Showbiz

Blake Lively is seen for first time in weeks in loved-up selfie with Ryan Reynolds amid Justin Baldoni lawsuit

Blake Lively is seen for first time in weeks in loved-up selfie with Ryan Reynolds amid Justin Baldoni lawsuit

Ryan Reynolds shared a love-up selfie with his wife Blake Lively on a rare date night away from their four children amid their bitter legal battle with Justin Baldoni.

In the image, the happy couple, who wed back in 2012, can be seen posing for a cute picture together on the street as they both smiled directly at the camera. 

He paired the picture with Hootie & the Blowfish’s 1994 hit Only Wanna Be with You playing on the background of his Instagram Story.

The snap appeared to be taken during his recent trip to Wrexham in Wales. 

It also marks the first time the Gossip Girl star, 37, has been seen in recent weeks after launching her accusing Baldoni of Sєxual harᴀssment on the set of It Ends With Us and launching a campaign to ‘destroy’ her reputation. 

Their date night comes after their lawyers raised new allegations in their H๏τly contested case against Baldoni in court on Monday. 

Ryan Reynolds shared a love-up selfie with his wife Blake Lively amid their bitter legal battle with Justin Baldoni

Ryan Reynolds shared a love-up selfie with his wife Blake Lively amid their bitter legal battle with Justin Baldoni

Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, pleaded with the judge to move the case forward as quickly as possible because his client was ‘suffering greatly.’ 

Lively’s lawyer Michael Gottlieb, however, vehemently denied the claim that Lively was purposely dragging her heels in the lawsuit. 

Judge Lewis Liman denied a move from Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds to gag Team Baldoni following the series of bombshell claims made by his legal team.

But Gottlieb said they intend to hit Baldoni with fresh allegations in Lively’s Sєxual harᴀssment case, and insisted that protecting the couple’s celebrity friends was going to be ‘very important.’

Read More Blake Lively is ‘surprisingly calm’ amid legal drama with Justin Baldoni article image

Gottlieb told the court during the hearing that they intend to add ‘both claims and parties’ to a revised complaint which will be filed by Valentine’s Day.

Last week, Baldoni updated his own complaint in his $400 million defamation case against the Gossip Girl star which accused Lively of giving The New York Times advanced access to her complaint of Sєxual harᴀssment during the filming of the movie It Ends With Us.

Gottlieb attacked Freedman for making statements outside of court which had challenged the ‘character, integrity and truthfulness’ of Lively.

After complaining, Lively’s lawyers were told was that ‘we (Lively) started it’ with the New York Times article, Gottlieb said.

Gottlieb cited an interview in People magazine in which Freedman accused Lively of a ‘pattern of bullying.’

In another statement Freedman claimed that if Lively really was Sєxually harᴀssed she wouldn’t have returned to the film. 

The happy couple, who wed back in 2012, enjoyed a rare date night away from their four kids  James, 10, Inez, 8, and Betty, 5, and Olin, 1

The happy couple, who wed back in 2012, enjoyed a rare date night away from their four kids  James, 10, Inez, 8, and Betty, 5, and Olin, 1

A skeptical Judge Liman said: ‘isn’t that what’s stated in his complaint?’ 

Gottlieb said no and that lawyers were ‘not supposed to launch attacks on another party’s character’.

He added that the leaking of raw footage from It Ends With Us was ‘particularly concerning’ because it could start an ‘arms race’ whereby lawyers have to appear in the media to fire back at every disclosure.

‘If there’s no guard rails in place….we (the attorneys) have to and go out on shows arguing on shows what a particular document or video means’.

Freedman fired back that the statements had ‘not been a one way street’ and tried to walk the court through a number made by Lively’s lawyers.

After listening to them, Judge Liman said Freedman ‘went a little bit further’ than Lively’s lawyers.

The judge said that he was adopting rules for lawyers known as Rule 3.6 which bars both of them from making extrajudicial statements that could influence the jury.

Their date night comes after their lawyers raised new allegations in their H๏τly contested case in court on Monday; seen  on December 4, 2024

Their date night comes after their lawyers raised new allegations in their H๏τly contested case in court on Monday; seen  on December 4, 2024

Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman pleaded with the judge to move the case forward as quickly as possible because his client was 'suffering greatly'

Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman pleaded with the judge to move the case forward as quickly as possible because his client was ‘suffering greatly’

 Judge Liman said he was ‘hesitant to adopt it’ but after both sides agreed to it, he changed his mind.

He said: ‘My expectation is the parties will comply with their ethical obligations. I don’t expect this case to devolve into satellite litigation over the comments of a lawyer.

‘Both have said a lot in the pleadings that give the public plenty to feast upon’.

Freedman tried to protest and said: ‘Not to sound like a four year old fighting a four year old with ‘but they started it’ but once someone says something it becomes fact, there’s no way to fight against it.

‘You start to lose things without the ability to have the court’s adjudication. This was not started by us.’

Judge Liman also warned that if both sides didn’t behave themselves he could move the date of the trial forward from March next year.

Lively's lawyer Michael Gottlieb, however, vehemently denied the claim that Lively was purposely dragging her heels in the lawsuit

Lively’s lawyer Michael Gottlieb, however, vehemently denied the claim that Lively was purposely dragging her heels in the lawsuit 

Judge Lewis Liman denied a move from Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds to gag Team Baldoni following the series of bombshell claims made by his legal team

Judge Lewis Liman denied a move from Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds to gag Team Baldoni following the series of bombshell claims made by his legal team 

He said: ‘I’m not going to do that, I’m convinced the parties need the time for discovery.

‘But if it turns out that this ends up being litigated in the press in a way that would prejudice the opportunity of a fair trial…one of the tools the court has is to accelerate the date of the trial.

‘That’s something that is out there. I don’t want to do that.’

Earlier in the hearing, Gottlieb, who also represents Reynolds, said that he would be seeking a protective order through the court for future filings to protect the couple’s celebrity friends.

While he did not name Taylor Swift, she would likely be one of those affected as she was referred to in Baldoni’s complaint.

Gottlieb said: ‘We do believe there will be provisions in a protective order that will be appropriate in this case given the nature of the allegations and the high profile nature of some of the individuals who will be involved.

Baldoni's legal fight with Lively began after she sued him for Sєxual harᴀssment just days before Christmas

Baldoni’s legal fight with Lively began after she sued him for Sєxual harᴀssment just days before Christmas

‘There is a significant number of high profile individuals on both sides.

‘In particular addressing the interests and needs of third parties is going to be very important in this case.’

Gottlieb said he would plan to ‘seek protections we believe will be very important particularly in a case where there’s been a significant amount of leaking materials.’

He said: ‘We do intend to propose a protective order in this case.’

Judge Liman agreed and said that even before the other parties were named ‘you already got a lot of high profile people’ involved.

Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman said he would be prepared to agree to the order.

Gottlieb also talked about discovery and how there will be a significant amount about how Baldoni and the other defendants used the media to ‘shape and push forward’ their retaliation strategy.

He also talked about finding material on ‘individuals who may have been paid for taking certain positions in public.’

Freedman, who represents Baldoni and his PR team, asked the judge in todays first court hearing to move the case forward as quickly as possible because his clients were ‘suffering greatly.’ 

Related Posts

Craig Revel Horwood’s ticket sales not too fab-u-lous! Strictly star forced to slash prices for one-man show

Craig Revel Horwood’s ticket sales not too fab-u-lous! Strictly star forced to slash prices for one-man show

Craig Revel Horwood is used to being watched by more than eight million fans as he judges Strictly Come Dancing performances. But his one-man show to promote his…

That’ll spice up the Brooklyn rift! Victoria Beckham stuns in identical outfit to Nicola Peltz’s… despite 21-year age gap

That’ll spice up the Brooklyn rift! Victoria Beckham stuns in identical outfit to Nicola Peltz’s… despite 21-year age gap

Of all the outfits she had at her fingertips – from her own high-end creations to a wardrobe full of designer clothes – it was one that seemed…

Love Island’s Adam Collard, 29, puts on a loved-up display with fiancée Laura Woods, 37, as they enjoy a date night after welcoming their first child

Love Island’s Adam Collard, 29, puts on a loved-up display with fiancée Laura Woods, 37, as they enjoy a date night after welcoming their first child

Adam Collard and Laura Woods put on a loved-up display as they enjoyed a fun date night on Friday.  The Love Island star, 29, and the TNT Sports presenter, 37, welcomed…

Patsy Palmer erupts into furious row with co-star before storming off set in dramatic unearthed TV moment before Celebrity Big Brother appearance

Patsy Palmer erupts into furious row with co-star before storming off set in dramatic unearthed TV moment before Celebrity Big Brother appearance

She survived another eviction during Friday night’s episode of Celebrity Big Brother after it was Daley Thompson who became the third housemate to be booted out the compeтιтion. …

Maura Higgins puts on a very leggy display in racy fringed outfit as she parties at Coachella after Danny Jones ‘drunken kiss’ scandal

Maura Higgins puts on a very leggy display in racy fringed outfit as she parties at Coachella after Danny Jones ‘drunken kiss’ scandal

Maura Higgins put on a leggy display as she stunned in a show-stopping ensemble while partying at Coachella on Saturday. The reality star, 34, took to Instagram to…

The Who issue huge statement on Zak Starkey’s future in the band as bandmates Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend admit ‘this blew up very quickly’ after ‘sacking’ reports

The Who issue huge statement on Zak Starkey’s future in the band as bandmates Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend admit ‘this blew up very quickly’ after ‘sacking’ reports

The Who’s Zak Starkey has been welcomed back into the band following a dramatic U-turn by Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend. The pair had reportedly sacked the drummer…