In a recently filed legal document, Justin Baldoni’s attorneys have strongly criticized Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for their request for a court order aimed at limiting public statements made by Baldoni’s legal representatives.

According to a filing obtained by YSL News on Friday, Baldoni’s lawyers urged U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman to reject the request from Lively and Reynolds for a “protective order” intended to stop Baldoni’s team from commenting publicly on the ongoing case.

The letter, submitted on Thursday, describes the claims made by the actors as “inflammatory” and asserts that there has been no breach of court regulations concerning “extrajudicial statements” that could significantly impact the case. Additionally, it highlights that legal rules permit attorneys to make statements if necessary to protect their clients from potential prejudice caused by public exposure not initiated by either the lawyer or their client.

This claim is relevant for Baldoni’s team due to the fallout from a New York Times article revealing Lively’s workplace harassment complaint, which she filed with the California Civil Rights Department. Baldoni’s attorneys argue that the article has been extremely damaging for both Baldoni and other plaintiffs, who have faced immediate public backlash, resulting in them becoming victims of public ridicule.

Blake Lively’s lawyers deny accusations of seeking a ‘gag order’

In response, Lively and Reynolds’ legal representatives sent a letter to the judge on Friday disputing the notion that they were seeking a gag order to silence Baldoni’s team.

The letter, also obtained by YSL News, asserts that making a sexual harassment complaint in a lawsuit is a protected activity under litigation privilege, whereas “publicly attacking a plaintiff” in such a case through media is not protected behavior.

Lively’s legal team also refuted the claim that they requested a gag order, clarifying that asking attorneys to follow ethical guidelines is not the same as imposing a gag order. Instead, it ensures that the legal proceedings remain unbiased and unaffected by any outside conduct from the lawyers involved.

Impacts of Lively’s accusations on Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios

In addition, the letter to the court elaborated on how Lively’s allegations have adversely affected Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios.

“Already, the Wayfarer Parties have been ostracized from polite society and have incurred damages amounting to hundreds of millions due to Ms. Lively’s aggressive media strategy.” Since the publication of the Times article, Lively’s team has been involved in an ongoing effort to restore her image at the expense of Baldoni and others, as claimed in the letter.

Baldoni’s legal team represents various plaintiffs in the case, including Wayfarer Studios, film producers Jamey Heath and Steve Sarowitz, and public relations experts Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, who filed a defamation and extortion lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds on January 16.

They further accused Lively’s team of making public comments, evidently in reaction to behind-the-scenes footage from their controversial film, which the actor’s lawyers released earlier that week.

On the previous Tuesday, Baldoni’s attorneys shared a 10-minute video showcasing an intimate scene between Baldoni and Lively, which received coverage from several media outlets. His team stated that these on-set videos contradict Lively’s depiction of his conduct.

In retaliation, Lively’s legal representatives criticized the release of this footage as a “stunt” by Baldoni’s team and labeled it a continuation of their harassment and retaliatory tactics, as stated in a document shared with YSL News.

Baldoni’s lawyers describe Lively’s gag order request as ‘an intimidation tactic’

Baldoni’s team contends that “a media frenzy fueled by Ms. Lively” necessitates public responses to prevent prejudicial effects on their clients, referring to a section of American Bar Association rules.

The letter closes with another condemnation of Lively and Reynolds’ “outrageous” request for a gag order.

“Having publicly made damaging allegations that the Wayfarer Parties can prove are false, the Lively Parties now use attorney disciplinary rules as a form of intimidation,” the letter asserts. “Their attempt to force the Wayfarer Parties to address their public accusations privately does not justify a gag order. This constitutes tactical manipulation and is unacceptable.”

“If such a protective order, as suggested by the Lively Parties, is formally requested, it should be denied.”

The attorneys are scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial conference on February 12.

Details of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ gag order request

In a letter sent to Judge Liman on Tuesday, Lively and Reynolds’ legal team alleged that Baldoni and his lawyers have been conducting a “harassing and retaliatory media campaign” against Lively, issuing “almost daily media statements or other releases to the press,” according to documents obtained at that time by YSL News.

Prior to the Tuesday letter, Lively and Reynolds’ team had sent a cease-and-desist letter to Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, back in December, demanding that he stop making “defamatory and retaliatory statements regarding Ms. Lively.” At around the same time, they also sent cease-and-desist letters to Baldoni and his associates, urging them to halt all “unlawful conduct toward the Lively-Reynolds parties and their affiliates.”

“Since then, Mr. Freedman has participated in television interviews, made podcast appearances, issued incendiary written statements, and leaked information  to the Hollywood press and tabloids on nearly a daily basis,” Lively and Reynolds’ attorneys stated on Tuesday.

The filing further claimed that Freedman’s actions put the current cases at risk and could negatively affect both the Lively Case and the Wayfarer Case by influencing the jury pool.

Overview of lawsuits related to ‘It Ends with Us’

In her complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department, Lively accused Baldoni, her director and co-star in “It Ends with Us,” of inappropriate sexual conduct on set and of orchestrating a smear campaign against her in retaliation for her speaking out about the alleged misconduct.

On December 31, both Lively and Baldoni’s legal teams initiated lawsuits, escalating the legal disputes surrounding “It Ends with Us.” Baldoni has filed a libel lawsuit against The New York Times, seeking $250 million in damages. Meanwhile, Lively leveraged her California complaint as the basis for suing Baldoni for sexual harassment that same day.

In response, Baldoni filed a lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds on January 16, demanding $400 million in damages.

(This story was updated to include the latest developments.)

Contributing: Edward Segarra