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A trial date has been set for Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni.

Both actors have filed lawsuits against each other following an initial legal complaint from Lively, who accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the film – and an alleged subsequent plan to damage her reputation.

Baldoni then sued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of hijacking both the production and marketing of the film, as well as allegedly attempting to smear him and others who worked on the production through false allegations.

Photo by: NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx 2024 8/6/24 Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds at the premiere of "It Ends With Us" on August 6, 2024 in New York City.
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Blake Lively was pictured with her husband Ryan Reynolds at the premiere of It Ends With Us in New York – but not with co-star Justin Baldoni. Pic: NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx 2024

It Ends With Us is an adaptation of best-selling US author Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, which begins as a romance but takes a dark turn into domestic violence.

The film exceeded box office expectations following its release in August, but was overshadowed by online speculation of a fall-out between the two co-stars, who were not pictured together at the film’s premiere. Neither did they do interviews together during promotion.

New York federal judge Lewis J Liman has now set a trial date for March 2026.

It comes after Lively’s legal team claimed in a filing on Monday that a lawyer for Baldoni was trying to influence potential jurors by creating a website to release selected documents and communications between the pair.

“The endless stream of defamatory and extrajudicial media statements must end,” Lively’s lawyers said.

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August 2024: Blake Lively on acting and producing on It Ends With US

Bryan Freedman, who is representing Baldoni, said in a statement in response that they would “respect the court”, but added: “All we want is for people to see the actual text messages that directly contradict her allegations, video footage that clearly shows there was no sexual harassment and all the other powerful evidence that directly contradicts any false allegations.”

Meanwhile in Texas, in a separate filing – a precursor to another potential lawsuit – Lively has asked for an order for a deposition for a crisis management specialist she claims was behind much of the alleged social media manipulation surrounding the film that turned public sentiment against her.

How the legal case unfolded

In late December, Lively sued Baldoni, his production company and others in New York for sexual harassment and attacks on her reputation, asking for unspecified damages.

Baldoni filed his lawsuit earlier this month, accusing Lively and her husband, Deadpool star and Wrexham FC co-owner Reynolds, of defamation and extortion. He is seeking at least $400m (£321m) in damages.

The judge said on Monday that he will likely combine the lawsuits for trial.

Earlier in January, Baldoni also sued The New York Times newspaper for libel after it published allegations about him.

Lively starred in the 2005 film The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants before rising to fame in the TV series Gossip Girl from 2007 to 2012. She is also known for films including The Town and The Shallows.

Baldoni is known for the TV comedy series Jane The Virgin and for directing the 2019 film Five Feet Apart. He also wrote Man Enough – a book pushing back against traditional notions of masculinity.

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Oasis ‘shocked and saddened’ after man dies at Wembley Stadium concert

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Oasis 'shocked and saddened' after man dies at Wembley Stadium concert

Oasis have said they are “shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of a fan” at their Wembley Stadium concert on Saturday.

Together with their bandmates, Liam and Noel Gallagher have offered their “sincere condolences to the family and friends of the person involved”.

Metropolitan Police said officers on duty at the stadium responded, alongside venue medics and the London Ambulance Service, to reports a person had been injured at around 10.20pm.

The statement continued: “A man – aged in his 40s – was found with injuries consistent with a fall. He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.”

According to media reports, the man fell from the stadium’s upper tier.

A concertgoer on social media said they saw the incident and described it as “horrific”.

Oasis on stage. Pic: AP
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Liam and Noel Gallagher on stage at their first reunion gig. Pic: AP

Metropolitan Police said: “The stadium was busy, and we believe it is likely a number of people witnessed the incident, or may knowingly or unknowingly have caught it on mobile phone video footage.

“If you have any information that could help us to confirm what happened, please call 101.”

Oasis performed at the venue as planned on Sunday night, delivering the final concert of a five-night run at Wembley.

Addressing fans at the stadium, singer Liam said: “This one’s for all the people who can’t be here tonight, but who are here if you know what I mean, and aren’t they looking lovely. Live Forever.”

The band then played the track of the same name.

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Oasis support act Richard Ashcroft paid tribute on Instagram, writing: “I was shocked to hear of the death of one of the audience last night sending my love to the family and friends.”

A spokesperson for Wembley Stadium said: “Our thoughts go out to his family, who have been informed and are being supported by specially trained police officers.”

They will then head to Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the United States, before returning to Wembley for two more dates in September.

The reunion tour began at the start of July and marks the Gallagher brothers’ first performances together since Oasis split acrimoniously in 2009.

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Soulja Boy arrested on suspected weapons charge during traffic stop

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Soulja Boy arrested on suspected weapons charge during traffic stop

Soulja Boy has been arrested and charged with possession of a firearm during a traffic stop.

The rapper, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, was a passenger in the car that was stopped in the Fairfax area of Los Angeles early on Sunday morning, the LAPD said.

“A passenger was detained and police arrested DeAndre Cortez Way for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm,” the statement added.

Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon is a felony.

The 35-year-old was booked into jail in the LAPD’s Wilshire Division shortly after 6am. It is not clear if he has since been released.

Police did not provide information on what prompted the traffic stop and who else was in the vehicle with Way.

Soulja Boy is yet to publicly comment on the incident.

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Soulja Boy is best known for his 2007 hit Crank That, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks and landed him a nomination for best rap song at the Grammys.

The rapper was arrested and charged with a felony in 2014 for carrying a loaded gun during a traffic stop in LA.

In April this year, the Chicago hip-hop artist was ordered to pay more than $4m (£3m) in damages to his former assistant after being found liable for sexually assault, as well as physically and emotionally abusing them.

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Strictly Come Dancing: BBC responds as two TV stars accused of taking cocaine

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Strictly Come Dancing: BBC responds as two TV stars accused of taking cocaine

The BBC has responded after it was reported that two Strictly Come Dancing stars have been accused of taking cocaine.

The broadcaster is said to have hired an external law firm to probe the drug-taking allegations, which a source said were “well-known” on the show, The Sun on Sunday reports.

The claims were reportedly made on behalf of celebrity contestant Wynne Evans in a legal submission to the BBC in March.

In response, a BBC spokesperson told Sky News: “We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us. We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns.

“It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.”

Sky News understands that it is not unusual for the BBC to engage an external individual to provide additional expert resource to help deliver a BBC-led investigation. In these cases, they would report to an established BBC team.

File photo of BBC Broadcasting House in London.  Pic: PA
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PA file pic

The allegations published in The Sun on Sunday include a source saying that one Strictly star had told another about a third celebrity on the show: “Have you seen their pupils… they’re off their face.”

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“The BBC have known about these allegations for some time, and acknowledged receiving them. Now they are taking firm action,” the source reportedly said.

The two individuals accused of drug taking have not been named.

It is the latest crisis to hit the BBC and Strictly.

In July last year, Amanda Abbington accused Strictly dancer Giovanni Pernice of “abusive or threatening behaviour”. The actress, who was paired with Pernice, withdrew from the show in 2023.

The BBC upheld “some, but not all” of the allegations, with Abbington describing an apology from the corporation as a “vindication”, while Pernice denied displaying “abusive or threatening behaviour”.

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Also in July 2024, Strictly professional dancer, Graziano Di Prima confirmed he was leaving the show amid reports of alleged misconduct.

Separately, Laura Whitmore alleged “inappropriate behaviour” during her time on the show.

In January this year, Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans made “inappropriate and unacceptable” comments at the Strictly Come Dancing live tour launch, for which he later apologised.

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