NEW YORK — A U.S. judge on Monday admonished lawyers for Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively not to publicly discuss the actors’ competing civil lawsuits stemming from Lively’s claim that Baldoni sexually harassed her while filming the movie “It Ends with Us.”
Lively’s lawyer Michael Gottlieb complained to U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman at a hearing in Manhattan federal court that Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman violated professional ethics rules for lawyers by accusing Lively of “bullying.”
“It’s very hard to un-ring the bell,” Gottlieb said, arguing that such statements could taint the jury pool for the scheduled March 2026 trial.
Freedman suggested that his comments to People magazine and in a podcast appearance were a response to a Dec. 21 New York Times article that “completely devastated” Baldoni. “This has not been a one-way street,” he said.
Liman adopted a New York state rule barring most out-of-court statements that could affect a case’s outcome, with an exception for protecting a client from prejudicial adverse publicity.
The judge could sanction lawyers for violations. Neither Gottlieb nor Freedman objected. Neither Lively nor Baldoni attended Monday’s hearing.
In a statement to USA TODAY following the hearing, Lively’s attorneys Gottlieb and Esra Hudson celebrated the outcome of the pretrial conference, noting, “The court granted our request that all attorneys in the matter actually follow the rule of law and not make any statements that could prejudice a jury.”
“We are pleased with the result of today’s hearing and eager to move forward immediately with discovery in this case,” the attorneys said. “This case deals with serious allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation. We will hold the defendants accountable, and we are confident that once all the evidence is submitted in this matter, Ms. Lively will prevail.”
Lively sued Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios on Dec. 31.
Her claims included that Baldoni, who also directed “It Ends with Us,” kissed her beyond what was required during a scene he insisted be shot “over and over again.”
Lively also said Baldoni retaliated by launching a public smear campaign in anticipation of the sexual harassment allegations becoming public.
Baldoni and Wayfarer countered with a $400 million defamation lawsuit on Jan. 16, saying the harassment allegations were false and Lively initiated the unchoreographed kissing.
They also accused Lively of plotting to release her own cut of the film, ousting Baldoni from marketing efforts, and using promotional efforts for the film to advertise her hair care and alcoholic beverage products.
Baldoni and Wayfarer have also sued the New York Times for $250 million, accusing the newspaper of defamation for uncritically taking Lively’s side in the Dec. 21 article.
The Mazda Miata is a car that remains forever young, even as it reaches its mid-30s. To celebrate, Mazda has announced a special-edition 35th Anniversary model that will be available in the U.S. for 2025. The existence of the anniversary MX-5 was no secret, as the car was revealed in Japan in October 2024. Mazda said in December the car would be coming to America, but plans and details about the U.S. model have been under wraps until now.
Mazda chose the Rolex 24 at Daytona as the backdrop to its announcement, appropriately timed with the MX-5 Cup race. Mazda showcased the 35th Anniversary alongside a Miata-only parking area and several Miata models from the Mazda North American Operations collection.
The 35th Anniversary will be limited to 300 cars in the U.S. and will only be available in Artisan Red Metallic—a glittery wine red, slightly darker than Mazda’s famous Soul Red Crystal, which was first seen on the CX-90. Wheels are 17-inchers in a multispoke bright finish wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza tires. A beige soft top folds back to reveal tan nappa leather Grand Touring seats, which are more comfort-oriented. There’s also tan carpeting and floor mats as well as color-matched trim around the climate vents and upper door panel. Anniversary badges including the car’s serial number offer a callout on the front fender, while an interior reminder is embossed into the headrest.
The Miata earned its reputation as a sports car due to its accessible handling and enjoyable driving characteristics, and the 35th anniversary will be no different. It features tuned Bilstein dampers, an asymmetric limited-slip differential, and a stiffened shock tower, all of which are also on the Grand Touring trim. With no changes to the driveline or curb weight, we expect the 35th Anniversary to share performance numbers with the previous RF Club, which had a zero-to-60-mph time of 5.5 seconds, a quarter-mile time of 14.3 seconds, and a skidpad result of 0.90 g.
The 35th Anniversary features the same Skyactiv-G 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. Customers for the special edition will benefit from all the equipment found on the Grand Touring trim, including heated seats (a must in a convertible), wireless phone connectivity, Alexa Built-In, Bose audio, and native nav in an 8.8-inch infotainment screen. The 35th Anniversary is only available as a softtop convertible and with the six-speed manual, so it’s top-down and revs up (to a 7500-rpm redline) as the only option.
The Miata earned its reputation as a sports car due to its accessible handling and enjoyable driving characteristics, and the 35th anniversary will be no different. It features tuned Bilstein dampers, an asymmetric limited-slip differential, and a stiffened shock tower, all of which are also on the Grand Touring trim. With no changes to the driveline or curb weight, we expect the 35th Anniversary to share performance numbers with the previous RF Club, which had a zero-to-60-mph time of 5.5 seconds, a quarter-mile time of 14.3 seconds, and a skidpad result of 0.90 g.
