A judge has agreed to keep some of Blake Lively‘s private correspondences and other records out of the media amid her ongoing legal squabble with Justin Baldoni. Earlier this month, attorneys representing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, asked for information on their celebrity friends that might come to light during discovery be withheld from the public as litigation commences with Baldoni over It Ends With Us. Judge Lewis J. Liman granted the married couple a modified protective order, according to court records obtained by People.
Some evidence will remain secret, Judge Liman ruled, but other materials will have to meet the bar for “Attorneys’ Eyes Only” only if their release is “highly likely to cause a significant business, commercial, financial or privacy injury.” The judge also acknowledged that even if confidential info doesn’t make it into the media, leaks around the entertainment business may still be damaging to several people if it circulates as Hollywood gossip.
Lively and Reynolds’ repos argued their opinion for an hour and a half during a virtual court hearing in early March. Sensitive information they wanted protected included “speaking about children, profound mental health issues or locations of private residences or homes.” They also expressed concern about correspondence with their famous friends about Lively’s allegations against Baldoni becoming public. The lawyers did not name any specific celebs but Baldoni’s filings have suggested that Lively’s friend, Taylor Swift, might have some knowledge of Lively’s views regarding the lawsuit.
“With this order in place, Ms. Lively will move forward in the discovery process to obtain even more of the evidence that will prove her claims in court,” a spokesperson told People.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, agreed with Judge Limon’s decision, saying that “private mental health records and personal security measures” never interested him anyway but that the request was still “exceedingly overbroad.”
“We remain focused on the necessary communications that will directly contradict Ms. Lively’s unfounded accusations,” he said.
Lively sued Baldoni after a New York Times article publicized her allegations that Baldoni sexually harassed her and hired a crisis PR team to lead a smear campaign against her. Baldoni has denied these claims and filed a defamation suit against the Times and a separate $400 million suit against Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist. He claims the couple defamed and extorted him.
From Rolling Stone US
