Blake Lively To Hit Co-Star Justin Baldoni With Fresh Allegations

The legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni continues to heat up, with the actress’s attorney disclosing her plans to file a revised complaint with fresh allegations against the actor.

The warring co-stars’ lawyers were in court on Monday for a pre-trial session, during which they got into a heated exchange regarding the case and the need for a protective order.

While Blake Lively’s request for a gag order against Justin Baldoni’s lawyer was denied, the judge presiding over the case said he’ll adopt a rule to ensure both attorneys control what they share.

Lively’s lawyer has hinted at her intentions to file a new complaint with fresh allegations against Justin Baldoni.

During an 11 am pre-trial court session that didn’t require both stars to be in attendance, Lively’s lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, denied the claim that the “Gossip Girl” star was purposely dragging her feet in the lawsuit, saying that she’ll, in fact, be filing an updated complaint with fresh allegations.

According to the Daily Mail, Gottlieb told the court they plan to add “both claims and parties” to a revised complaint, which they’ll file by Valentine’s Day.

Lively and Baldoni have been embroiled in a legal battle after she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against him, in which she also accused him of masterminding a “coordinated effort to destroy her reputation.”

Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, had asked the judge presiding over the case, Judge Lewis Liman, to hand Baldoni’s lawyer a gag order for allegedly making false statements about their case.

They claimed that the protective order would prevent Baldoni’s attorney from engaging in “improper conduct,” including going on a “harassing and retaliatory media campaign” against them.

However, Judge Liman didn’t seem to be swayed by their argument and denied their request. Instead, he disclosed that he’d be adopting a rule for lawyers known as Rule 3.6, which bars both parties from making extrajudicial statements that could influence the jury.

“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,” Liman said. “Both have said a lot in the pleadings that give the public plenty to feast upon.”

Elsewhere during the court session, Gottlieb criticized Freedman for making statements outside of court that allegedly attacked Lively’s “character, integrity, and truthfulness.”

Baldoni seemingly scored what he’ll see as a legal win after Judge Liman denied Lively’s argument that sought to bar Freedman from being the lawyer to hold her deposition.

The actor has since fired back at Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit with his own $400 million counter-filing, where he accused her and Reynolds of trying to hijack his film with their power and influence.

Recent reports suggested that the couple would “imminently” be subpoenaed to produce all forms of communication, including text and emails, about Baldoni and “It Ends With Us.”

A source with insider knowledge told the Daily Mail that Reynolds and Lively, along with their publicist Leslie Sloane, also face a deposition, which will see them ordered to provide hours of testimony and be quizzed by Baldoni’s lawyers.

Lively’s attorney, Gottlieb, tried to prevent Freedman from being the lawyer who would conduct Lively’s deposition. However, according to the news outlet, Judge Liman rejected it, saying, “I don’t think that’s going to happen,” as he noted that Gottlieb wouldn’t be the one to decide.

Many other people may be dragged into Lively and Baldoni’s legal war, as Gottlieb stated in court that he will seek a protective order to protect Lively and Reynold’s celebrity friends.

Although no name was mentioned, Baldoni had previously referenced Taylor Swift in his $400 million countersuit against Lively, claiming she used the popstar to pressure him.

“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,” Gottlieb said.

“There is a significant number of high-profile individuals on both sides,” he added. “In particular, addressing the interests and needs of third parties is going to be very important in this case.”

The judge agreed with him and said that even before the other parties were named, “you already got a lot of high-profile people” involved. Baldoni’s lawyer also stated that he’d be prepared to agree to the order.

Lively and Reynolds alleged in a letter that Baldoni is still waging a “retaliation campaign” against the actress and that how the case is being treated “may have profound consequences.”

According to Deadline, the couple’s lawyer made the claims in an earlier letter sent to Judge Liman, in which they doubled down on the need for a gag order.

“Requiring counsel to heed the ethical rules that bind them is not a gag order; it is a mechanism that would ensure the proceedings in this Court are not prejudiced by counsel’s conduct outside of the courtroom,” attorney Esra Hudson wrote on behalf of the couple.

“The Wayfarer Parties are attempting to draw a dangerous false equivalence that may have profound consequences not just for this case, but for other women who are sexually harassed in the workplace given the high profile of this matter,” the letter continued.