Blake Lively Asks Judge for Stronger Protective Order After Receiving 'Violent' Messages amid Justin Baldoni Legal Battle

Mar. 15, 2025

Blake Livelyhas requested “additional protections” in her ongoing legal battle withJustin Baldoni.

After both sides agreed to a protective order (PO), attorneys for the actress, 37, and her husbandRyan Reynoldssubmitted a letter to Judge Lewis J. Liman in the Southern District of New York on Thursday, Feb. 20, requesting a stronger PO than the court’s “model” one.

Among their requests for the proposed PO, which they also filed in a separate document, are “an Attorney’s Eyes Only (‘AEO’) category, which applies to ‘Confidential Discovery Material of such a highly confidential and personal, sensitive, or proprietary nature that the revelation of such is likely to cause a competitive, business, commercial, financial, personal or privacy injury,’ " per the letter.

Lively and Reynolds' attorneys went on to claim that “good cause exists for the Court to adopt the Proposed PO,” citing the actress’srecently filed amended complaintagainst Baldoni, 41.

“As detailed in Ms. Lively’s Amended Complaint, Ms. Lively, her family, other members of the cast, various fact witnesses, and individuals that have spoken out publicly in support of Ms. Lively have received violent, profane, sexist, and threatening communications,” the letter states.

Baldoni’s team said in a statement Feb. 21, “We do not condone dangerous rhetoric targeted toward anyone no matter the situation,” and said they, too, have faced threats during the legal dispute.

Blake Lively in New York City on Feb. 16, 2025.TheStewartofNY/WireImage

TheStewartofNY/WireImage

Lively sued herIt Ends With Usdirector/costar Baldoni, producer Heath, Wayfarer Studios and its co-founder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel, crisis PR expert Melissa Nathan and her agency, and Jed Wallace and his crisis-management firm, alleging sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign, which they deny.

In turn,Baldoni and others have sued Livelyand her husband Reynolds, 48, as well their publicist Leslie Sloane and her agencyplusThe New York Times, alleging defamation and extortion. Lively’s lawyers have called that lawsuit “desperate” and “meritless.”

Blake Lively in New York City on Feb. 13, 2024; Justin Baldoni in New York City on Aug. 8, 2024.Jamie McCarthy/Getty; Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

Jamie McCarthy/Getty; Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

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Meanwhile, Sloane requested on Thursday tobe removed from the legal battlethat her attorney said she was “dragged” into as a “smoke and mirrors exercise to distract from” Lively’s accusation.

The actress’s 163-page amended complaint landed in New York federal court late on Tuesday, Feb. 18, as she updatedher lawsuit (which was originally filedDec. 31, 2024) against Baldoni.

According to her lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, the amended version “provides significant additional evidence and corroboration of her original claims” and “includes previously undisclosed communications” involving Lively, Sony, Wayfarer Studios and “numerous other witnesses.”

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni inIt Ends with Us(2024).Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment

The amended complaint notably claims that two otherIt Ends with Usactors have agreed totestify to their own experiences with Baldoni’s alleged behavioron set.

On Wednesday, Feb. 19, Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedmanresponded to Lively’s amended complaintin a statement in which he said her lawsuit has a “lack of actual evidence.”

“Her underwhelming amended complaint is filled with unsubstantial hearsay of unnamed persons who are clearly no longer willing to come forward or publicly support her claims,” Freedman said, adding that his clients “have been transparent in providing receipts, real time documents and video showing a completely different story than what has been manipulated and cherry picked to the media.”

“Since documents do not lie and people do, the upcoming depositions of those who initially supported Ms. Lively’s false claims and those who are witnesses to her own behavior will be enlightening,” Freedman added. “What is truly uncomfortable here is Ms. Lively’s lack of actual evidence.

source: people.com