Blake Lively tucks away Justin Baldoni legal drama with public appearance
Blake Lively stepped out for South by Southwest (SXSW) as she appeared unfazed by her ongoing legal battle with actor Justin Baldoni.
Lively made one of her first public appearances since she and “It Ends With Us” director and co-star Baldoni filed lawsuits against one another.
On Friday, Lively was all smiles as she posed for photographers, took photos with fans and signed autographs during the world premiere of her new movie, “Another Simple Favor.”
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Lively was all smiles as she posed for photographers, took photos with fans and signed autographs during the world premiere of her new movie, “Another Simple Favor.” (Michael Buckner/SXSW Conference; Festivals via Getty Images)
The actress wore a light pink latex dress with a black-laced embellished floral design. The ensemble featured a corset with a black rim that cinched her waist, and she wore a matching collared latex cover-up over it. Her hair was partially pinned up with loose waves.
Inside the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, the “Gossip Girl” alum spoke out about reprising her role as Emily Nelson in the sequel to the 2018 film “A Simple Favor.”
“I love this character so much. It’s probably my favorite character I’ve ever been fortunate enough to play . . . when Paul [Feig] asked us to come back, I was so excited,” Lively said during a panel, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“Another Simple Favor” star Blake Lively stepped out for the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival as she appeared unfazed by her ongoing legal battle with actor Justin Baldoni. (Michael Buckner/SXSW Conference; Festivals via Getty Images)
“I was really nervous on the first one, because we didn’t know if we were making a drama or a comedy . . . when we asked Paul, he said ‘Yes,’ which is not really an answer to the question.”
She continued, “But it worked out. So, I was like, ‘OK, no nerves. I know what I’m doing this time.’ And then right before shooting he said, ‘I have a little bit of a curveball idea.’”
Lively added, “It definitely upped the ante. It was very uncomfortable to watch in the theater with you guys.”
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Inside the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, the “Gossip Girl” alum spoke out about reprising her role as Emily Nelson in the sequel to the 2018 film “A Simple Favor.” (Michael Buckner/SXSW Conference; Festivals via Getty Images)
Her co-star Anna Kendrick was seen giving cryptic responses when asked what it was like working with Lively as her legal war unfolds with Baldoni.
“Oh, you know,” Kendrick said in a video, shared by Entertainment Tonight. She appeared to gloss over the question and proceeded to take photos with another fan.
Lively’s co-star Anna Kendrick was seen giving cryptic responses when asked what it was like working with Lively as her legal war unfolds with Baldoni.
In another video shared by Variety, the “Pitch Perfect” alum is asked how the release of “Another Simple Favor” has been affected by everything going on in the world.
BLAKE LIVELY VS. JUSTIN BALDONI: EVERYTHING TO KNOW
Kendrick quipped, “Why, what happened? I did ayahuasca, and the last year of my life is just gone.”
Reps for Lively and Kendrick did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The “Another Simple Favor” world premiere at SXSW comes after the legal drama continues between Lively and Baldoni.
Justin Baldoni filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against ‘It Ends With Us’ co-star Blake Lively after the actress accused him of sexual harassment. (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
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Lively and Baldoni’s legal team battled over a proposed protective order during a 90-minute hearing on Thursday.
The two parties have been arguing about how much protection and confidentiality is necessary in the case. Lively sued Baldoni in December for sexual harassment. However, Baldoni insisted in his lawsuit that Lively had “falsely” accused him in an attempt to repair her reputation after the fallout around the movie’s press tour after she took control of the film.
Justin Baldoni accused Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds of taking over the production of “It Ends With Us.” (Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images, Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Image.)
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Lively’s lawyers argued for an “attorney’s eyes only” (AEO) designation for evidence in the case, seemingly pushing for text messages with “high-profile individuals” to be kept hidden from the public.
Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said it was offensive to suggest the team would disregard a protective order from the court. The lawyer pushed back against the “attorneys’ eyes only” designation, stating his concern that Lively’s legal team was shifting the burden to the defense.
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Freedman also confirmed that there is no intention to disclose any information regarding Lively’s medical and psychological records.
Judge Lewis Liman noted that if something relevant to the case was discussed, the defense should be able to discuss and use it. However, the judge did not make a decision on which protective order would be put in place during Thursday’s hearing.
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
