Judge Declines to Rein in PR War

A judge on Monday declined to impose restrictions on what Justin Baldoni‘s attorney can say about his legal fight with Blake Lively, but warned he may move up the March 2026 trial date if the press battle continues.

Judge Lewis J. Liman presided over the first hearing in the sprawling litigation between the two “It Ends With Us” co-stars in federal court in New York. Neither of them appeared in the courtroom.

Lively is accusing Baldoni and others of smearing her in the press after she complained about sexual harassment on set. Baldoni fired back with defamation lawsuits against her, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and the New York Times, while his attorney Bryan Freedman has waged an aggressive PR campaign to push back against her claims.

In the week leading up to the hearing, Lively’s lawyers had sought to rein in Freedman, asking the judge to prevent him from making comments to the press that would taint the jury pool. They also raised concerns about Freedman’s plans to set up a website — thelawsuitinfo.com — that hosts court documents about the case.

The judge ordered both sides to adhere to the New York Rules of Professional Conduct, which bar attorneys from making comments that have a “substantial likelihood” of prejudicing a jury. But the rules also allow attorneys to talk to the press to protect their clients from adverse publicity, and Freedman has said he is fine with those rules.

The judge did not impose any additional restrictions. After the hearing, Freedman told an array of cameras outside the courthouse that he was pleased with the outcome.

“Our clients are devastated and want to move the case along as quickly as possible,” he said. “We just couldn’t be more pleased with how the case was handled today, how it was managed. We’re going to move as quickly as we possibly can and prove our innocence, in a world where sometimes people judge you before they give you a chance. And we’re…