Blake Lively isn’t done bashing Justin Baldoni‘s legal strategy amid their It Ends With Us fight!
On Thursday, the Gossip Girl star’s lawyers blasted Justin’s team for using a “scorched earth litigation” strategy to stop people from speaking out about alleged sexual harassment.
As Perezcious readers know, Blake is trying to get dismissed from the director’s $400 million suit, claiming she’s protected by a #MeToo law that restricts an alleged perpetrator from suing a victim of harassment for defamation after they’ve spoken out publicly. Justin’s team has argued that he has every right to fight back because the law does not protect Blake’s “fabricated” claims, and they slammed her for trying to set a “dangerous precedent.”
Related: Blake Lively’s Publicity Stunt May Have REALLY Hurt Donut Shop!
On Thursday, the A Simple Favor lead’s attorneys Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb yet again SLAMMED the response, telling Us Weekly in a scathing statement:
“Mr. Baldoni has gone from monetizing a brand devoted to believing and supporting women, to leading the charge to tear down the very law that protects women who come forward about sexual assault, harassment and discrimination. California’s sexual harassment privilege, AB 933, was enacted to stop perpetrators of sexual harassment from abusing defamation lawsuits to sue their accusers into oblivion.”
They also argued that the Jane the Virgin alum’s strategy is sending a “chilling message”:
“The chilling message scorched earth litigation sends to victims is stay silent or be destroyed. As demonstrated in the reply brief Ms. Lively filed today, the Wayfarer Parties’ attempt to slap Ms. Lively with a retaliatory lawsuit for her decision to speak out against the sexual harassment she experienced on set has not only failed miserably but exposes them to substantial economic damages. Ms. Lively will continue to show all victims that they are not alone, that they do not have to stay silent, and that the law is on their side.”
Blake’s team filed a reply brief on Thursday amid the motion to dismiss process. In docs seen by Us, they claim that the “Wayfarer Parties have tied themselves in knots trying to state a defamation claim against Ms. Lively that is not barred by the statute of limitations or wholly contained within her Legal Complaints, which they concede cannot form the basis of any actionable claims.”
A judge hasn’t made a decision yet on the motion to dismiss. Ryan Reynolds has also filed a request to be removed from the lawsuit along with others wrapped up in the scandal.
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If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
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