Blake Lively’s attempt to keep the names of well-known figures, including her husband Ryan Reynolds and former close friend Taylor Swift, private in her “In Ends with Us” legal case appears to be unsuccessful, as indicated by the legal representatives of Justin Baldoni.
In a recent court document submitted on Monday, Baldoni’s attorneys formally objected to Lively’s previous motion aiming to shield the identities of public figures involved in the ongoing case.
Baldoni’s legal team argued, as reviewed by the Daily Mail, that “none of [Lively’s] requests satisfy the [court’s] stringent criteria for sealing at this point.”
In the filing, Baldoni, 41, suggested that the sole motivation for Lively, 38, to conceal these records is to protect the public image of those involved.
Lively had submitted legal documents seeking to redact certain names, referring to her husband, Reynolds, as “an innocent third-party” concerning the film’s production challenges.
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Baldoni, Lively, and Swift for additional comments on the matter.
Attorneys for Baldoni pushed back on Lively’s characterization of her husband as an uninvolved third-party, according to court filings reviewed by Daily Mail.
They said that ‘the claim that Reynolds is a non-party whose communications should be sealed is overly-restrictive and absurd.’
Baldoni’s legal team pointed to numerous instances in which they said Reynolds lent his cinematic expertise to the production of In Ends with Us.
Reynolds personally rewrote the scene in the Colleen Hoover adaptation, Baldoni’s lawyers said, and also was involved in a heated exchange with the director over remarks he made about Lively’s weight.
Baldoni’s attorney said that Reynolds’ clear involvement in the case makes him a prime person to be interviewed as a witness.
Baldoni’s lawyers said that Lively’s efforts are part of a larger undertaking to conceal the names of people who she’s accused of recruiting ‘as advocates on her behalf against the Wayfarer Parties in her attempt to take over the film.’
Baldoni’s lawyers past pointed at notable names including Taylor Swift, Hugh Jackman, Emily Blunt and America Ferrera as having been mentioned by Lively as her confidantes on personal and professional issues.
The case is slated to return to court for a January 22 hearing, with a May 18 trial date looming.
The latest news in the case comes as the contentious legal battle between Lively and Baldoni has gone on more than a year.
In December of 2024, Lively named Baldoni in a lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliatory conduct, and intentional infliction of emotional stress.
In her lawsuit, the actress accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her in multiple ways – including body shaming her – and orchestrating a smear campaign against her to damage her reputation.
In her lawsuit, Lively named a number of Baldoni’s collaborators, including his company Wayfarer Studios, the studio’s CEO and financial backer, and PR personnel.
Baldoni had initially asked for $250 million in damages from The New York Times, mentioning a report it published on the topic that he claimed was defamatory, then added it to the $400 million lawsuit he filed this past January.
In the suit, Baldoni named Lively, her spouse Ryan Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane, citing the aforementioned report in legal documents. It was thrown out of court this past June. All parties have denied all of the allegations against them.
It Ends with Us earned $148 million in domestic box office and $350 million globally – but whatever goodwill the film garnered has since been overshadowed by the allegations made by its stars.
The motion picture, which also starred Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar and Kevin McKidd, was based on the 2016 novel by Colleen Hoover.
The storyline of the film centered around a toxic relationship between Lily Bloom (played by Lively) and Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni).
According to a logline for the film, Lily ‘overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life,’ as ‘a chance meeting with a neurosurgeon sparks a connection but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents’ relationship.’
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