Blake Lively’s legal team made a compelling argument during a virtual court hearing on Thursday, seeking a protective order to prevent Justin Baldoni from disclosing private text messages between Lively and her celebrity friends. The legal battle has become increasingly personal, with Lively’s attorneys voicing concerns that the potential release of sensitive conversations could compromise her privacy and reputation.
During the hearing in Manhattan federal court, attorney Meryl Conant Governski stated, “There is a significant chance of irreparable harm if marginal conversations with high profile individuals with no relevance to the case were to fall into wrong hands.”
She further argued, “There are 100 million reasons for these parties to leak information because the PR value is greater than complying with the court’s orders.” Additionally, Lively’s legal team requested an “Attorney’s Eyes Only” classification for sensitive material, such as the Gossip Girl alum’s medical records and the disputed text messages.
In response, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, assured the court that his team fully supports protecting Lively’s medical records, stating they have “no intention” of violating the confidentiality order. However, he argued that Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, were seeking special treatment, saying their approach would “unfairly treat ‘celebrity people’ and ‘people who are powerful in the industry’ differently from other people.”
Freedman also pointed out that Baldoni’s legal team had taken steps to maintain discretion, explaining, “We have gone to great lengths to not mention third parties by name.” He further asserted, “I think the model order protects everyone.”
Concluding his argument, Freedman insisted, “We shouldn’t be put in a position where we are the ones that have to run to court every single time just given attorney’s eyes only protection … My client has a right to defend themself.”