Celebrity News March 13, 2026
Blake Lively’s Request to Sanction Justin Baldoni’s Lawyer Bryan Freedman Is Rejected
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Blake Lively is facing a setback in her legal battle against “It Ends with Us” co-star and director Justin Baldoni.
On Friday, Judge Lewis J. Liman denied her request to have Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Feldman sanctioned in the case.
In August, Lively’s legal team filed a motion to sanction Freedman on the grounds that his negative comments about her could taint the jury pool.
In court papers obtained by “Extra,” Liman rejected the sanction since Freedman’s comments were made nearly a year before the scheduled trial. He also noted that there’s not enough proof that Freedman’s comments were "substantially likely to prejudice” the trial.
The “It Ends with Us” battle started in December 2024, when Lively filed a legal complaint with the California Civil Rights Department claiming Baldoni sexually harassed her on set.
Two months later, she also accused him of defamation. Baldoni has denied all of Lively's allegations.
He then filed the $400-million lawsuit against Blake and her husband Ryan Reynolds that has been officially dismissed.
Justin also filed a $250-million lawsuit against The New York Times, but that was dismissed as well.
A month ago, Lively and Baldoni couldn’t reach a settlement, so their trial is set to begin May 18.
“Extra” has reached out to Lively and Baldoni’s team but haven’t heard back.
