Lively Lawyers Accuse Baldoni of Delaying Trial Prep

Blake Lively's legal dispute with her "It Ends With Us" co-star and director Justin Baldoni escalated this week as her attorneys accused his team of delaying key trial preparations in a New York federal court. The case, centered on allegations of workplace retaliation, is set to begin on May 18 in Manhattan, following a judge's recent dismissal of most of Lively's original claims.

In a letter filed on April 7 to U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman, Lively's lawyers demanded that Baldoni and his co-defendants disclose by April 8 whether they plan to testify in person or through recorded depositions. The attorneys argued that the lack of clarity hinders preparation for the joint pretrial order due April 10, including witness lists and exhibit exchanges. "The presence or absence of those parties at trial will substantially affect the presentation of evidence, including the order of witnesses, the parties' preparation for testimony and the court's pretrial rulings," they wrote, suggesting the delay creates a strategic advantage for the defense.

Baldoni's attorney, Ellyn Garofalo, responded in an email quoted in the filing that the court has limited subpoena power over out-of-state...