Justin Baldoni is moving to narrow the scope of his ongoing legal battle with co-star Blake Lively, seeking to prevent the court from hearing testimony regarding the experiences of other women on and off the set of It Ends With Us. In a new filing submitted Friday, Baldoni asked a judge to block evidence from actress Jenny Slate and author Colleen Hoover, arguing that such accounts are irrelevant to the specific legal claims remaining in the case.
The motion comes as the two stars prepare for a trial scheduled for May in New York. The legal dispute, which evolved from the production of the 2024 film adaptation of Hoover’s novel, has shifted from broad allegations of misconduct to a more focused fight over contractual obligations and professional retaliation.
At the heart of the current filing is Baldoni’s attempt to prevent the jury from seeing what his legal team describes as a grab bag of minor confrontations and perceived slights. The defense argues that Lively is attempting to introduce “bad act” evidence to paint Baldoni and his associate, Jamey Heath, as villains rather than proving the specific elements of the surviving claims.
The dispute over ‘bad act’ evidence
Baldoni’s attorneys are specifically targeting evidence involving seven women, claiming these accounts are too attenuated from the legal issues at hand to be admissible. Among these is Jenny Slate, a co-star in the film, who reportedly complained to Lively that Baldoni had called her “sexy” while she was wearing black leather pants as part of her character’s wardrobe.
According to the filing, Slate raised her concerns with producer Alex Saks and subsequently received an apology from Baldoni. The defense notes that Slate herself testified that the matter was adequately resolved on set and that she experienced no further incidents. They argue that including this interaction would only serve to confuse the jury.
The motion also seeks to exclude evidence from Colleen Hoover, the author of the original book. Baldoni’s team contends that Hoover is an irrelevant witness because she was not present on the film set and held no contractual right to participate in the production, meaning she had no direct insight into Lively’s workplace experience.
Other witnesses under scrutiny
Beyond Slate and Hoover, the filing lists several other women whose testimonies Baldoni wishes to block, including:
- Alex Saks: A producer on the film.
- Isabela Ferrer: A co-star in the movie.
- Christy Hall: The film’s scriptwriter.
- Liz Plank: Co-host of a podcast featuring Baldoni and Jamey Heath.
- Claire Ayoub: A director who worked with Baldoni on a separate project.
Regarding Plank and Ayoub, the defense argues that because neither woman worked on It Ends With Us, their grievances are distinct from the claims Lively has made. The filing asserts that Lively was unaware of most of these incidents during filming, which undermines the argument that Baldoni created a hostile work environment.
The narrowing legal landscape
The fight over evidence follows a significant blow to Lively’s original lawsuit. Last week, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed 10 of the 13 claims Lively brought against Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios. The dismissed charges included those for defamation, conspiracy, and sexual harassment.
This judicial trimming has fundamentally changed the trajectory of the case. While the initial headlines focused on allegations of sexual misconduct on set, the trial in May will now center on a narrower set of professional and financial disputes.
| Claim Type | Current Legal Status |
|---|---|
| Sexual Harassment | Dismissed |
| Defamation | Dismissed |
| Conspiracy | Dismissed |
| Breach of Contract | Pending Trial |
| Retaliation | Pending Trial |
| Aiding and Abetting Retaliation | Pending Trial |
Lively had previously accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and alleged that Wayfarer Studios retaliated against her after she voiced concerns about his behavior. Baldoni and the studio have consistently denied all these allegations.
What this means for the May trial
The outcome of this motion will determine whether the trial remains a strict examination of contract and retaliation law or becomes a broader inquiry into Baldoni’s professional conduct with women in general. If Judge Liman grants the motion, the defense will have successfully shielded Baldoni from “pattern of behavior” evidence, forcing Lively to rely solely on her own experiences and a limited number of witnesses.
Conversely, if the evidence is admitted, the trial could expand into a character study of Baldoni’s leadership style and interpersonal interactions, which the defense argues is a strategy to convince the jury that the defendants are simply “bad guys” who deserve to be punished.
Note: This article discusses ongoing legal proceedings. All parties are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
The next major checkpoint in the case will be the judge’s ruling on this motion to block evidence, followed by final pretrial conferences leading up to the May start date in New York.
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