Blake Lively Moves to Exclude Viral Interview, ‘Mean Girl’ Claims Ahead of “It Ends with Us ”Trial
Blake Lively Moves to Exclude Viral Interview, ‘Mean Girl’ Claims Ahead of “It Ends with Us ”Trial
Elizabeth RosnerTue, April 21, 2026 at 8:25 PM UTC
0
Blake LivelyCredit: TheStewartofNY/WireImage -
Justin Baldoni's Wayfarer has named journalist Kjersti Flaa as a witness ahead of the May 18 trial, tying her to the resurfaced interview and “mean girl” claims
Blake Lively's lawyers want to exclude Flaa's testimony, saying it adds little and could unfairly influence the jury
According to Lively's filing, Wayfarer intends to use the testimony to support its “organic backlash” defense, arguing it reflects Lively's reputation before her alleged smear campaign claims
Blake Lively is asking a judge to limit how a viral interview and “mean girl” claims are presented at her upcoming It Ends With Us trial, as the team representing Wayfarer Studios, co-founded by Justin Baldoni, argues her reputation predates any alleged smear campaign.
In a motion submitted April 11, Lively's lawyers pointed to a 2016 interview with journalist Kjersti Flaa that resurfaced in August 2024 and went viral, fueling online criticism that labeled the actress “rude,” “tone deaf” and labeled her as having “mean girl energy.”
Lively's legal team is seeking to exclude Flaa from testifying altogether after the defense called her as a potential witness.
The request is part of a broader set of pretrial motions from both Lively and Wayfarer, as each side seeks to limit what evidence jurors ultimately hear, including material they argue could be misleading or prejudicial.
The Gossip Girl alum's attorneys argue Flaa's “sole connection to this litigation” is posting the eight-year-old interview “one day after the Film's premiere,” as backlash was already building online.
Blake Lively seen leaving Federal Court in New York CityCredit: BG048/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
They stress that Lively, 38, is not claiming Flaa coordinated with the defendants or helped orchestrate any smear campaign. Instead, the focus of the case is what happened after the video spread.
“For purposes of trial,” the filing states, Lively “need only prove…that Defendants amplified and bolstered the video to make it go viral.”
Because of that, her team argues Flaa's testimony adds little to the case. While she can speak to posting the clip, she “can offer no insight into how or why the little bump video went viral.”
“Any testimony as to the cause of its virality…would be pure speculation,” the filing adds.
Lively's lawyers also argue the defense is relying on old headlines rather than evidence, saying defendants have pushed an “organic backlash” theory tied to “unflattering conduct…from years past” but produced no documents or witnesses to back it up.
They accuse the defense of trying to introduce “gossip, rumor, hearsay, and speculative lay opinion” to attack her character.
Wayfarer responded to Lively's motion on April 20, pushing back forcefully.
Advertisement
In its filing, Wayfarer calls her request a “Hail Mary,” arguing Flaa's testimony is “highly relevant” because it shows Lively's “preexisting reputation,” including claims her “mean girl” and “tone deaf” image stemmed from her own conduct.
They also argue it supports their position that Wayfarer “was not involved in spreading or encouraging the ‘little bump' story that contributed to [her] negative reputation.”
Lively's team counters that allowing such testimony would invite jurors to judge her character instead of the facts, relying on a “curated laundry list of old events” to suggest she “deserved” the backlash.
Beyond the Flaa dispute and “mean girl” claims, both sides are also battling over other key evidence ahead of trial.
Wayfarer is seeking to block testimony from seven women and prior misconduct claims involving Baldoni, 42.
The defense is also seeking to exclude alleged smear campaign evidence involving crisis publicist Melissa Nathan and Jed Wallace, along with emails and texts Lively says support her claims.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in New York CityCredit: TIMOTHY A.CLARY/AFP via Getty; John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock
Lively's legal team has also pointed to statements by financier and billionaire Steve Sarowitz, including an alleged remark that he was willing to spend “$100 million to ruin the lives” of Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, 49, and the Wayfarer team is seeking to keep those statements from the jury, arguing they are not relevant to the claims at trial.
Lively, who is seeking up to $300 million in damages, is also asking the court to keep her and Reynolds' net worth out of evidence.
On April 2, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed 10 of Lively's 13 claims, including sexual harassment, defamation and conspiracy, while allowing a narrower set — including breach of contract and two retaliation-related claims — to move forward.
As the case heads toward trial, Wayfarer remains a defendant, while Baldoni is no longer named in several of the dismissed claims.
A final pretrial hearing is set for April 28, where the judge has ordered both sides to be prepared to discuss whether the witness list can be narrowed.
The trial is scheduled to begin May 18 in New York City.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
