Blake Lively‘s lawyers have reportedly filed a motion to seek sanctions from Justin Baldoni‘s team, alleging they made “frivolous” claims, one involving Taylor Swift. The Gossip Girl alum’s legal team requested “sanctions in the form of attorneys’ fees and costs,” which Lively had to bear.
Blake Lively’s lawyers file motion against Justin Baldoni’s legal team
Blake Lively has filed a motion against Justin Baldoni’s team to sanction the incurred fees against their allegedly “baseless” claims. As per the official filing, Lively’s team requested “a formal reprimand for the filing of baseless claims.” The actress’ team alleged the claims were to harass Lively and gain “favor in the court of public opinion” (via Rolling Stone).
The motion mentioned the names of Steve Sarowitz, Jamey Heath, Melissa Nathan, Jennifer Abel, and their legal teams. As per the motion, the accused plaintiffs “acted willfully with the intent” of “causing unnecessary delay, and increasing the cost of litigation.”
Lively’s team also condemned the “ghoulish taunt” of Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman. The attorney previously suggested taking the actress’ deposition at Madison Square Garden and selling tickets for its livestream. The star’s team noted, “Federal courts are venues for the adjudication of justice, not playgrounds for retribution or public relations.”
The actress’s legal team also alleged that the court had to strike off Baldoni’s team’s two letters that included allegedly inflammatory and improper suggestions. The contested documents allegedly assert that Lively leveraged her friendship with Taylor Swift to gain creative control over It Ends With Us production decisions.
Lively’s lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, also explained their claims to PEOPLE. The lawyers suggested, “You can’t file lawsuits in federal court that have no basis in law or fact to create a harassing media narrative, or in other words, their strategy from day one.”
They noted that the Baldoni legal team “received notice of their sanctionable behavior weeks ago.” Yet, they “doubled down rather than withdrawing their frivolous and harassing claims.” The lawyers further stated, “They’ll face the consequences of treating federal court like a media playground.”
Lively and Baldoni’s lawsuit saga began when the former filed an official complaint in 2024. The actress accused Baldoni of sexual harassment. Additionally, she alleged the actor conducted a campaign to “destroy” her reputation. According to her, Baldoni created “a hostile environment” on the set of It Ends With Us.
Originally reported by Arpita Adhya on ComingSoon.
