The dueling lawsuits between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni haven’t even made it to trial yet, but the case continues to generate controversy in equal measure with headlines. Blake Lively’s side recently scored a solid win with a judge’s ruling but it sounds like some of her famous friends, including Hugh Jackman, may not have been so lucky.
We’re heading toward the pre-trial discovery phase of the legal proceedings, where both sides will be looking to gather as much evidence for their respective lawsuits as possible. Lively’s win involves limiting how some of that evidence will be handled, while it’s now being suggested Hugh Jackman and others may end up playing their own part soon.
Why Hugh Jackman May Be Involved In The Lawsuit Against Black Lively
Justin Baldoni’s side of the legal battle is a $400 million defamation lawsuit against both Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, as well as the New York Times, which published Lively’s claims of sexual harassment. The suit claims, among other things, that the character of “Nicepool,” as played by Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine was meant to intentionally mock Justin Baldoni. As such a source tells the Daily Mail that Jackman would likely be disposed as part of the suit, saying…
Hugh will be deposed if this goes to trial. There is no way that he cannot. Baldoni’s legal team is doing everything they need to do to get a full scope of Ryan’s conduct during the time that It Ends with Us was filmed. As Ryan’s good friend, who starred in the film and was with Blake and Ryan many times in private during that time, his deposition will likely be crucial. They are not going to leave any stone unturned.
Certainly, as Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds are close friends who were making a movie together at the time that much of this was going down, it’s understandable why Hugh Jackman might have information, assuming there’s any information to have. One has to wonder if other friends of Lively that she spent time with during this period, like Taylor Swift, might also get roped into the proceedings.
The Judge Agreed To Blake Lively’s Request To Limit Access To Some Evidence
While some major celebrities might end up getting deposed in the process, not all of the information they provide will necessarily get out. A lot of the details of the dueling lawsuits have already been argued over in the media. Lively’s legal team had asked the judge to limit much of the information from the discovery process so that it wouldn’’t make its way out in the world. The judge has largely agreed with Lively, ruling (via Deadline) that some information will be limited to “attorney’s eyes only” including…
- Trade secrets; confidential business plans, marketing plans, and strategies for clients other than the parties in this litigation;
- Security measures taken by parties or third parties;
- Medical information of parties or third parties;
- Highly personal and intimate information about third parties
Not all information of these types will be limited. It will only qualify for this level of protection if it is viewed as “highly likely to cause a significant business, commercial, financial, or privacy injury.” This certainly allows for some wiggle room as the definitions of “highly” and “significant” are certainly open to some interpretation.