12:56 PM PT — Bryan Freedman tells TMZ … “This convoluted statement makes it abundantly clear that Ms. Lively and team are rattled and once again resorting to making inflammatory remarks to steer focus away from the actual facts. Clearly they want to divert the public’s attention from the receipts, the actual documents, video footage and additional evidence shown that make it irrefutable that there was no sexual harassment.

It’s also surprising that Ms. Lively and her team are suddenly speaking so passionately about the hard won rights of the survivor community, considering she sidestepped this topic for the entirety of the film campaign, focusing instead on her hair care and alcohol products which at that time caused the organic backlash that she received. She does not need discovery to find out who smeared her. Just a mirror will do.”

Blake Lively is outraged by Justin Baldoni‘s latest declaration in their bombastic PR war, claiming her former costar thinks sexual harassment victims should NOT be protected under the law.

Here’s the deal … late Thursday, the “It Ends With Us” director clapped back at Blake’s attempt to get his lawsuit against her thrown out … opposing her motion on the grounds she allegedly orchestrated, participated in and directed a smear campaign “designed to ruin the reputations and careers” of his production company.

His attorney also invoked Justin’s First Amendment right to drag her into court for making false accusations about him.

They add, Justin and his lawyer Bryan Freedman are so “hell bent” on destroying Blake … they’re trying to “shed” a law meant to protect victims and send a chilling effect to others from speaking out.

Freedman, of course, sees it exactly the opposite way, telling us … “Ms. Lively and her circle of Hollywood elites cannot prevent my clients from exercising their constitutional right to petition the court to clear their names from her false and harmful claims.”

2:22 PM PT — Diddy‘s legal team tells TMZ … “These are not new allegations or new accusers. These are the same individuals, former long-term girlfriends, who were involved in consensual relationships. This was their private sex life, defined by consent, not coercion.”

Diddy is facing new criminal charges in his federal case in New York … because federal prosecutors just hit him with their third superseding indictment.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds are tacking on two additional charges … one for sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and another for transportation to engage in prostitution.

The feds say the new charges stem from allegations against Diddy from 2021 to 2024 and relate to an individual the feds simply refer to as “Victim-2.”

Diddy’s legal team has previously described the alleged victims in the case as former girlfriends … and they’ve already essentially referred to Victim-1 as being Cassie.

With the new indictment, Diddy is now facing 5 criminal charges … two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering.

Diddy pleaded not guilty to the feds’ previous indictments and his trial is scheduled to start May 5.

2:02 PM PT — Law enforcement sources tell us Dylan and Paul got into a fight at work, where they observed surveillance footage of Dylan slapping Paul two times.

The warrant for his arrest was then issued and police located Dylan and arrested him.

Dylan John, the reggae rapper whose ego was even too big for Diddy on the 2nd iteration of his infamous “Making The Band” series, was arrested this week for allegedly not keeping his hands to himself when cops say he smacked another man’s face!!!

According to the report, Dylan willfully struck a man named Paul Joseph Galullo by smacking him across the face with an open-hand slap — at least twice!!!

Officers responded to the scene and arrested Dylan and charged him with simple assault, a misdemeanor.

Dylan posted $500 bond and was released on the same day. He’s due to appear in court on July 1.

The dancehall artist gained notoriety on “Making The Band” by clashing with Diddy and Wyclef Jean over creative differences.