Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, accusing him of defamation over his comments about the power couple’s alleged sexual harassment claims. The two accused Baldoni’s lawyer of making “inflammatory written statements” and leaking information to the press.
Lively and Reynolds claim that Freedman’s team released raw footage from a movie set, which they say shows Baldoni engaging in unwanted touching and causing Lively to appear visibly uncomfortable. However, Baldoni’s lawyers argue that the clip shows no wrongdoing and that their client had “nothing to hide”.
Many legal experts believe that Lively and Baldoni’s dispute should be settled out of court as soon as possible, with some experts saying that it’s a “battle of public opinion” rather than a serious legal case. They point out that the released footage doesn’t provide clear evidence for either side and that releasing it was a risky move.
“It’s a PR play,” said one expert. “They want everything out in the open to settle the case.” Over 90% of cases settle out of court, according to defamation attorney Jeff Lewis, who urges both sides to come to an agreement before things escalate further.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/in-justin-baldoni-v-blake-lively-its-not-only-a-legal-back-and-forth-but-a-battle-of-public-opinion-why-legal-experts-urge-a-settlement-000226742.html