Justin Baldoni faces financial and emotional struggles amid Blake Lively 'It Ends With Us' lawsuit

Justin Baldoni's legal dispute with his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively has taken a significant toll on him both financially and emotionally, according to his lawyer Bryan Freedman, who spoke at a pre-trial conference in Manhattan on Monday.  

Addressing the judge overseeing the ongoing lawsuits, Freedman stated that the allegations Lively made against Baldoni, along with co-defendants Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, their production company Wayfarer Studios, and publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, have resulted in substantial damages.  

"My grave concern is that my clients suffered hundreds of millions of dollars of prejudice as a result of actions they were blindsided by," he said.  

Freedman also urged the judge to expedite the case, arguing that his clients were "suffering greatly."  

Michael Gottlieb, the attorney representing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, maintained that they were not deliberately delaying proceedings.  

Lively’s lawsuit, filed in New York on New Year’s Eve, accuses Baldoni of sexual harassment and alleges that he and his associates orchestrated a public smear campaign against her. These allegations were also included in her California Civil Rights Department Complaint against Baldoni.  

He has denied all accusations.  

Baldoni, in turn, has filed a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and countersued Lively, alleging civil extortion, defamation, and additional claims against her and Reynolds. Lively’s legal team has rejected his accusations.  

"Our clients are devastated and want to move the case along as quickly as possible," Freedman stated outside the courtroom on Monday.  

"We just couldn’t be more pleased with how the case was handled today, how it was managed. We’re going to move as quickly as we possibly can and prove our innocence, in a world where sometimes people judge you before they give you a chance. And we’re going to change that."  

Lively’s attorneys also expressed satisfaction with Monday’s hearing.  

"We are pleased with the result of today’s hearing and eager to move forward immediately with discovery in this case," attorneys Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson said in a statement, according to People.