It’s a small world, after all. Justin Baldoni is at the mercy of his legal team now that his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively‘s official complaint has levelled explosive allegations against the actor/director. Coming to his rescue in this legal fight, attorney Bryan Freedman has expanded his profile of illustrious clients. In addition to speaking on behalf of the Jane the Virgin star and doing his best to shut down the Gossip Girl actress’ sexual harassment filing, the celebrated lawyer is representing the Menendez Brothers’ family in yet another current high-profile case that has consumed mainstream headlines.
Before jumping in and slamming Lively’s accusations as “shameful,” Freedman earned his spot in the limelight, fuelling Eric and Lyle Menendez’s fight for freedom after murdering their parents, Kitty and Jose. While in their case, a considerable majority of the public is counting on them to break free from behind bars, believing that the Menendez Brothers did what they did in 1989 in self-defence, the support on Baldoni’s side is gradually dwindling.
Justin Baldoni- Menendez Brothers ‘ cases on the same page?
In the Menendez case, the past year has been crucial in garnering massive support for the brothers to be released as new evidence has spelled out a heart-rending history of alleged childhood abuse the duo was subjected to. Meanwhile, during a months-long campaign of It Ends With Us promotions, fans developed distasteful reflexes to Blake downplaying the traumatic undertones of the film’s themes. However, that narrative has completely flipped the table on Baldoni, who has been accused of initiating a “smear campaign” against Lively. Both ongoing cases under Bryan Freedman’s belt have witnessed developments in the opposite direction regarding his client’s perceived credibility.
The attorney will finally return to the Menendez case in January. Until then, all his focus will be on Baldoni’s case.
After Lively alleged in her court documents that Baldoni was keen on destroying her reputation, Freedman released a statement on his behalf. “These claims are completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media,” he said. “It is shameful that Ms Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation, which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real-time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinion.”
Justin Baldoni’s Johnny Depp connection
On the other hand, even the crisis management team representing Baldoni shares links to numerous celebrities in light of recent scandals these past few years. Publicist Melissa Nathan and her PR firm, The Agency PR, have untangled numerous previous messy legal predicaments. Before her involvement in the Baldoni case, Nathan joined hands with Johnny Depp during his 2022 defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard. The agency website boasts that it “redefines the rules of reputation management” with “years of success behind some of the most noteworthy, high-profile crisis and litigation events in recent history.” Additionally, the client roster includes top celebrities like Drake and Travis Scott. The bombshell filing against Justin also accuses him of showing naked videos and other X-rated images of women to Blake. He is also believed to have heavily alluded to his porn addiction during the filming of It Ends With Us.
