Blake Lively’s attorney, Mike Gottlieb, has spoken out against Justin Baldoni‘s legal team for their proposed action to summon Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and her friend Taylor Swift for a trial set on March 9, 2026. In an interview with PEOPLE on May 8, Gottlieb expressed doubts about the necessity of including well-known personalities in a case primarily focused on severe workplace claims.
Gottlieb stated that it’s utterly vague how any allegations or counterarguments made by these celebrities (Lively, Baldoni, Reynolds, and Swift) might pertain to the case at hand.” Reports from April hinted that they could potentially be served subpoenas during the preliminary investigation phase.
Baldoni’s legal team has alleged that Reynolds made fun of Baldoni through a character named Nicepool in the 2024 movie Deadpool & Wolverine, describing it as a subtle insult. However, Reynolds and Marvel have refuted these accusations. Additionally, court documents indicate that Swift and Reynolds might have contributed ideas for a rooftop scene in It Ends With Us, based on text messages with Lively.
Instead, Gottlieb rejected these arguments, explaining that the case at hand pertains to Blake Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment on set, not to the selection of songs for the film or the depiction of fictional Marvel characters in the Deadpool series.
He remarked, “It’s not appropriate to issue subpoenas merely because someone is well-known and you believe it will create sensational news. Such actions are not accepted in the federal courts.
Gottlieb cautioned that bringing in prominent witnesses might turn the trial into a sensational media event, noting that they didn’t anticipate it turning into a show where every star who had ever interacted with Blake Lively or Ryan Reynolds would be involved.
In response, Bryan Freedman, representing Baldoni, clarified to PEOPLE that while the situation may be uncomfortable for the Lively parties, the truth should not be considered a distraction. He added that it was Blake who introduced her influential friends into this matter. Freedman also asserted that Ryan’s involvement is thoroughly documented, and he questioned whether Disney might have been involved in Ryan using shareholder funds to fuel personal animosity.
Despite making efforts to minimize celebrity participation in the court case, Gottlieb affirmed Blake Lively’s planned involvement as a witness. He mentioned that not only is Lively expected to testify but also others who observed events on set will provide their accounts.
The legal conflict started when Blake Lively initiated a sexual harassment claim against Justin Baldoni in December 2024. As a reaction, Baldoni countered with a USD 400 million defamation lawsuit in January 2025, accusing Lively of portraying him as a ‘real-life antagonist’ to distract from her business deals related to endorsements.
Lively’s team revealed that Sony requested her to handle the final edit for “It Ends With Us,” which ultimately proved successful. Her representative commented that Baldoni’s response to the harassment claims was to blame the victim, describing it as a weak and doomed approach, as attacking women in such situations is destined to fail.
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2025-05-09 09:22