Originally appeared on E! Online
Justin Baldoni is adding a big name to his legal team.
The “It Ends With Us” director has enlisted criminal defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro to represent him in his ongoing dispute with Blake Lively over the 2024 film, according to court records obtained by People Sept. 18.
Shapiro — who was part of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense team in his sex trafficking trial earlier this year and served as one of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s first clerks on the Supreme Court — formally declared her role on Baldoni’s team in a notice of appearance filed last week, the outlet reported.
E! News has reached out to Shapiro as well as Baldoni’s rep for comment but has not heard back.
While the Jane the Virgin alum’s $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds — in which he accused the couple of defamation—was dismissed by a New York court in June, the legal matter seems to be far from over.
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In court documents obtained by NBC News earlier this month, the actress’ lawyers argued that Baldoni should cover her legal fees as the “prevailing defendant” in the case. They also stated that she is “entitled to compensation for all harm caused to her” by Baldoni and his team, including his Wayfarer Studios company and his lawyer Bryan Freedman.
“The Wayfarer Parties — with and through their lead attorney, Mr. Freedman — brought and maintained claims that were not based on factual or legal merit,” Lively’s attorneys wrote in the filing, “but instead a deliberate plan to discredit Ms. Lively and to harm her and her husband by suing them.”
The Gossip Girl alum’s team also asked that the motion be approved “prior to, and separate from” her upcoming trial against Baldoni, stemming from the sexual harassment lawsuit she filed against him in December. That matter is slated to go before a jury in March 2026, with him denying all allegations.
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
PHOTOSJustin Baldoni, Blake Lively
Another “It Ends With Us” star, Isabela Ferrer – who played the younger version of Blake Lively’s character – is accusing Justin Baldoni of “harassing” her to share communications that he believes are relevant to his and Lively’s ongoing legal dispute.
