Justin Baldoni Accuses Blake Lively of Holding Taylor Swift's Song Hostage in Legal Battle!"

In the midst of Justin Baldoni‘s legal dispute, Taylor Swift has re-entered the storyline.

In a statement released on January 31st, I, as the director of “It Ends With Us,” openly accused Lively of utilizing our close friendship during the production of our film in an unprofessional manner. This included making a subtle threat through a studio executive, suggesting that she might reconsider contacting Taylor Swift for the use of her song “My Tears Ricochet” in the trailer if her conditions were not met.

According to legal documents, some of Lively’s alleged requests involved the removal of Baldoni’s “film by” credit from posters and an increase in her editing room time with a personal editor for final approval over the Colleen Hoover adaptation’s cut.

According to Baldoni’s submission, this action seemed more like an attempt at blackmail rather than a legitimate professional demand. Essentially, it was as if they were threatening to halt the promotional activities for the movie in order to seize creative authority.

Previously, Baldoni had brought up Swift during his lawsuit against Lively. Back in the original complaint filed on January 16th, he stated that he felt compelled to let Lively alter the famous rooftop scene from “It Ends With Us” after Ryan Reynolds and a highly influential friend of theirs participated in a production meeting.

In my own words, as a devoted admirer, I’d put it like this: “Today, I was engrossed in crafting a rooftop scene, and let me tell you, your touch on it is nothing short of amazing! Even if Ryan and Taylor weren’t there, I would have felt the same way.” This reflects the original sentiment while making it more personal and conversational.

Eventually, Baldoni claimed that the theater release of Amber Lively’s adaptation of It Ends With Us occurred, as reported by him. He asserted that he was mostly excluded from the film’s promotional activities due to what he described as Amber Lively’s aggressive methods, such as being confined in a theater basement separate from the rest of the cast during the movie’s grand premiere on the red carpet.

In response to sexual harassment accusations brought forth by the former ‘Gossip Girl’ actress, Baldoni has decided to file a countersuit. According to the lawsuit filed in December, Lively claimed that Baldoni had fostered an uncomfortable work environment and retaliated against her when she voiced her concerns.

In response to the lawsuit filed against him, Baldoni firmly refuted the accusations of sexual harassment. Instead, he pointed fingers at Lively and her spouse, claiming they manipulated their celebrity status to conspire with the media for character assassination purposes.

The court has scheduled a trial for March 2026. Both parties have recently decided to progress with the evidence-gathering phase in this ongoing legal case, as reported by NBC News.

In a statement made on February 3rd to TopMob News, Lively’s legal team stated that the case involves severe accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation. They intend to ensure those responsible are brought to justice, and they are optimistic that, once all relevant evidence is presented, Lively will emerge victorious.

For a complete timeline into the legal saga, keep reading.

Four months following the theater release of the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us”, Blake Lively submitted a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) on December 20th, as reported by The New York Times. In the complaint acquired by TopMob News, Justin Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios (Wayfarer), its CEO Jamey Heath, its cofounder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel, her company RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, her company The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace and his company Street Relations Inc. were named as defendants.

In the complaint, Lively claimed that Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates initiated a complex press and digital campaign in retaliation for expressing concerns about alleged misconduct on set. She stated that she 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 harm to both her personal and professional life. The accusations listed in the complaint include sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to investigate, prevent, or remedy 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 expose detailing a supposed counterattack smear operation orchestrated by Baldoni and his allies against Lively – referencing her CRD complaint. In their article, the publication shared messages from Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist) – all implicated in her complaint. The newspaper’s website also provided access to relevant court documents for perusal. Lively expressed to the outlet that she hoped her legal action would unmask these malicious retaliatory strategies used to harm those who speak up about misconduct and safeguard others potentially targeted in the future.

Following the revelation of Lively’s complaint, Bryan Freedman – attorney for Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives – strongly refuted Lively’s allegations. In a statement posted on The New York Times website, he stated that it was disgraceful for Lively and her team to make such grave and factually incorrect accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives. He further described these claims as false, outrageous, deliberately salacious, and intended to harm and perpetuate a negative media narrative.

Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s decision to engage a crisis manager, explaining that this was done prior to the movie’s marketing campaign. Later, he clarified that Wayfarer’s representatives did not take any proactive actions nor retaliated, but merely responded to media inquiries to ensure fair and accurate reporting and monitored social activity. Notably absent from the selectively shared correspondence is evidence of a lack of proactive measures with the media; only internal planning and private communications to strategize were found, which is standard practice among public relations professionals.

After an article published by The New York Times on December 21, William Morris Endeavor (WME) severed ties with Baldoni. Ari Emanuel, CEO of the agency’s parent company Endeavor, confirmed this to the outlet. However, it’s important to note that WME refuted claims suggesting Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband and a client represented by WME, played any role in their decision to part ways with Baldoni. This allegation was later made by Baldoni in his lawsuit against The New York Times (for more details on this, see below). In response to inquiries from The Hollywood Reporter, WME stated that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere and there was no pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time to drop Baldoni as a client.

After Lively’s CRD filing and an article in The New York Times, several notable personalities expressed their support for her accusations against Baldoni. Among them was the author of “It Ends With Us,” Hoover, who posted a message on Instagram Stories linking to The New York Times on December 21st. She wrote, “Blake Lively, you have always been truthful, kind, supportive, and patient since we first met…Thank you for being exactly the person you are. Never change. Never wilt.”

Jenny Slate, who portrayed Baldoni’s character Ryle’s sister, also showed her backing for Lively. In a statement to Today on December 23rd, she said, “As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I express my support as she takes action against those reportedly involved in damaging her reputation.” She added, “Blake is a leader, a loyal friend, and a trusted source of emotional support for many who know and love her. What has been disclosed about the attack on Blake is extremely dark, disturbing, and deeply concerning.”

Brandon Sklenar, a romantic interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom, shared a screenshot of the complaint published on The New York Times’ website and linked to the outlet, writing, “For the love of God, read this.”

Lastly, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn declared they stand with her in solidarity.

Liz Plank recently shared her decision to step down from co-hosting “The Man Enough Podcast” on Instagram, stating that she would no longer be a part of it. In her message, she expressed gratitude for the trust and support given by the listeners, acknowledging the strong bond they created together over the past four years. Although she didn’t provide specific reasons for leaving, her announcement came shortly after Blake Lively raised concerns against Eddie Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer. Plank assured her followers that she remains dedicated to the values they built together and will continue to support those who fight against injustice. She also hinted at sharing more about her decision in the future as she continues to process the situation.

Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s ex-publicist, and her agency, Jonesworks LLC, have taken legal action against Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, Abel (his current publicist), Nathan (crisis communications specialist), and others in New York on December 24th. According to the lawsuit obtained by NBC News, these defendants allegedly conspired for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and her agency, breach contracts, and steal clients and business prospects. They secretly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch a smear campaign against one of Baldoni’s film co-stars, using the crisis as an opportunity to create tension between Jones and Baldoni, and wrongfully blame Jones for the campaign when she had no involvement.

Abel, as stated on her LinkedIn profile, worked at Jonesworks until last summer. The lawsuit claims that Abel and Nathan are now falsely accusing Jones of misconduct as their own actions come to light, and are defaming and attacking her within the industry.

Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer clients of Jonesworks, allegedly breached their contractual obligations with Jonesworks, ignored Jones’s attempts to settle this dispute privately in arbitration.

TopMob News has reached out to the defendants for comment.

In a statement given to Variety on December 23, Lively’s lawyers clarified that they acquired the text excerpts mentioned in The New York Times article through a subpoena issued to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents both Nathan, Abel, and Baldoni, as well as Baldoni’s Wayfarer associates, further explained to the outlet that none of his clients were served with a subpoena regarding this matter. He also stated his intention to sue Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s lawyers.

On December 31st, Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, Wallace, and Street Relations filed a lawsuit against The New York Times. In the lawsuit, obtained by TopMob News, The New York Times is accused of libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud, and breach of implied-in-fact contract for an article about a supposed retaliatory smear campaign the plaintiffs allegedly conducted against Lively after she expressed concerns about purported misconduct on set. The report was called “false” by the plaintiffs, who claimed that it relied heavily on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative, while ignoring evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives. They also allege that it was Lively, not the plaintiffs, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign. Lively has denied this claim. The New York Times plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit,” stating that the story was meticulously and responsibly reported and based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails quoted accurately in the article.

On that very day, Lively initiated a legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, his company TAG, and Abel in New York. As per court documents acquired by TopMob News, she is charging the defendants with sexual harassment, retaliation, negligence in addressing harassment, aiding and abetting such acts, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy through false light.

The accusations in this lawsuit were initially outlined in the CRD complaint Lively submitted earlier that month. In response to the lawsuit filed against them, Baldoni and his associates countered by filing a suit against The New York Times—which does not name Lively as a defendant. Her legal team responded to TopMob with a statement, saying “the premise that Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a ruse is false.” They added that the lawsuit is not based on the notion that “litigation was never her ultimate goal,” as suggested by Baldoni and his associates. Instead, they asserted that this is evident in the federal complaint filed by Lively earlier that day.

In their legal action against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team made it clear that they have more to address, as further lawsuits are anticipated due to other alleged wrongdoers involved. During a recent interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman confirmed that they indeed intend to file a lawsuit against Lively.

The news about Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended yet. For example, people on social media have suggested that Reynolds, Lively’s husband, made fun of Baldoni in his movie “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has not spoken out about these rumors; however, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman shared his opinion on the matter. During an interview on “The Megyn Kelly Show,” which was posted to YouTube on January 7, Freedman stated, “In my view, if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make jokes about Justin Baldoni. You don’t make light of the situation. You treat it seriously by filing HR complaints and following a legal process. What you shouldn’t do is poke fun at the person and turn it into a joke.

In their statement, Lively’s legal team clarified that the ongoing federal lawsuit against the Southern District of New York is based on substantial evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation. They emphasized that this is not a mere disagreement or he-said-she-said situation, but rather an instance of unlawful, retaliatory online smear campaigns by Wayfarer and their associates against Lively for standing up for herself and others on set. Furthermore, they pointed out that these campaigns have continued since the lawsuit was filed.

They encouraged everyone to remember that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in all workplaces and industries. They warned against tactics like blaming the victim or reversing the roles of offender and victim, which are commonly used to divert attention from such misconduct allegations. These strategies, they said, serve to normalize and trivialize serious misbehavior. Lastly, they emphasized that media statements do not serve as a defense for Lively’s claims and that they will vigorously pursue her case in court.

On January 16th, in New York, Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, publicist Abel, crisis communication specialist Nathan, and It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s firm Vision PR.

The suit, obtained by TopMob News, claims that all defendants are guilty of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy through false light. In particular, Lively and Reynolds are accused of breaching the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, as well as intentionally interfering with their contractual relations, causing economic disadvantage, and negligently interfering with potential economic advantages.

The plaintiffs deny Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign against her. Instead, they accuse her of taking control over It Ends With Us and working with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to tarnish the plaintiffs’ reputation in the press after she faced criticism for promoting the film. (Lively stated in her filings that she promoted the movie according to Sony’s marketing plan.)

1. In their lawsuit, plaintiffs claim that defendants collaborated with The New York Times to publish a sensational but false news report. The media outlet maintains its report’s accuracy.

2. According to Freedman’s statement to TopMob, “Blake Lively was either deceived by her team or deliberately lied about the truth.”

Lively’s legal team referred to his lawsuit as “a continuation of the manipulation tactics often used by abusers,” explaining in a statement to TopMob News, “This scenario is not new: A person reports clear instances of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the accused tries to shift the blame onto the accuser. This tactic is commonly known as DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.

Additionally, she alleged that he responded by counter-attacking after she leveled accusations towards him. She asserted that Baldoni is attempting to divert attention away from the claim that Lively took creative control and isolated the cast from Mr. Baldoni.

It was further stated that the proof will demonstrate instances where both the cast and others had unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Additionally, the evidence will indicate that Sony entrusted Ms. Lively to supervise their portion of the film, which they later chose for distribution and turned out to be a significant box office hit.

Her team went on to slam Baldoni’s reaction to her allegations of harassment.

The accused’s defense against sexual harassment allegations: she asked for it, it was her fault. Their explanation as to why this happened to her: see what she was wearing,” according to her legal team. “In essence, while the victim is dealing with the abuse, the abuser is focusing on the victim. This tactic of blaming the woman is a last-ditch effort, it does not contradict the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and it will not succeed.

In a recent development, Baldoni’s legal team has shared previously unseen footage from the set of ‘It Ends With Us’. This footage, they claim, contradicts the portrayal of Baldoni as depicted by Ms. Lively.

According to Baldoni’s lawyers, the scene under discussion was intended to depict the two characters developing feelings for each other and yearning to be near one another. It is evident that both actors are portraying their roles convincingly, maintaining a respectful and professional demeanor throughout.

Nevertheless, Lively’s legal representatives argue that the video aligns precisely with Lively’s account in her lawsuit, suggesting that each moment depicted was spontaneously created by Baldoni without prior discussion or consent.

In response to TopMob News, it was stated that the video depicts Ms. Lively leaning back and frequently urging the characters to simply converse. This situation is likely relatable for any woman who has experienced unwelcome physical contact in a professional setting, as it seems to reflect Ms. Lively’s discomfort.

In simpler terms, they wrote a letter to the judge in charge of their case, asking him to restrict Freedman (Baldoni’s lawyer) from speaking publicly during the ongoing court proceedings to prevent any inappropriate behavior.

Online, a seven-minute voice recording that allegedly originated from Baldoni was shared. In this recording, it seems Baldoni discussed the rooftop scene in the movie “It Ends With Us,” which Lively had rewritten, and mentioned a meeting where these modifications were apparently presented to Reynolds and their mutual friend Taylor Swift during production.

He said, “It’s great to have friends as talented and imaginative as them, not just because they’re among the most creative individuals globally. When the three of you are together, it’s simply amazing, beyond belief.

In the recording, it appears Baldoni also seemed to apologize to the actress for not being more enthusiastic about her script. He said, “I made a mistake. Something important for me to share is that I will acknowledge my mistakes and offer an apology when I fall short.

2025-02-04 04:51

Justin Baldoni Accuses Blake Lively of Holding Taylor Swift’s Song Hostage in Legal Battle!”

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