The Hot bench The judges believe it is still too early to make a decision Justin Baldoni And Blake Lively‘s ongoing legal battle.
“I think that so much more will happen here that you could change your mind every two minutes,” says Richter Rachel Juarez exclusively shared with Us weekly before celebrating Hot bench‘S 2,000th episode on Thursday, January 23rd. “Every time someone says something, you can change your mind. I waive judgment. I have some strong opinions that are slowly emerging. But I don’t think we know yet.”
Juarez and her companion Hot bench Judge Michael Corriero And Yodit Tewolde are unrelated to the case.
In December 2024, The New York Times brought the news that Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and allegedly launched a “social manipulation” campaign against her to “destroy” her reputation. (Baldoni has denied the allegations via his attorney Bryan Freedman.)
The alleged feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni made headlines months before the It Ends With Us co-stars filed lawsuits. While Lively and Baldoni were promoting the film in August 2024, rumors began circulating about an alleged feud between the two. Fans noticed that Lively was promoting the film with some of her co-stars, while Baldoni, the (…)
Baldoni later sued The New York Times for defamation and false invasion of privacy. (A New York Times The spokesman stood by the story, saying it was “meticulously and responsibly reported.”
The Jane the Virgin Star also sued Lively over 400 million dollars in damages and accused the actress that she was “determined to make Baldoni the real villain in her story.” (Lively has too denied everything about him allegations.)
“When you file a lawsuit like this and you pick a number, you’re really just starting with a number out of nowhere,” Juarez explained Us if you react to it $400 million figure. “No one has actually calculated the actual damage.”
She described Freedman as a “smart guy” and “strategic lawyer” who may have “wanted the shocking value of the $400 million.”
“Even if he does recover, that seems to me an unlikely amount for actual recovery,” Juarez continued. “But I think they sent a message saying, ‘This is so bad what she did.’ It’s a $400 million problem.’”
Judge Tewolde joked that she was waiting to “see more evidence” before choosing a side in the high-profile legal battle.
She pointed to a new video one It ends with us Scene that Baldoni’s team believes proves his point of view.
“Justin Baldoni’s team released the unedited footage of that one clip and after watching the film off and on, piecing it together and comparing it to the words in her complaint, I kind of don’t really see anything,” she shared, “but I do “I’ll wait and see how things develop.”
All judges agree that this case will be “fascinating.”
“I saw the film and thought it was a great film with a good message and that it was very well done, but I think what it all comes down to is the actual unedited versions of the scenes that are a problem.” “said Judge Corriero. “I think that will be very important to the judge and jury.”
Juarez added: “It’s such an evolving process. This will be a fascinating affair.”
The Hot bench Judges have been handling their own unique cases on the small screen for several years. On January 23, the trio celebrated 2,000 episodes of their court show, which featured a three-judge panel for the first time.
UPDATE 01/16/25 at 12:43 PM ET: Justin Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios filed a $400 million lawsuit on Thursday, January 16, against It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively and her publicist Leslie Sloane. In the 179-page filing obtained by Us Weekly, Baldoni claimed that Lively was “determined” to make him a “real villain in her story.” (…)
While their litigants are far less famous, Juarez, Corriero and Tewolde are determined to get the right verdict in every case.
“You will learn why we come to a conclusion and whether we can reach a consensus together or what our motivations are,” Corriero teased. “I think that makes it a little more interesting because it maybe gives us a chance to inform each other, test each other’s views and have a conversation.”
Hot bench airs weekdays. Check yours local entries.
