Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds showed up to the SNL 50 anniversary special and made light of their legal troubles. Justin Baldoni… sent his lawyer to do a podcast hosted by the guy who got caught laughing when Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women. This really is a David & Goliath case, isn’t it?
But it looks like Blake and Ryan may have shot themselves in the foot by trying to move past the controversy. Quite a few viewers — and reportedly some of the celebs backstage, too — felt like it was inappropriate for them to be laughing and joking considering what they were dealing with. They’ve faced a lot of backlash for the appearance.
Justin’s legal eagle, on the other hand? He’s making the most of his airtime. Will it change any minds out there?
Related: Celebs At SNL 50 Weren’t On Blake & Ryan’s Side — They Were Talking Behind Their Backs!
Bryan Freedman was a guest on the Hot Mics podcast with Billy Bush on Monday, and he really opened up about his client in a way we haven’t heard before.
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Not Exactly A Vacation…
Justin Baldoni is in the legal battle of his life, literally fighting for his livelihood. And he and his family are spending their time… on a beach? Yeah, we’ve all seen the photographs. Freedman took a moment to recontextualize Baldoni’s tropical vacay, making clear it’s not really a “vacation” — as no one who’s been “accused of heinous” crimes is ever really on vacation.
So what’s going on? He’s taking care of his mental health, says Freedman:
“He’s hopeful and I think he’s grateful — he’s grateful he’s with his family and he’s grateful that he can be with his family, and he’s grateful that he could let other fire victims use his house … But like anyone else who would be going through a situation where you’re accused of something he did not do and are suffering in a public way, I think it’s distressful to say the least.”
So he’s curing the distress with some de-stressing? Fair enough. Good work if you can afford it… which of course he’ll be able to if he wins his suit.
What Justin Has Lost
He may still win this thing, but for now Justin is clearly on the losing side. As in, he’s the one who’s lost a lot here. Blake and Ryan are hobnobbing with celebs at 30 Rock. Justin is still basically blacklisted in Tinseltown.
Freedman states the director-star has lost “a substantial amount of work” already as the result of the accusations. And of course we know he lost his podcast and any chance at an It Ends With Us sequel. Not only that, his Hollywood agent — WME‘s powerhouse Ari Emanuel — dropped him. When Billy asked if he’s been shopping around for new representation, Freedman hit him with the reality of the situation:
“I don’t think he’s in a position right now where he’s taking meetings or doing anything like that.”
Not when half the town thinks he’s a monster!
Why No Mediation
Freedman confirmed he and his client said NO to mediation — in other words NO to a faster, quieter resolution of the case. Why? Justin doesn’t want to get some payday behind closed doors and still be thought of as a predator by the general public:
“In what was filed in the court before the rule 26 hearing, the question was asked about whether we would be willing to go to mediation, and if we were open to that. Our answer to that was no. We’re not willing to do anything until Justin is cleared of being called a predator, of being called a sexual harasser. Until that is determined to have not happened, we will be doing this.”
What will satisfy him? It’s not just money — it’s “justice”:
“I think he wants a determination — I know he wants a determination that he did not engage in the behavior that is alleged, and that he did not engage in sexual harassment, or create a smear campaign, or anything like that. And there have been some serious allegations leveled against him that he’s not making jokes about. That he’s not creating movies and other things where he makes a joke about his situation. What he wants is justice. What he wants is a chance to be able to prove he’s a good person. And he is a good person.”
Why He Believes Justin
Freedman really believes it, too. That he’s representing “a good person.” With a warmth uncharacteristic of a lot of big lawyers, he called Justin “uch a great person” that he has “such great compassion for”:
“Justin is a really, really honorably human being.”
Wow! That’s a statement! His proof? The Jane the Virgin alum has “given very clear instructions” to his legal team he wants no dirty tricks or legal loopholes to help him win the case:
“Justin is not disparaging anyone or going after anyone’s character or doing anything that is otherwise untoward. And he’s given very clear instructions to me and the legal team to really be above board and to really treat people with respect. And that’s what we’re trying to do within the search to show the court the truth.”
Freedman only took the case, he explained, because he thoroughly vetted Justin — and was convinced he was the one being honest. He told Billy:
“I look through every document, every email, every text message, listen to stories, listen to the history of what he’s been through, listen to voice notes, and really try to evaluate the strength of the defense of the case, and frankly in this case, the strength of his claims. And like a lawyer is obligated to do, I really want to make sure that I go through as much as possible to really understand what exactly happened or at least what it seems like happened. And I did that thoroughly in this case, and really got an understanding as to what happened and what didn’t happen, and certainly more evidence will come to light, and more information will come to light, and I think people will see it in a similar fashion. But it’s an honor to represent Justin, and I saw that because of the person he is, what he’s been through … and honestly, Justin has not been treated fairly.”
Justin has been given preferential treatment by one group — the right-wing folks who always support every man accused of misconduct. But Freedman wants everyone to be absolutely clear, he’s not about that grift. He notes to Billy he’s also representing FKA twigs in her abuse case against Shia LaBeouf. Why?
“I’m not just on one side of the issue. I’m on the side of the issue that’s about truth and about transparency and about honesty.”
Sounds like the right side of every issue to us!
What do YOU think of the opening argument Freedman is making here?? Watch the full convo (below):
[Images via MEGA/WENN.]
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