Justin Baldoni moves forward in suing ex-publicist in new legal battle ahead of Blake Lively trial

Justin Baldoni scored a series of positive outcomes in his ongoing legal war against Blake Lively, as the presiding judge agreed to set new dates for pretrial proceedings, while allowing a lawsuit he's filed to move forward.

A federal judge said that Wayfarer, Baldoni's production firm, is authorized to continue in its defamation case against his ex-publicist Stephanie Jones, legal documents reviewed by Daily Mail revealed.

Wayfarer claimed in legal docs that Jones told Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Lively representative Leslie Sloane that the production firm had sought to smear Lively's reputation after she accused Baldoni of sexual misconduct.

Jones had petitioned the court to dismiss the lawsuit , but the court ruled that claims the firm made regarding Baldoni's one-time publicist merited further probing, according to legal documents.

Jones also was rebuffed in her request to attach producer Jamey Heath to ongoing litigation, according to court docs.

Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Baldoni and Lively for further comment on the story. 

A Wayfarer representative told Daily Mail Thursday in a statement: 'We're pleased with the Court's decision to deny Stephanie Jones' attempt to dismiss Wayfarer's lawsuit and to allow our core claims, including defamation and bad faith conduct, to move forward.'   

The judge ruled in favor of Baldoni and Wayfarer, also extending deadlines in the case, with an April 2 status conference on the docket.

The decision came after Baldoni's legal team claimed Lively's side bombarded them with an overload of documents as a tactical move with the trial looming in May.

Lawyers for Baldoni and other people associated with Wayfarer asked Southern District of New York Judge Lewis J. Liman for a Zoom meeting, and an extra week for filing deadlines and the pretrial conference.

Baldoni's legal team said in the filing that Lively's attorneys jammed up the proceedings with 'voluminous disclosures that are not practical for trial purposes,' according to court docs reviewed by People.

Lively's attorneys submit an 'overbreadth' of almost 1,000 items as possible exhibits and 40 people who could possibly serve as witnesses, Baldoni's legal team said in their filing.

With the trial rapidly approaching, Baldoni's lawyers said that it was not appropriate for them to have to contend with a 'document dump' in which they would have to review 'voluminous amounts of plainly inadmissible material.'

Baldoni's attorneys said it was essential to get more time as they go over the materials submit by the opposition; and  instructions for the trial jurors.

Lawyers for Baldoni said it was also 'premature' for a verdict sheet in the case to be prepared with so many moving parts, including a motion to dismiss filed by their side.

Lively's lawyers said March 26 that the requests made by the other side - claiming a 'document dump' - were nothing more than 'an incremental tactic to delay the trial' that 'should not be rewarded.'

The latest developments in Baldoni's favor come after he and Lively sat with Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave in a six-hour settlement meeting, in which they could not come to an accord ahead of a slated May 18 trial opening. 

The contentious legal battle has gone on more than a year: In December of 2024, Lively named Baldoni in a lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliatory conduct, and intentional infliction of emotional stress.

In her lawsuit, the actress accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her in multiple ways - including body shaming her - and orchestrating a smear campaign against her to damage her reputation. 

Lively also named a number of Baldoni's collaborators, including his company Wayfarer Studios, the studio's CEO and financial backer, and PR personnel.

Baldoni had initially asked for $250 million in damages from The New York Times, mentioning a report it published on the topic that he claimed was defamatory, then added it to the $400 million lawsuit he filed this past January.

In the suit, Baldoni named Lively, her spouse Ryan Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane, citing the aforementioned report in legal documents. It was thrown out of court this past June.  All parties have denied all of the allegations against them.

It Ends with Us earned $148 million in domestic box office and $350 million globally - but whatever goodwill the film garnered has since been overshadowed by the allegations made by its stars. 

The motion picture, which also starred Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar and Kevin McKidd, was based on the 2016 novel by Colleen Hoover.  

The storyline of the film centered around a toxic relationship between Lily Bloom (played by Lively) and Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni).

According to a logline for the film, Lily 'overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life,' as 'a chance meeting with a neurosurgeon sparks a connection but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents' relationship.' 

Lively broke out with the 2005 movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants opposite Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel and America Ferrera. 

That led to her high-profile role on the TV show Gossip Girl, which she starred on from 2007-2012, playing lead character Serena van der Woodsen.

She has also appeared in movies such as 2010's The Town, 2016's The Shallows, 2018's A Simple Favor and 2020's The Rhythm Section.

Prior to It Ends with Us, Baldoni was best known for playing the role of Rafael Solano on the TV show Jane the Virgin from 2014–2019. 

He also has directed films including 2019's Five Feet Apart and 2020's Clouds, and penned the 2021 book Man Enough, which tackled misconceptions of contemporary masculinity.