Justin Baldoni pulls high profile attorney to legal team

The battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively is heating up.

Baldoni has added Alexandra Shapiro, a high-profile attorney, to his legal team. Shapiro, known for representing clients like Sean "Diddy" Combs and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, brings significant expertise to the case.

The controversy began in December 2024 when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliation during the production of "It Ends With Us."

The actor and director of the movie denied the allegations and filed a $400 million countersuit for defamation and extortion, which was dismissed in June 2025. The dismissal allowed Lively's lawsuit to proceed, with a trial scheduled for March 2026.

The conflict escalated recently when U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman rejected Baldoni's request to extend the discovery deadline to depose Taylor Swift. Baldoni's attorneys had sought an extension through October to question Swift, whose name appeared in earlier filings.

Meanwhile, Lively's attorneys have filed motions seeking sanctions against Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, for allegedly violating the court's protective order.

Lively's lawyers accused Freedman of making "biased and inflammatory pretrial indictments" against Lively's character and reputation. 

They also condemned his "ghoulish taunt" after he gave an exclusive interview, saying he wanted to depose Lively at Madison Square Garden, sell tickets, and livestream the appearance.

This isn't the first time Freedman has faced sanctions; Lively's lawyers filed another motion in August after details of her deposition leaked to the media.

The next court hearing is scheduled for October 21, where both parties will likely discuss the ongoing discovery and potential trial preparations.