Blake Lively Accuses Justin Baldoni's Team of Obstructing Justice and Destroying Evidence
Blake Lively’s legal representatives are alleging improper conduct against Justin Baldoni and his legal counsel, amidst their protracted court dispute.
Per court filings accessed by Us Weekly this past Thursday, October 23, attorneys for Lively claimed that Baldoni, aged 41, alongside other parties being sued, “systematically obstructed the discovery phase, by either withholding necessary documents or incorrectly asserting attorney-client privilege over them.”
In their submission, Lively's team asserted, “With the conclusion of factual discovery and depositions, two points are evident.” They continued, “Significant proof exists indicating that the alleged campaign of retaliation was, indeed, carried out as intended.”
Furthermore, Lively's representatives accused the defendants of “destroying and/or neglecting to safeguard or present additional crucial and highly pertinent evidence, whose omission they plan to unfairly leverage to their advantage.”
Blake Lively Confronts Justin Baldoni's Attorney Regarding Supposed 'Defamation Efforts'
Through their recent submission, Lively's legal counsel seeks court penalties against Baldoni's team, aiming to prohibit them from arguing to a jury that they did not conduct a supposed retaliatory campaign. Additionally, Lively's side hopes a judge will instruct the jury that Baldoni's party reportedly destroyed and did not maintain evidence, allowing the jury to infer that such evidence would have been detrimental to their defense.
Us Weekly has contacted the legal representatives for both Baldoni and Lively, seeking further statements.
Although Lively's team has raised concerns about the whereabouts of Signal communications and audio recordings, Baldoni and the other parties involved were not issued a litigation hold until December 2024.
An insider further informed Us that Baldoni's team reportedly was not utilizing Signal messages in August 2024, the period Lively's team claims Baldoni and his counsel “foresaw legal action.”
The legal dispute between Lively, 38, and Baldoni commenced in December 2024, when the actress leveled accusations against her It Ends With Us costar and director, citing sexual harassment, fostering an unfriendly workplace, and deliberately orchestrating a defamation campaign targeting her. (Baldoni has persistently refuted all these claims.)
Lively's lawsuit featured “thousands of pages of text messages and emails” which the Gossip Girl star acquired via a subpoena. The actress's legal representatives claimed that a publicist collaborating with the studio and Baldoni supposedly messaged a crisis management professional, stating, “He desires to feel she can be completely marginalized.”
“This strategy extended far beyond typical crisis public relations,” the documents indicated.
Baldoni vehemently refuted the accusations and filed a countersuit against Lively. In June, a judge threw out his legal action against the actress.
“The Court's ruling on the motion to dismiss has absolutely no bearing on the fact that there was no harassment or any defamatory campaign, and it does not, in any manner, compromise our robust defense against Ms. Lively's assertions,” Baldoni's lawyer commented in a statement to Us at that period. “The discovery process is moving forward, and we are certain we will triumph over these claims, which are devoid of factual basis. Rather than amending the current allegations, our clients intend to explore further legal avenues at their disposal.”
Blake Lively Seeks Access to Justin Baldoni's Legal Team's Electronic Mail
During a distinct discussion with podcast presenter Matthew Belloni, Baldoni's lawyer also asserted that his client had no desire for unfavorable publicity aimed at Lively.
“Justin was displeased by anything detrimental concerning Blake, the film, himself, or any related matter,” Bryan Freedman remarked during a March installment of “The Town” podcast. “This wasn't solely about him or solely about her; it pertained to the collaborative project they were involved in.”
Lively's litigation against Baldoni is provisionally set for a trial in March 2026.
