Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni‘s legal battle just got even more intense.
On January 16, the film director has responded by filing a lawsuit worth $400 million, targeting his co-star from the movie “It Ends With Us” along with her husband Ryan Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane. This move comes almost a month after he was accused of sexual harassment on the set of the 2024 film by the same individual.
In Baldoni’s recent court submission to the Southern District of New York, as reported by TopMob News, he claims that Lively intentionally portrayed him as the antagonist in her narrative, and fabricated accusations of his sexual harassment. He further states that the damage to Lively’s reputation following the release of “The It Ends With Us” was self-inflicted, not the result of a smear campaign as her lawsuit suggests.
The lawsuit suggests that while Lively accused Baldoni of orchestrating defamation, it appears that Lively and her associates strategically organized a malicious smear operation against Baldoni and Wayfarer. This was reportedly done to divert focus and assign blame for Lively’s regrettable mistakes. The allegations stem from the fact that Baldoni and Wayfarer refused to release a public apology on behalf of Reynolds and Lively, as stated in the lawsuit.
Lively, along with her husband, her publicist, and others like Jones, embarked on a mission to smear the reputation of the Plaintiffs through various media outlets.
The lawsuit states, “They colluded and coordinated their actions with The New York Times to release a sensational news story that was not only damaging but also untrue.
Baldoni’s lawsuit also claims that Lively intended to ruin the careers and enterprises of the defendants if they didn’t comply with her persistent requests, and when they chose not to yield, she carried out this threat by falsely accusing them of immoral and despicable sexual misconduct.
In other parts of the lawsuit, Baldoni claims that Lively was known for being challenging to collaborate with, and almost instantly started interfering excessively in the production process, going beyond what her contract allowed. This interference extended to decisions about Lively’s character’s wardrobe and modifying scripts.
Initially, The New York Times broke the news about her initial administrative grievance. On December 31st, exactly the same day she submitted her formal lawsuit against Baldoni, he retaliated by filing a libel lawsuit worth $250 million against the paper.
In that specific document, he claimed that the news outlet, which mentioned in its reporting that it had served subpoenas for private text conversations about the actress between him and PR representatives, was relying on “‘selectively chosen’ and manipulated communications lacking crucial context, deliberately edited to deceive,” implying that the newspaper’s accusations were “untrue, excessively sensational, and deliberately scandalous.
In an interview with NBC News on January 2nd, Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman stated that they intend to disclose all text messages exchanged between the two parties involved. They desire transparency and for the truth to be exposed, as well as for people to make their own judgments based on the evidence provided.
According to a statement from the New York Times, they have thoroughly and carefully prepared their report, and they are determined to strongly contest Baldoni’s lawsuit.
Previously, lawyers for Lively stated that his libel lawsuit does not alter any of the arguments presented in Ms. Lively’s California Civil Rights Department Complaint or her federal complaint. In simpler terms, the claims made in both complaints remain unaffected by Lively’s libel suit.
In my professional opinion, Baldoni claims that Blake apparently declined to delve into Colleen Hoover’s novel and engage with the domestic violence advocacy group, No More. This decision, as I see it, led to a seemingly unaware or insensitive approach during her press tour for “It Ends With Us.
According to Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s attorney, it appears that Lively was given incorrect information by her own team or deliberately lied about the facts.
He remarked, “Given our readiness to share every single text message, email, video recording, and other relevant documents exchanged instantly among the parties, it’s evident that she is engaging in a fight she cannot possibly win, and one she may deeply regret.
TopMob News attempted to contact Lively’s legal representative regarding Baldoni’s lawsuit against the actress, but have yet to receive a response.
Baldoni’s latest lawsuit is part of an ongoing series of legal actions stemming from the disagreement between Baldoni and Lively. The conflict was officially acknowledged on December 20, after numerous rumors of strain between them, when the former Gossip Girl star filed a complaint against him with the California Civil Rights Department – a complaint that was almost identical to her formal lawsuit.
Amidst the ongoing legal tussle between the two parties, I find myself under the scrutiny of the public eye, particularly my professional journey. Shortly after Ms. Lively filed her initial lawsuit, it was reported by the New York Times that my long-standing talent agency, WME, decided to part ways as my representative, a decision allegedly made by WME executive Ari Emanuel.
As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it like this: In my recent legal action against The New York Times, I’ve claimed that during the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine last July, I personally requested the talent agency representing the director to dismiss Baldoni. However, WME has refuted these allegations.
The representative of Baldoni previously mentioned did not attend the “Deadpool & Wolverine” premiere, according to the agency’s statement to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1st. Additionally, it was stated that neither Reynolds nor Lively ever put pressure on Baldoni to drop him as a client at any point in time.
Regarding Reynolds, he hasn’t responded to the claim made by TopMob News (We have attempted to contact Reynolds’ representatives, but they have yet to respond).
Keep reading to untangle the ongoing legal battles between Baldoni and Lively…
Through his lawyer, Baldoni has denied the allegations Lively had made in her filings against him.
They allege that he inserted explicit sexual material and nudity scenes without her permission into “It Ends With Us“, inappropriately questioned her about her personal life with Reynolds, and barged into her makeup trailer unexpectedly while she was naked, even when she was breastfeeding their fourth child along with the Deadpool actor.
On December 31st, The New York Times became the first to disclose her initial administrative grievance. In the very same day, she submitted her subsequent official lawsuit against Baldoni, prompting him to counter with a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the paper.
In that specific document, he claimed that the news outlet, which mentioned in its articles that it had subpoenaed private text conversations about the actress between him and public relations representatives, used “selectively chosen” and manipulated communications, lacking crucial context, and purposefully edited to deceive. He asserted that the newspaper’s accusations were “unfounded, excessively sensational, and deliberately scandalous.
According to a statement released by The New York Times, they stand firmly behind the accuracy of their report and plan to strongly contest Baldoni’s lawsuit.
Previously, Lively’s lawyers informed TopMob News that the ongoing libel lawsuit does not affect any of the claims made in Ms. Lively’s California Civil Rights Department Complaint or her federal complaint. In simpler terms, the lawsuit doesn’t alter the assertions she has made in her civil rights and federal complaints.
Following the ongoing legal disagreement between them, Baldoni’s career has now become a topic of discussion. Shortly after Lively filed her initial lawsuit, their shared talent agency, WME, decided to terminate their professional relationship with Baldoni, according to reports from the New York Times, quoting WME executive Ari Emanuel.
In his legal dispute with the New York Times, he claims that during the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine last July, Reynolds confronted the director’s representative and insisted on having Baldoni removed. WME refutes these allegations.
According to the statement made to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1st, Baldoni’s previous representative did not attend the “Deadpool & Wolverine” premiere. Additionally, it was clarified that neither Ryan Reynolds nor Blake Lively ever applied pressure at any point for Baldoni to be dropped as a client.
As for Reynolds, he hasn’t responded to the claim (We have contacted Reynolds’ representatives from TopMob News, but have yet to receive a response.)
Keep reading to untangle the ongoing legal battles between Baldoni and Lively…
Four months following the cinema release of “It Ends With Us,” based on Colleen Hoover’s book, Blake Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against Justin Baldoni and his associates on December 20th, as reported by The New York Times.
The defendants listed in the complaint obtained by TopMob News included Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, its CEO Jamey Heath, cofounder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel, RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace, and Street Relations Inc.
In the complaint, Lively asserted that Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates retaliated against her with a complex press and digital strategy after she expressed concerns about alleged misconduct on set. She claimed that herself and other cast and crew members endured invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior by Baldoni and Heath.
Lively further stated that this alleged campaign against her resulted in significant personal and professional harm. The accusations detailed in the complaint include sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to address harassment, aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, false light invasion of privacy, and interference with prospective economic advantage.
The following day, The New York Times released an article detailing a supposed counterattack smear operation initiated by Baldoni and his allies against Lively – based on her CRD complaint. In their report, the newspaper shared messages from Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist) – all part of the complaint. The article additionally allowed readers to peruse the court documents available on The New York Times’ website. Lively expressed her hope that her legal action would expose these underhanded retaliatory strategies aimed at damaging those who speak out about misconduct, and safeguard others potential targets.
Following the release of Lively’s complaint, I, as a lifestyle expert, would phrase it this way: After the revelation, attorney Bryan Freedman—representing Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their associates—vehemently dismissed Lively’s accusations.
In a statement on The New York Times website, he expressed his disappointment at Lively’s team for making “serious and absolutely false allegations” against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives. He stated that these claims were intentionally sensationalized to tarnish Lively’s reputation, which was earned through her own words and actions during the film campaign, as well as interviews and press activities that were publicly observed in real-time and unedited.
Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s decision to hire a crisis manager, asserting that this was done prior to the movie’s marketing campaign. He further clarified that while they did respond to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and accurate reporting, they took no proactive measures nor retaliated. Instead, they merely strategized internally, which is standard practice for public relations professionals. What is conspicuously absent from the selectively presented correspondence is evidence of any lack of proactivity or action taken with media or otherwise.
Following the publication of an article by The New York Times on December 21, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) ended its professional relationship with Baldoni. This decision was confirmed by Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME’s parent company Endeavor, to the outlet. However, it is important to clarify that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband and also a client represented by WME, was not responsible for the agency’s decision to part ways with Baldoni. This allegation was later made in a lawsuit filed by Baldoni against The New York Times (details of which will be discussed further below). In response to these claims, WME stated that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere and that there was no pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time for the agency to drop Baldoni as a client.
After Blake Lively’s CRD filing and the New York Times article, several notable personalities expressed their support for her allegations against Baldoni. For instance, author Hoover commented on Instagram Stories, appreciating Lively’s honesty, kindness, and patience since they first met.
Jenny Slate, who portrayed Baldoni’s character Ryle’s sister, also demonstrated solidarity with Lively. In a statement to Today on December 23rd, she expressed her backing for Lively as she addressed the reported attacks on her reputation.
Brandon Sklenar, a love interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom, shared a link to The New York Times article along with the message, “Please read this.”
Lastly, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn expressed their solidarity with her.
I wanted to share some big news with you all today. I’ve decided to step down as co-host of The Man Enough Podcast, and I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible journey we’ve shared together over the past four years. It was an honor to be trusted with your stories, and in turn, to share mine. This community meant so much to me, and it was because of you that we created something truly special.
As I embark on a new chapter, I remain dedicated to the values we’ve built together. Thank you for being here, for standing by my side, and for being part of this incredible journey. We all deserve better, and I know that with your support, we can create it.
I understand there have been recent events that may have led to some questions about the podcast, but I will share more details soon as I process everything. In the meantime, I will continue to stand up for justice and hold those accountable who stand in its way.
Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s former publicist, and her agency Jonesworks LLC have filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel, crisis communications specialist Nathan, and others in New York on December 24th. The lawsuit claims that defendants Abel and Nathan orchestrated a secret conspiracy for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and her agency, breach contracts, and steal clients. They allegedly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to carry out a smear campaign against one of Baldoni’s film co-stars, using it as an opportunity to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni, and falsely blame Jones for the campaign when she had no involvement.
Abel, who worked at Jonesworks until last summer according to her LinkedIn profile, is accused of pointing the finger wrongly at Jones now that their misconduct has been exposed, and defaming and attacking her in the industry. The suit also alleges that Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer Jonesworks clients, have breached their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refused to settle this dispute privately through arbitration.
TopMob News reached out to the defendants for comment.
In a conversation with Variety on December 23rd, Lively’s legal team disclosed that they acquired the text excerpts highlighted in The New York Times article through a subpoena issued to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and their Wayfarer associates, further mentioned to the outlet that none of his clients were summoned regarding this matter. He also expressed his intention to initiate legal action against Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s attorneys.
As an ardent fan, I’m sharing my take on a recent legal action taken by Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, Wallace, and Street Relations against The New York Times on Dec 31. This lawsuit alleges that the newspaper has committed libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud, and breach of implied-in-fact contract regarding an article accusing them of a retaliatory smear campaign against Lively due to her concerns about set misconduct.
The plaintiffs claim the report was baseless, relying on Lively’s CRD complaint, and that the messages cited in the article were taken out of context. The lawsuit asserts that The New York Times relied heavily on Lively’s narrative without verifying it, while overlooking evidence contradicting her claims and exposing her true motives.
They also allege that Lively, not the plaintiffs, was the one who engaged in a calculated smear campaign—a claim she has denied. In response, The New York Times plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit,” stating that their story was thoroughly and responsibly reported, based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails they quote accurately in the article.
On the very same day, Lively initiated a legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, Nathan’s company TAG, and Abel in New York. As per court documents acquired by TopMob News, she is accusing the defendants of sexual harassment, retaliation, failing to address harassment, aiding and abetting such actions, breach of contract, intentionally causing emotional distress, negligently causing emotional distress, false light invasion of privacy.
The allegations in this lawsuit were initially outlined in the CRD complaint Lively submitted earlier that month.
In response to the lawsuit filed against them (which does not include Lively as a defendant), Baldoni and his associates counter-sued _The New York Times_. In response, Lively’s legal team stated to TopMob that “the filing of this lawsuit in no way alters the claims made in her CRD and federal complaints.”
They further added, “This lawsuit is founded on the baseless assumption that Ms. Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a deceitful strategy to avoid suing Baldoni and Wayfarer, and that litigation was never her primary objective.” However, as demonstrated by the federal complaint filed by Lively today, this perspective regarding the lawsuit against Wayfarer is erroneous.
In their legal action against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team have made it clear that they are far from finished. As the court papers indicate, there are more wrongdoers yet to be held accountable, and this certainly won’t be the only lawsuit they file. During a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman confirmed that they indeed intend to take legal action against Lively as well.
The conversation surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended yet. One intriguing theory on social media suggests that Reynolds, Lively’s husband, may have teased Baldoni in his film Deadpool & Wolverine through the character Nicepool.
Reynolds has not responded to these claims, but Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman shared his thoughts about it. During an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, posted to YouTube on January 7th, he stated: “If your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make fun of Justin Baldoni. You don’t turn the situation into a joke. You take it seriously and follow legal procedures. What you shouldn’t do is mock the person.
Regarding Lively’s lawsuit, her legal team has stated there have been continued instances of alleged mistreatment towards her since the legal action was initiated, rather than this being a mere dispute or creative disagreement. According to their statement on January 7th, Lively’s complaint accuses Wayfarer and associates of unlawful retaliation through astroturfing following an attempt by Lively to ensure safety on a film set. In response to the lawsuit, further attacks against Lively have ensued.
In the meantime, they encourage everyone to recognize that sexual harassment and retaliation are prohibited in any workplace or industry. They warn against tactics often used to deflect allegations of such misconduct, including blaming the victim or suggesting they invited or misunderstood the behavior, as well as reversing the roles of offender and victim.
Lively’s attorneys also emphasize that these strategies normalize and trivialize serious accusations. They further clarify that media statements do not serve as a defense for the claims Lively has made, and they will proceed to argue their case in court.
In response, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman told TopMob, “It is painfully ironic that Blake Lively is accusing Justin Baldoni of weaponizing the media when her own team orchestrated this vicious attack by sending the New York Times grossly edited documents prior to even filing the complaint.”
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2025-01-16 21:21