Justin Baldonis team is firing back against a motion from Blake Livelys attorneys to impose a gag order against their lawyer Bryan Freedman, whos accused of effectively continuing the alleged smear campaign against the actress by leaking information and issuing false statements to the press.

Counsel for Baldoni and his associates, in a letter filed on Thursday, say the moves were necessary to protect their clients from fallout over The New York Times article that they characterize as sparking the dispute with cherry-picked and spliced texts and emails. The backlash from that story has been utterly calamitous, the filing states, with the It Ends With Us director and his team being exiled from polite society and suffering damages totaling hundreds of millions of dollars due to Ms. Livelys scorched-earth media campaign. The legal maneuvering is part of Livelys civil rights lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York earlier this month, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment during the making of It Ends With Us, and him and his associates of marshaling a sophisticated plan to undermine her reputation in retaliation for speaking up about sexual misconduct on the set of the film following the movies release. Baldoni, who both directed and stars in the film opposite Lively, filed his own complaint last week against the actress and husband Ryan Reynolds seeking at least $400 million in damages. Hes represented by no-holds-barred lawyer Bryan Freedman, who isnt shy when it comes to talking to the press (at one point, he warned he would sue anyone connected with certain abhorrent behavior into oblivion).

On Tuesday, within hours of Baldonis team providing footage to the media from the set of It Ends With Us that they say vindicates them, Livelys lawyers moved for the court overseeing her lawsuit to impose a gag order against Freedman. Michael Gottlieb, representing the actress, said that the leaking of that footage, among other moves amid the media blitz, violates various rules relating to professional conduct for lawyers, namely one that prohibits attorneys from making statements outside of court proceedings that could impact the case by biasing potential jurors.

But Kevin Fritz, another lawyer for Baldoni, argues theres an exception to the rule that permits statements necessary to protect clients from fallout over negative publicity that they didnt instigate. He argues that Baldonis legal team was protecting him from Livelys media campaign.

Examples of alleged attacks from Lively include her side describing Baldoni as an abuser and his lawsuit as another chapter in the abuse playbook to The Hollywood Reporter. Also referenced in the letter is Livelys counsel describing the leaked footage as damning.

Having publicly made ruinous allegations that the Wayfarer Parties can prove are false, the Lively Parties now invoke attorney disciplinary rules as an intimidation tactic, Thursdays letter states. The Lively Parties desire to force the Wayfarer Parties to defend themselves privately against allegations made publicly is not a proper basis for a gag order. It is tactical gamesmanship, and it is outrageous.

A spokesperson for Lively declined to comment.