As Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni prepare to appear in court next month for their scheduled trial, the It Ends With Us stars filed their motions weeks before proceedings begin in federal court in New York City.Justin Baldoni asks court to exclude references to former clientsAs Deadline reports, Baldoni and members of the crisis PR team led by Melissa Nathan have asked the court to exclude references to their former high-profile clients. They also asked that any mention of the alleged “defamation sites” be avoided to the jury, stating that they are “irrelevant and prejudicial because Lively does not allege that this mechanism was used (by any of the defendants) against her.”
“The request comes as they face allegations of retaliation, breach of contract, and aiding and abetting in what has been described as a 2024 online “smear campaign” against Lively.Court documents reveal the movementAccording to the report, the filing states, “Any services Nathan provided to actor Johnny Depp in connection with his high-profile defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard, to other celebrities such as rappers Drake and Travis Scott, professional wrestler Logan Paul, and actress Rebel Wilson, to politicians, or to other clients are irrelevant to whether she aided and abetted the alleged defamation campaign at issue here, as Lively alleged.”
Baldoni’s legal team is also seeking to block testimony from “It Ends With Us” actors Jenny Slate and Isabella Ferrer from being heard before the jury.Blake Lively is asking to keep the jury from knowing her wealthOn the other hand, TMZ reported that Blake Lively filed her own motions, asking that any references to her and Reynolds’ net worth be excluded from the trial. Legal documents state that the actress asked the judge to block all evidence relating to her “net worth and financial situation”, amid concerns that it could impact how a jury would perceive her claims.Lively claimed losses of more than US$161 million as a result of the alleged smear campaign. However, according to reports early this month, where a judge dismissed the defamation suit and sexual harassment claims, it is unclear whether her alleged “compensation” is relevant. However, she is still allowed to make her allegations, including retaliation related to her allegations of a hostile work environment on the film set.There is no “Nicepool” reference in the trialIt also sought to block any mention of Reynolds’ character “Nicepool” in Deadpool & Wolverine, which Baldoni’s team reportedly intended to argue over the pair’s bullying behavior. However, TMZ reported that a judge previously ruled the evidence was irrelevant.As both sides continue to make proposals, the possibility of a last-minute settlement remains. The trial is expected to begin on May 18.
