Blake Lively’s attorneys, Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, issued a statement to Us Weekly on Friday, April 4, accusing Justin Baldoni and his team of attempting to silence victims and “bury” her sexual harassment allegations.
The statement came in response to Baldoni’s filing opposing Lively’s motion to dismiss his $400 million lawsuit.
“Baldoni, [Steve] Sarowitz and the rest of the Wayfarer Parties are now arguing that nobody should be protected by the sexual harassment privilege. They’re not just saying that it doesn’t apply to Ms. Lively — they’re saying it’s unconstitutional and no woman should ever have these protections,” Lively’s team’s response stated. “That’s right: Justin Baldoni, the man who has built his brand on supposedly speaking up for victims, believes that the First Amendment rights of victims of sexual assault and harassment to speak out should give way to the rights of perpetrators to sue their victims “into oblivion.”
Blake Lively’s legal team has accused Justin Baldoni and his team of being so determined to ruin her reputation that they’re willing to undermine laws meant to protect victims, all in an effort to silence her harassment claims.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, responded by defending Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit, saying it outlines Lively’s alleged attempts to manipulate and take control of the film It Ends With Us, and then blame Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, when things didn’t go her way.
The legal battle began in December 2024, when Lively, 37, filed a complaint accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment, fostering a hostile work environment, and causing her emotional distress during their work on the film.
Justin Baldoni’s lawyer called Blake Lively’s allegations “completely false, outrageous, and deliberately sensational.”
In the same month, Wayfarer Studios filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloane. The suit, filed in January, accused them of civil extortion, defamation, invasion of privacy, and other claims.
Lively and Reynolds later filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit, while Sloane requested to be removed from the case entirely.
“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,” read Freedman’s statement per US Weekly. “What Ms. Lively is attempting to do is to set a dangerous precedent by barring the courthouse doors to my clients and punishing them for having their day in court, a right protected by the First Amendment.”
“This right protects not only Mr. Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties in this particular case, but all Americans in the future who have false accusations levied against them and seek relief from our justice system. This must stop here, and we will continue to fight against this blatant attempt to block access to the court system and to weaken our nation’s Constitution to serve those who are in the position of power.”
Baldoni’s legal team recently argued that Ryan Reynolds’ request to dismiss the lawsuit should be denied, calling him his wife Blake Lively’s “co-conspirator.” They even referenced a recent comment Reynolds made about drinking the “blood” of his “enemies.”
A spokesperson for Reynolds responded to the filing in a statement to Us Weekly.
Reynolds’ spokesperson criticized Wayfarer Studios’ response to his motion to dismiss, saying it shows the lawsuit has major flaws. They argued the defamation claims lack details—like who was defamed, what was said, or how any harm was done.
They also took a jab at Baldoni, saying while he built his image around listening to women, Reynolds truly supports his wife and will continue to stand by her as she speaks out. The spokesperson added that the lawsuit is so weak it could backfire, potentially forcing Wayfarer to pay Reynolds’ legal fees.
