Judge grants Blake Lively protective order against ‘It Ends With Us’ director Justin Baldoni
A judge has ruled in favour of granting Blake Lively a protective order in her legal case against It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, after she requested greater protection over the information that leaks to the public.
The latest move comes as part of Lively’s current lawsuit alleging that Baldoni sexually harassed her on the set of the film and launched an extensive smear campaign against her to impact her career and reputation negatively.
Now, Judge Lewis J. Liman has ruled that specific details and materials will now be protected in an ‘Attorneys’ Eyes Only’, which can reportedly only be applied if the information is “highly likely to cause a significant business, commercial, financial or privacy injury,” per People.
As part of the ruling, the judge cited “gossip” as a factor, acknowledging the potential ramifications of private or sensitive information spreading in a way that might not be “immediately detected”.
“Where confidential information is not disclosed to the media, it may spread by gossip and innuendo to those in the tight artistic community in a position to do harm to one or the other of the parties but in a manner that might not be readily and immediately detected,” he said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Lively said the court “entered the protections needed to ensure the free flow of discovery material without any risk of witness intimidation or harm to any individual’s security.”
The message added: “With this order in place, Ms. Lively will move forward in the discovery process to obtain even more of the evidence that will prove her claims in court.”
Lively made her first public speech last week for the premiere of Another Simple Favour at SXSW Festival, taking to the stage to discuss her love for the film. Directed by Paul Feig, the movie is a murder mystery featuring Anna Kendrick.
“I love this character so much,” she said. “It’s probably my favourite character I’ve ever been fortunate enough to play. So, when Paul asked us to come back, I was so excited.”
Before that, Lively appeared on Saturday Night Live‘s 50th anniversary celebration with Ryan Reynolds for a brief skit that stirred significant controversy. During one segment, hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler asked Reynolds, “How’s it going?” He responded, “Great! Why, what have you heard?”
Following the stint, Bryan Freedman, the lawyer representing Justin Baldoni, explained on the Hot Mics podcast with Billy Bush, “I’m unaware of anybody, frankly, whose wife has been sexually harassed and has made jokes about that type of situation. I can’t think of anyone who’s done anything like that. So it surprised me.”
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