Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni would likely be heading to trial next week if she had not caved on one issue during their settlement negotiations — the NDA.
On Sunday, sources revealed to Rob Shuter‘s Naughty But Nice Substack that when the former It Ends With Us co-stars and their attorneys sat down to hash things out, the actress pushed for a strict nondisclosure agreement that would ban both sides from talking about their legal battle — including in interviews, books, podcasts, television appearances, and more. She just wanted to move on from the whole thing for good without the fear of future comments from Justin! It’s likely not only for her own mental health, but for her career, as she is aiming for a comeback in Hollywood soon. One insider explained:
“Blake wanted this over quietly and permanently. She never wanted anyone talking about this case again. Her team pushed incredibly hard for an NDA because they wanted all the public drama to stop.”
Related: Justin Considering IEWU Sequel — But Would He Work With Blake Again?!
However, Justin flat-out refused! He did not want to be silenced by Blake:
“Justin’s team felt they’d spent months defending themselves publicly and weren’t about to suddenly go silent. Bryan Freedman was never going to agree to being muzzled.”
The NDA ended up becoming one of the last issues the pair needed to resolve before settling the case before the trial. Blake was fighting hard for it, but she eventually gave up. Another source said:
“She wanted total protection from future public comments, but Justin’s side held firm. Blake had little leverage left and ultimately had no choice but to move forward without the NDA.”
Blake likely regrets backing down now! Since the settlement, Justin’s attorney Bryan Freedman has not shied away from speaking his mind about the situation, such as accusing her of being too afraid to go to trial and confront her “lies” on the witness stand! And who knows what he or the filmmaker will say next! Her worst fears are coming true! The source expressed:
“This is exactly what Blake feared. Now this story isn’t ending anytime soon.”
Even though the two settled the case, their battle isn’t over yet! Blake is still going after legal fees and damages against Justin! So this story dying down immediately wasn’t going to happen anyway! Regardless of an NDA, that was likely wishful thinking on her part!
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[Image via The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/Cosmopolitan UK/YouTube]
