them of defamation, civil extortion and interference with contractual relations.
Freedman then released the nearly 10 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage on Tuesday, which shows Lively and Baldoni filming three takes of a scene she referred to in her allegations.
Lively’s camp maintains the footage is “damning” and proves Baldoni crossed a line, while Freedman says it shows the opposite.
Later that day, lawyers for Lively and Reynolds requested a court impose a gag order on Freedman and his “improper conduct,” saying statements he’s made to the press have been false, irrelevant and harassing, and risk prejudicing the public. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
