The battle betweenJustin Baldoniand Blake Lively continues, and this latest update is just bizarre, although it does offer a glimpse into his perhaps…not-so-great character. The director ofIt Ends With Us, who is currently in abattle with the film’s starregarding a plethora of issues, is being represented by attorney Bryan Freedman in this case. However, in what sounds like a true movie moment,Freedman once represented someone else who had accused Baldoni of nefarious activities. In this case, stealing their screenplay.
PerThe Hollywood Reporter,Freedman filed a lawsuit on behalf of Travis Flores in 2021 after Flores made the assertion that he wrote a screenplay for a film calledThree Feet Distancethat was based on his life. If that title sounds a little familiar, it’s because Baldoni made a film calledFive Feet Apartin 2019,which served as his directorial debutand was said to be written by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry and Tobia laconis. It was reportedly based on the life of Claire Wineland, who suffered from cystic fibrosis, but Flores alleged that he was working with Baldoni on another project when he got hold of the screenplay and stole the idea. Reportedly, Flores’Three Feet Distancewas in early development at a company affiliated with Universal Pictures.
Flores employed Freedman as his lawyer and sued Baldoni and various other parties for copyright infringement and breach of contract. Freedman asserted that the similarities between the two projects were very striking. According to the lawsuit,“In both works, the narrator has one or more important mementos from their dead sister.”The matter was ultimately settled, but it’s not really known on what terms. Sadly, Flores can’t be asked about how this all turned out because he passed away last year from complications of his disease. Of course, lawyers aren’t above going from an archenemy to a best friend, so it’s not surprising thathe’s now representing Baldoniin this matter, but it does help paint a picture of Baldoni and him perhaps not being everything he wants people to believe him to be.
‘Five Feet Apart’ Received Mixed Reviews Upon Release
Five Feet Apartfollows two patients with cystic fibrosis (played by Haley Lu Richardsonand Cole Sprouse) who attempt to have a relationship with one another despite the limitations that force them to remain six feet away from each other. The movie received mixed reviews from critics, registering a 53 percent on Rotten Tomatoes with a consensus that reads,“Elevated considerably by Haley Lu Richardson’s performance but bogged down by clichés,Five Feet Apartdoesn’t tug at the heartstrings quite as deftly as it should.”
Justin Baldoni Releases ‘It Ends With Us’ Set Video in Effort To Disprove Blake Lively’s Harassment Claims
Lively says the 10-minute video just proves her claims, while Baldoni says it refutes them.
Despite the mixed reviews, the film resonated with the target audience and grossed $45.7 million domestically and $92.6 million worldwide on a slim $7 million budget. What’s interesting is that Baldoni has a history with the cystic fibrosis community. He directed the docuseriesMy Last Days, which led him to meet Wineland, a YouTuber who illuminated the condition. Flores was also a subject in the same docuseries that featured Wineland, although she was hired as a consultant on the movie, and not Flores. This means there was indeed a timeline in which he could’ve gotten Flores' script and developed it into his directorial debut. Again, the matter was settled, which could suggest some element of guilt in the copyright infringement case. However, as previously stated, the terms of the settlement are unknown.
Five Feet Apart
