Attorneys for Blake Lively and her former 맥스카지노�It Ends with Us맥스카지노� director and co-star Justin Baldoni, whom she has accused of sexually harassing her during the film맥스카지노�s fraught production, met in federal court for the first time on Monday, amid their complex legal saga that has been subject to weeks of dissection by social media spectators.Neither Lively nor Baldoni were in the New York court for the pre-trial conference, where Judge Lewis Liman advised their attorneys to avoid making statements in public that could prejudice the proceedings. If the parties try to litigate this case in the press, the judge said he has the ability to move up the trial, currently scheduled for March 2026.Attorneys for both Lively and Baldoni emphasized in court the negative impact the case has had on their clients.맥스카지노�My clients are devastated financially and emotionally,맥스카지노� Baldoni맥스카지노�s attorney Bryan Freedman said, adding that his clients have suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. He said they want the case to move forward quickly for the sake of their 맥스카지노�future livelihood.맥스카지노�Lively맥스카지노�s attorney Michael Gottlieb said the 맥스카지노�retaliation campaign맥스카지노� by Baldoni맥스카지노�s team has been 맥스카지노�devastating맥스카지노� for her.맥스카지노�You맥스카지노�re not supposed to launch attacks on the other party맥스카지노�s character,맥스카지노� he said.Gottlieb said he plans to file an amended complaint by Feb. 14 that includes new claims and additional defendants.How we got hereBaldoni 맥스카지노� a writer, director and producer who also built a brand around encouraging men to be better allies to women 맥스카지노� and Lively have been in a legal battle that began in December, when Lively accused him of sexual harassment and retaliation in a complaint first filed with the California Civil Rights Department, preceding a civil lawsuit that followed about a week later.Baldoni, meanwhile, has denied Lively맥스카지노�s allegations. Last month, he filed a lawsuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of civil extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy.At the time, Lively맥스카지노�s lawyer맥스카지노�s told CNN in a statement that Baldoni맥스카지노�s suit 맥스카지노�is another chapter in the abuser playbook. This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim.맥스카지노�The movie, from Sony Pictures, was released in August 2024 and grossed more than $148 million domestically. Based on Colleen Hoover맥스카지노�s 2016 novel of the same name, 맥스카지노�It Ends With Us맥스카지노� spotlights domestic violence in a couple, which was portrayed on-screen by Lively and Baldoni.Both Baldoni and Lively provided in their suits text messages they say make their cases. Baldoni맥스카지노�s team also released video footage from the actors맥스카지노� time working together and, on Saturday, published a website with his amended complaint and a timeline of the film맥스카지노�s production. Baldoni was also heard in an audio recording published by TMZ apologizing to Lively, reportedly sent while they were working on the project.CNN has not independently verified the text messages included in either Baldoni or Lively맥스카지노�s lawsuits, nor the audio recording.Baldoni맥스카지노�s lawsuit claims that Lively, who is best known for her work on the CW맥스카지노�s 맥스카지노�Gossip Girl맥스카지노� and in 맥스카지노�The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants맥스카지노� films, sought to take over much of the film맥스카지노�s creative direction, including having Reynolds re-write a scene to make 맥스카지노�unauthorized changes to the script in secret.맥스카지노� (Reynolds had no formal role on 맥스카지노�It Ends With Us.맥스카지노�)The suit claims that Lively 맥스카지노�summoned맥스카지노� Baldoni to the penthouse she shares with Reynolds in New York City for a meeting about the script, where Reynolds, along with a 맥스카지노�megacelebrity friend맥스카지노� of the couple, praised Lively맥스카지노�s proposed revisions to the script.One of the text messages included in Baldoni맥스카지노�s suit appears to show an exchange between Baldoni and Lively about her proposed script changes: 맥스카지노�I really love what you did. It really does help a lot. Makes it so much more fun and interesting. (And I would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor),맥스카지노� he wrote with a wink emoji.While Baldoni맥스카지노�s text message does not include a last name for 맥스카지노�Taylor,맥스카지노� Lively is close friends with the artist Taylor Swift. CNN previously reached out to representatives for Baldoni, Lively, Reynolds and Taylor Swift to inquire whether the 맥스카지노�Taylor맥스카지노� mentioned in Baldoni맥스카지노�s text is, in fact, Swift.In one of Lively맥스카지노�s text messages in Baldoni맥스카지노�s suit, the actress makes reference to her friends, stating, 맥스카지노�If you ever get around to watching 맥스카지노�Game of Thrones,맥스카지노� you맥스카지노�ll appreciate that I맥스카지노�m Khaleesi, and like her, I happen to have a few dragons.맥스카지노�Both Lively and Baldoni claim in their lawsuits to have been the subject of retaliatory publicity campaigns by the other.In Lively맥스카지노�s suit, she accuses Baldoni맥스카지노�s PR representatives of orchestrated attempts to hurt her reputation in the media as part of a 맥스카지노�social manipulation campaign.맥스카지노�In his suit, Baldoni refuted that claim, accusing Lively and Reynolds of 맥스카지노�deploying their enormous power to steal an entire film right out of the hands of its director and production studio.맥스카지노� Further, the suit accuses Lively and her publicity team of creating a 맥스카지노�smear campaign against Baldoni and Wayfarer to deflect attention맥스카지노� away from criticism Lively received during the press tour for 맥스카지노�It Ends With Us.맥스카지노�Baldoni has also sued the New York Times for $250 million, accusing the newspaper of working alongside Lively맥스카지노�s team to publish a one-sided article that benefited Lively and contained doctored evidence.The New York Times has denied Baldoni맥스카지노�s allegations and said it stands by its reporting.A public feudThe legal filings in this case are only part of the story. Representatives for Lively and Baldoni have continued to spar over the information being provided to the public outside of court.Lively맥스카지노�s lawyers have accused Baldoni맥스카지노�s attorney, Bryan Freedman, of making 맥스카지노�misleading and selective맥스카지노� statements about Lively and her ongoing legal dispute with Baldoni, and previously asked the judge in their case for a hearing 맥스카지노�to address the appropriate conduct of counsel moving forward.맥스카지노�At Monday맥스카지노�s hearing, Gottlieb referenced the website Baldoni맥스카지노�s lawyer launched days ago, which contains documents pertaining to the legal battle.Gottlieb said he did not have an issue with the website posting court filings, but expressed concern that potential evidence would be released to the public in a one-sided manner and create an 맥스카지노�arms race to the media맥스카지노� over issues that should be resolved in court.맥스카지노�It맥스카지노�s very hard to unring the bell if you don맥스카지노�t have any limitations,맥스카지노� he said.Freedman said Lively맥스카지노�s team had 맥스카지노�very pointedly used the press,맥스카지노� and pointed out that damage can occur before a jury even hears the case.맥스카지노�That맥스카지노�s the reason why you both have sued,맥스카지노� Liman responded. 맥스카지노�I get it. I get it.맥스카지노�