New York, New York – Justin Baldoni’s legal team cited the hit series Heated Rivalry in their latest bid to dismiss the charges brought against him by Blake Lively.
On Thursday, the 41-year-old filmmaker made another attempt to fight his It Ends With Us co-star’s case, where she has accused him of sexual harassment and retaliation.
Per Variety, Baldoni’s attorney referenced the HBO Max sports romance during a court hearing.
“I don’t know if the court is familiar with the show Heated Rivalry,” attorney Jonathan Bach said, sparking laughter in the courtroom.
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Bach laid out an argument using the show – which focuses on the relationship between two closeted male hockey players – to dispute Lively’s claim that Baldoni’s improvised intimacy during the filming of It Ends With Us amounted to gender-based harassment.
Lawyers representing the 38-year-old actor claimed that Baldoni had kissed and nuzzled her without her consent while they filmed an intimate scene for the movie.
Her attorneys argued that Baldoni’s improvisation provided the basis of a claim of gender-based discrimination, but his team argued that if one of the male actors on Heated Rivalry had improvised in an intimate scene, the same claim could not be made.
Baldoni’s team said during the hearing that Lively knew that It Ends With Us would be a “sexy” and “steamy” shoot, but her lawyers emphasized that Baldoni initiated intimate acts Lively had not consented to.
The co-stars’ legal battle once again dominated the headlines this week, as newly unsealed texts revealed that involvement of Lively’s superstar friend Taylor Swift in the drama.
The 36-year-old singer slammed Baldoni in texts to Lively, saying in one message, “I think this b***h knows something is coming because he’s gotten out his tiny violin.”
Other notable messages released included texts from It Ends With Us star Jenny Slate, who played the sister of Baldoni’s character.
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In messages to her team, the 43-year-old said that she did not want to do any press with Baldoni, claiming that the movie shoot was “really gross and disturbing”.
Lively and Baldoni are set to go to trial on May 18, with both stars expected to testify.
