Blake Lively’s team slams Baldoni’s over Taylor Swift subpoena
Blake Lively’s team has condemned Justin Baldoni’s team’s decision to subpoena Taylor Swift, calling it a blatant attempt to exploit Lively’s friendship for tabloid attention.
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Months before Blake Lively‘s allegations of sexual harassment, Justin Baldoni made an interesting comment while on set of “It Ends with Us.”
In a video filed by Baldoni’s legal team and obtained by TMZ, Baldoni is heard in between scenes making an offhand comment to Lively that he “missed the sexual harassment training.” According to the corresponding filing from his team, Baldoni, 41, was joking about the wardrobe for the scene, with Baldoni later saying “my apologies” and Lively remarking, “It’s all good,” according to subtitles on the video.
“Video footage of the incident shows Lively was fully dressed in an oversized fleece ‘onesie’ at the time, that numerous actors and crew were also present and engaged in ongoing work at time, that Baldoni’s facial expression was neutral and not ogling or suggestive, and that, after Baldoni apologized if his remark was inappropriate, Lively responded by saying ‘All good,'” Baldoni’s team wrote in the Nov. 13 filing. The video was submitted as evidence in response to previous testimony from Lively about the interaction.
USA TODAY has reached out to Baldoni and Lively’s reps for comment.
The “statement of undisputed material facts” filing also includes the Baldoni team’s previous claims, including that Lively used her “famous friends” to “press Baldoni to accept her revisions” to the “It Ends with Us” script. However, much of the document is heavily redacted.
The video’s filing comes days after Baldoni’s lead counsel, Alexandra Shapiro, filed a motion on Nov. 12 for summary judgment. The move aims to have Lively’s sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit decided in his favor without a jury trial. The legal strategy is based on the argument that neither side is contesting the facts, and that if they are all accepted as true, the law is still on the side of the petitioner – in this case, Baldoni.
Lively, 38, filed a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Baldoni and his producing partners, Wayfarer Studios, in late 2024, claiming the “It Ends with Us” director engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct on and off set and helped orchestrate a smear campaign against her.
Baldoni’s counterlawsuit for extortion was dismissed in June by a judge, who said the case did not hold up legally, though his team had the option to file a second amended complaint. It was fully terminated in October.
Lively and Baldoni’s trial is set for March 9, 2026.
Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.usatoday.com ’
