Even he's seen enough.
Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's Judge Gave Their Legal Teams A Surprising Warning Amid Viral PR War

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Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's lawyers went to court on February 3 for the first time since the It Ends With Us actors sued each other. And while they both maintain their stances (Blake is alleging Justin sexually harassed her and orchestrated a smear campaign and Justin sued Blake, Ryan Reynolds, and the New York Times for defamation), Judge Lewis Liman is warning their legal teams to calm their PR war down.
Here's the latest news on Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's legal battle.
During that February 3 meeting, Judge Liman warned Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal teams to "rein in the public relations war outside the courtroom," according to People. He also told both lawyers they needed to work according to the New York Rules of Professional Conduct, and avoid saying anything with a "substantial likelihood" of leading the jury to have a bias one way or the other.
As the viral legal battle rages on, the internet (and my group chat) has a lot of opinions.
"The avalanche of self-inflicted bad press Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds are currently getting buried under is surreal. Talk about a generational crash out," one X user says.
Another tweeted, "To see how [Justin Baldoni] advocated so much against abuse towards women and then to find out he sexually harassed Blake on the set of the movie that is focused heavily on domestic violence is not only disappointing, but so so cruel and scary." Needless to say, the court of public opinion has become incredibly emotionally involved.
On February 1, Justin Baldoni published a website titled TheLawsuitInfo.com with both his Amended Complaint and a full five-year timeline of events leading up to their legal battle. The timeline includes dozens of text exchanges and emails, including one with Ryan Reynolds telling Justin "I happen to adore you."
The website claims there was "a pattern of demands by Lively and acquiescence by Baldoni" from pre-production to post-production. And after the pretrial conference at United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Blake Lively's legal team told People, "We are pleased with the result of today’s hearing and eager to move forward immediately with discovery in this case."
"The court granted our request that all attorneys in the matter actually follow the rule of law and not make any statements that could prejudice a jury," they said. "This case deals with serious allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation. We will hold the defendants accountable, and we are confident that once all the evidence is submitted in this matter, Ms. Lively will prevail."
Justin's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said (via The Hollywood Reporter), "I couldn’t be more pleased with how the case was handled today. We’re going to move as quickly as possible and prove our innocence."
What do you think about Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's PR war? Check Brit + Co for the latest updates on their legal battle, and check out A Definitive Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's It Ends With Us Feud for more.