Why Justin Baldoni’s Attorney Can’t Lose

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The outcome of Justin Baldoni’s dispute with Blake Lively regarding the book “It Ends With Us” remains uncertain, but it’s clear that his attorney, Bryan Freedman, has already secured a win in some capacity.

Disregarding the compensation based on billable hours, Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s fellow defendant and partner in Wayfarer Production Company, has allegedly committed $100 million to their defense fund. This case has significantly boosted Baldoni’s profile as an entertainment attorney, making him a recognizable figure not only due to his roster of high-profile troubled celebrities but also earning him a cover story in the Hollywood Reporter ahead of Lively’s accusations becoming public. Reminiscent of his fellow legal associate Mark Geragos who is known for his close ties with TMZ, Baldoni has now gained a level of fame comparable to a household name.

Freedman’s reputation is evident as his client’s ongoing struggle against one of Hollywood’s prominent power couples remains undecided. Most anticipated that Baldoni would issue an apology and fade away following Lively’s December attack, as reported in a high-profile New York Times article jointly written by Megan Twohey, a significant figure in the initiation of the #MeToo movement.

Instead, I took a stand and vowed to take legal action against anyone implicated, filing a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the paper, since then. I’ve made public a collection of documents I refer to as “evidence,” posted them on a website, and given numerous bold interviews to various media outlets. This has led to my legal team receiving pleas from Lively’s side for a judge to curb my statements. At the same time, Baldoni, who has become one of America’s prominent male advocates for women’s rights in recent years, has garnered significant backing from an unexpected coalition of supporters. These allies share a common bond: they are all clients of mine, boasting substantial media platforms.

Freedman has always viewed himself as a champion for the less fortunate, even when representing well-known, influential figures. However, it’s in his fights against powerful corporations, which he considers the real giants, that he truly makes his mark. In his disagreement with Lively, he aims to depict her as an establishment figure, a part of a corrupt and influential Hollywood network involving her pop star friend Taylor Swift (or perhaps no longer a friend, according to gossip magazines), and most significantly, her actor-producer spouse, Ryan Reynolds.

Regularly engaging in courtroom debates within the court of public sentiment, Freedman recognizes that people tend to align with underdog outsiders rather than entrenched authorities: figures like Katniss Everdeen, Luke Skywalker, Erin Brockovich. His strategy is to cast his clients, and himself, in today’s popular narratives of suppression and exclusion. (He attributes his strong protective instincts to unnamed childhood traumas.) In Freedman’s perspective, Lively embodies the bullying popular girl, while Baldoni represents the innocent target of unfair treatment.

Absolutely, a significant aspect of battling within the media landscape is engaging with it. While Freedman shares tips and intriguing comments about filings with his preferred media outlets, trusting that favorable voices on social platforms will boost his message, those who oppose him understand they’ll encounter his displeasure.

Yashar Ali is composing an article about you,” Freedman messaged me following the THR publication of a piece he disliked regarding his legal dispute with Baldoni over claims of script theft from a man suffering from cystic fibrosis. The implication was clear, suggesting that he had utilized a former client, online influencer and investigative journalist Yashar Ali, against an unreliable journalist. (Freedman had previously represented Ali in an unsuccessful defamation case against THR co-editor-in-chief Maer Roshan when he was editor of Los Angeles magazine.) Later on, when Freedman discovered that THR would be examining his connection with a questionable consultant whom Lively has accused of attempting to manipulate social media opinions during the conflict, he argued that this publication was colluding with Reynolds because his Deadpool & Wolverine business partners Disney and Marvel advertise in THR.

Freedman’s outspoken and aggressive demeanor distinguishes him from his more reserved Hollywood legal counterparts. He has been likened to Marty Singer, another lawyer known for charging clients for his loud rhetoric. This can be seen in his lengthy, demanding letters or his tendency to shout during phone calls. There’s a deliberate theatrical aspect to Singer’s anger, but Freedman’s passion seems sincere and personal. While some colleagues criticize his approach and even his arguments, clients appreciate his readiness to engage in modern-day courtroom battles in public.

Regardless of whether he wins or loses, the outcome for Freedman is never detrimental. Instead, his reputation – as well as his law firm’s caseload – consistently expands.

Read more stories from The Hollywood Reporter’s Lively vs. Baldoni digital package:

Justin Baldoni’s Leap of Faith

Lively vs. Baldoni Has Already “Changed Hollywood Publicity Forever”

A Timeline of the Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively ‘It Ends With Us’ Legal Battle

Read More

2025-02-21 18:54