A judge has rejected what was deemed an “overly intrusive” attempt by Blake Lively to 

obtain Justin Baldoni’s phone records in an ongoing legal dispute. The actress had sought access to Baldoni’s communications, along with records from others allegedly involved in what she claims was a coordinated effort to damage her reputation. However, in a ruling 

filed on Friday and obtained by Fox News Digital, Judge Lewis Liman only partially granted 

Lively’s request, specifically barring her from obtaining Baldoni’s personal phone records.

Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, viewed the ruling as a significant victory, stating that it prevented what he called an inappropriate invasion of privacy. “The Court put a stop to Ms. Lively’s egregious attempt to invade our clients’ privacy,” Freedman said in a statement to Fox News Digital. He further characterized Lively’s efforts as an unfounded attempt to support claims that he argued had already been disproven. “This is a big win. No matter how the Lively Parties may try to spin this decision, the Court saw their efforts for what they really are: a desperate fishing expedition intended to salvage their debunked claims long after they already savaged our clients’ reputations in the New York Times.”

Despite denying access to Baldoni’s records, the court did provide Lively with alternative avenues to continue her investigation. The judge ruled that she could still pursue phone records of other individuals who may have played a role in the alleged campaign against her. In explaining his decision, Liman cited privacy concerns, emphasizing that even without the content of the calls or messages, phone records could reveal personal details about who Baldoni and others communicated with, including doctors, psychologists, or personal acquaintances.

“This request implicates legitimate privacy interests,” Liman wrote in his ruling. “Even though Lively has narrowed her request to exclude the content of calls or messages, the phone records themselves would still contain sensitive information regarding which doctors, psychologists, or even acquaintances the Wayfarer Parties spoke to, and when.” While Lively was blocked from accessing Baldoni’s phone data, she was granted permission to make specific discovery requests for the phone records of non-parties who might have been involved in the alleged smear effort.

The ruling clarified that while the Wayfarer Parties—those associated with Baldoni—could assert privacy rights over their own records, they had no standing to do so on behalf of other individuals. “Lively may make discovery requests tailored to those individuals,” the judge stated. “She is permitted to use the tools of discovery to identify the contact information or telephone numbers for those individuals. Even assuming additional individuals participated in the alleged campaign, the hope that discovery will turn up information on such participants does not justify the broad scope of the Subpoenas.”

Following the ruling, Lively’s legal team wasted no time in adjusting their approach. They announced that they would be resubmitting their requests with greater specificity, as required by the judge’s ruling. A spokesperson for Lively questioned why Baldoni’s legal team was so determined to keep the phone records hidden.

“What is Bryan Freedman hiding? After promising to release all the ‘receipts,’ Freedman ran into court to keep secret the phone records of who Baldoni, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, Wallace, and Abel were calling during their retaliatory campaign,” Lively’s representative told Fox News Digital.

The statement suggested that Lively’s team saw the ruling as an opportunity rather than a setback. “So, instead of getting these records from the phone carriers the way we initially requested, the judge has ruled that if we simply submit more specific requests, we will be able to get the records we are seeking. Today we will do that, we are submitting those requests directly to defendants involved, and we look forward to seeing the records.”

Lively, along with her husband Ryan Reynolds, had originally subpoenaed Baldoni’s phone records on February 13, citing suspicions of a coordinated effort to tarnish her reputation. The actress alleges that Baldoni launched a smear campaign against her after she accused him of sexual harassment on the set of “It Ends With Us.” Lively’s legal team, led by attorneys Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, believes the phone records will provide evidence of an orchestrated attack against her.

“Ms. Lively has initiated discovery that will expose the people, tactics, and methods that have worked to ‘destroy’ and ‘bury’ her reputation and family over the past year,” her attorneys stated. They also expressed confidence that they would soon obtain proof to support her claims.

“We will now receive all of the ‘receipts’ that, unsurprisingly, are nowhere to be found on Mr. Freedman’s website, and like Ms. Lively, those ‘receipts’ will have their day in court.”

As the legal battle continues, both sides remain locked in a heated dispute over privacy rights, alleged misconduct, and the search for evidence. While Lively’s attempt to access Baldoni’s records was denied, her ability to pursue the phone records of others leaves the case open for further developments.

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