“Justin has been destroyed by this"—Justin Baldoni's lawyer explains why Blake Lively settlement is unlikely before the trial

It's been three months since actress Blake Lively filed a legal complaint against Justin Baldoni and accused him of s*xually harassing her on the sets of the movie It Ends With Us.

According to a recent article by the Daily Mail, Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, admitted that the chances of a settlement between the parties are not on the cards for now. The high-profile lawyer said that his client (Baldoni) has been "destroyed by this" as he expressed his opinion on the ongoing trials between the celebrities on the Town podcast by Matthew Belloni. The host asked Freedman,

"How long can this go on? I do not believe there will be a trial in this case. I just think that the potential for the circus and the damage to both sides here will ultimately win out and you guys will settle. So if that's the case, why not just settle now?"

Belloni then wondered as to how much it will take for the case to come to a settlement. Freedman then continued and said that Baldoni refers to cases like these as circus, but the reality of going through cases like these is even worse.

"You keep referring to it as a circus, and I get it," You see a lot of cases. You see a lot of things and you do a great job, but the reality is this is not a circus when you go through an experience like this."

He further mentioned that trials have become important to prove one's innocence. Freedman said that he represented many people at their worst but hasn't seen anyone like Justin, as this case has destroyed his reputation.

"I've represented a lot of people in the worst moments of their careers, the worst moments of their life. Justin has been destroyed by this. This is a really serious thing, and in this day and age, the only way that you can truly get back is to prove your innocence."

Freedman further continued,

"And that's what we're actively working to. So that may only be able to be done in a courtroom."

He emphasized that it has now become quite difficult for the both the parties to sit down for a settlement.

Timeline of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's case

Blake Lively filed a case against Justin Baldoni on December 31 in federal court. She accused Baldon of s*xually harassing her on the sets of the movie It Ends With Us. She also accused him of intentional affliction of emotional distress, retaliation, and negligence.

On December 31 itself, Baldoni filed another $250 million lawsuit accusing the popular publication New York Times of publishing an article about the alleged smear campaign he tried to start against his co-star.

Blake Lively at the 69th Cannes Festival (Image via Getty)

He also filed a $400 million defamation case against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds and accused the couple of trying to create their own narrative and taking control of the movie It Ends With Us.

Lively and Baldoni both have denied all the allegations. The New York Times has also requested Baldoni withdraw the case, as the publication denies all allegations, as per the Daily Mail.

Baldoni has also created a website that contains documents related to Lively's case. Freedman has clarified that the website has been created so that documents are accessible to all. The website also includes footage from the sets of It Ends With Us, and Lively's lawyer has demanded a gag to be issued against the website.