Justin Baldoni’s legal team has a pointed message for Blake Lively: you can’t have your cookies and eat them too. The latest filing in the ongoing legal war accuses Lively of flooding the court with dozens of last-minute exhibits—including a link to a Taylor Swift cookie recipe, which have no place in a courtroom.
The Wayfarer Studios legal team submitted documents on Friday requesting additional time to review a series of exhibits filed early that morning. Among the 68 exhibits, Baldoni’s lawyers argue, is material so irrelevant it would never reach a jury. The Lively cookie recipe filing includes a link to an article about Swift’s famous baking instructions, described by Baldoni’s team as “exceptionally unlikely” to be shown at trial.
Beyond the baking reference, Lively also submitted photos of herself with Taylor Swift and a speech she delivered about husband Ryan Reynolds’ dedication as a family man. Baldoni’s attorneys argue these materials seem designed for media consumption rather than legal strategy.
The filing asks the judge for approximately one week to review the 68 exhibits submitted early Friday morning. Baldoni’s team also wants Lively’s witness and exhibit lists narrowed down to something “reasonably suitable for trial.”
Lively has named Reynolds as a key witness expected to testify about the film’s production and promotion, along with the alleged retaliation she claims to have suffered. Her witness list also includes co-stars Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer, author Colleen Hoover, and her sister Robyn Lively.
Baldoni has confirmed he will testify in person despite being dismissed as a defendant. He will be joined by producer Jamey Heath and crisis publicist Melissa Nathan to refute what his team calls “false allegations of a smear campaign.”
The back-and-forth comes after a significant legal setback for Lively. A federal judge dismissed 10 of her 13 claims earlier this month, including sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy allegations. Only breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation claims remain scheduled for trial.
Both parties have rejected settlement talks. The civil trial is set to begin May 18 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and is expected to last approximately 15 days.
For now, the legal jockeying continues, with cookie recipes now officially part of the court record.
