Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have requested a gag order against Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, accusing him of improper conduct after he released unedited footage from the film It Ends With Us. This request has sparked a response from Baldoni’s camp, marking the first time they’ve addressed the issue since the gag order was filed.
Sources told Page Six that Baldoni, the director of Five Feet Apart, found it “grossly unfair” that Lively and Reynolds sought a judge’s order to prevent Freedman from talking to the media. The sources claimed Baldoni was upset by the couple’s motion, especially after Lively’s sexual harassment allegations had been made public by The New York Times. Baldoni’s camp views Freedman’s actions as merely defending his client against what they described as Lively’s “takedown campaign.”
Lively and Reynolds are seeking to stop Freedman from releasing case materials to the press, arguing that his media appearances could “taint the jury pool” before the harassment case even goes to trial. According to their legal filing, Lively’s team had repeatedly warned Freedman to adhere to professional conduct rules and not to share case details publicly. However, Freedman is said to have continued speaking to media outlets, leaking information, issuing public statements, and even appearing on podcasts.
The most recent controversy stems from Freedman’s release of a 10-minute video showing Lively and Baldoni on set. In the footage, the two actors are seen slow dancing and possibly improvising their lines. Lively’s attorney responded by alleging that Baldoni was behaving inappropriately during the scene, which was unscripted and without prior consent. The actress’s team claimed Baldoni was kissing her forehead, flicking her lip with his thumb, and making inappropriate comments, all without the involvement of an intimacy coordinator, which Lively’s team called unethical.
The couple’s legal team further accused Freedman of manipulating the public by releasing the footage to the media rather than presenting it in court. The situation has become a point of contention as both sides continue to battle over the handling of Lively’s harassment case.