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Actor and director Justin Baldoni's current attorney, Bryan Freedman, a prominent figure in entertainment law, had previously represented a plaintiff who sued Baldoni in 2021, alleging he stole the idea for Five Feet Apart. Justin Baldoni, best known for his 2019 film Five Feet Apart, has faced allegations of copyright infringement over the movie’s script.
The controversy gained renewed attention in January 2025 due to Baldoni’s ongoing legal battle with actress Blake Lively.
In September 2021, screenwriter Travis Flores filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, alleging that the actor-director plagiarized his script, Three Feet Distance, to create Five Feet Apart, as reported by the US Weekly.
Flores, who lived with cystic fibrosis, claimed his work was inspired by his personal experiences and accused Baldoni of misappropriating elements of his script. This had been under development at a Universal-affiliated production company in 2015.
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According to court documents viewed by US Weekly, Flores alleged that Baldoni gained access to his screenplay through a mutual associate and later developed a similar film with his production company, Wayfarer Entertainment.
Released in 2019, Five Feet Apart, starring Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson, portrays a romantic relationship between two teenagers with cystic fibrosis. The movie shares similarities with Flores’ work, including the protagonists’ struggles with the disease, themes of living in the present, and specific character details.
Flores also claimed that Baldoni invited him to appear in the 2016 docuseries My Last Days, which Baldoni hosted and produced. Flores believed this opportunity was part of Baldoni’s effort to solidify his control over the narrative surrounding cystic fibrosis in media.
Bryan Freedman's shift from opponent to ally
In his lawsuit, Travis Flores highlighted major and minor similarities between the two works. He noted that both stories featured main characters with deceased sisters, an emphasis on living in the moment, and even specific visual details, such as the protagonists being introduced wearing v-neck t-shirts. Flores argued that these parallels were too specific to be coincidental.
"The similarities between the two works extend far beyond the limited examples referenced above," the lawsuit stated.
Despite the allegations, Baldoni refrained from making any public statements about the case. Bryan Freedman, who represented Flores at the time, filed the lawsuit on his behalf. In March 2022, Freedman filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, and the case was ultimately settled out of court. The details of the settlement remain confidential.
Five Feet Apart became a commercial success, earning $92 million worldwide on a $7 million budget. Baldoni dedicated the film to YouTuber Claire Wineland, a cystic fibrosis patient who served as a consultant on the project but passed away before its release.
"I hired her as a consultant, and she unfortunately passed away just before I could show her my director's cut. It's something I'm still dealing with," said Baldoni, in a 2019 interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
More than two years after representing Flores, Bryan Freedman now serves as Baldoni’s attorney in a high-profile legal dispute with Blake Lively. Lively has accused Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, of s*xual harassment and launching a retaliatory smear campaign against her.
Bryan Freedman, known for his aggressive legal strategies, has defended Baldoni by emphasizing the importance of evidence in the case. During a January 7, 2025, appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, he spoke about Baldoni's lawsuit.
"It's all gonna be based on evidence. It's not gonna be just a lawsuit. It’s going to be the kind of lawsuit that is full of evidence, admissions, [and] documents," he stated.
A behind-the-scenes clip from It Ends With Us surfaced on January 21, which reportedly reveals Baldoni and Lively filming a romantic scene, which his lawyers claim highlights professional conduct. However, Lively's legal team argues that the video corroborates her claims, pointing to visible discomfort and moments of improvised actions by Baldoni without prior consent.
As of January 2025, Justin Baldoni remains embroiled in a legal battle with Blake Lively, who has accused him of s*xual harassment and retaliation. Baldoni has denied all allegations, and his attorney, Bryan Freedman, has filed countersuits alleging defamation and interference with economic relations.
The court has yet to schedule a resolution or trial date, leaving the case ongoing. Bryan Freedman has emphasized the importance of evidence, while Lively’s team maintains that their claims are backed by concrete facts.
