The high-profile legal showdown between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has entered yet another dramatic chapter — and things are getting messier.
Far from a typical Hollywood falling-out, the latest developments suggest this saga is heading into serious courtroom territory with no end in sight.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, a new lawsuit was filed on September 27, 2024, by a plaintiff under the name “Vanzan,” against several unnamed parties. The original report by Deadline claims the case centers on an alleged campaign to damage the plaintiff’s reputation and business — and both Lively and Baldoni are at the center of the controversy.
The suit alleges that the defendants breached confidentiality agreements and violated clauses of good faith and loyalty. While Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds are linked through their company Vanzan, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, adamantly denies their involvement.
“Lively’s and Reynolds’ company Vanzan had no connection to this case, and they knew it,” said Freedman in a statement on April 21. He accused the other side of using a “sham lawsuit” to gain subpoena power without judicial oversight, labeling the move a “flagrant abuse of process.”
Freedman further criticized the legal tactic, stating, “There is nothing normal about this.” He emphasized the responsibility of legal professionals to avoid filing baseless claims, particularly those that cannot identify a specific defendant.
However, Lively’s legal team — attorneys Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb — pushed back hard, arguing that their actions were standard legal procedures. According to them, this lawsuit is part of a broader, lawful investigation into a coordinated smear campaign Lively allegedly endured during the release of It Ends With Us in mid-2024.
Hudson and Gottlieb assert that Lively’s legal approach was “conscientious and thorough,” relying on tools like Doe lawsuits and civil subpoenas to uncover the truth. They claim the investigation revealed a disturbing pattern — including text messages from the so-called “Wayfarer Parties” explicitly plotting to “destroy” Blake Lively without detection.
This isn’t the first time tensions have flared between Lively and Baldoni. Their legal war began in December 2024 after Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and leading a targeted defamation effort during their collaboration on the film. As both sides dig in, it’s clear this dispute is far from over.