Blake Lively's Legal Nightmare Deepens: Crisis PR Firm Sues Amid Justin Baldoni Drama!

Blake Lively is getting wrapped up in more legal trouble.

In the ongoing legal dispute between the actress from “It Ends With Us” and director Justin Baldoni, another lawsuit has surfaced. This time, Jed Wallace and his crisis management firm Street Relations have filed a defamation suit against Lively, following her mention of the company in her California Civil Rights complaint that was submitted in December.

In the court case reported by TopMob News on February 5th, Wallace is demanding a minimum of $6,000,000 in punitive damages. He claims that Lively named him in her initial complaint but failed to include him in her later lawsuit against Baldoni, which was filed in the same month. This, according to various media reports, caused harm as it implied that he and his legal firm had been involved in illicit activities.

However, a rep for the 37-year-old pushed back on the latest filing against her.

In a statement to TopMob News, a representative for Lively stated: “Yet another location, another billion-dollar lawsuit aimed at Ms. Lively, this time alleging she should be sued ‘out of existence’ due to her vocal stance against sexual harassment and retaliation. This lawsuit is not merely a publicity ploy; it appears to be clear retaliation, following the submission of a complaint detailing sexual harassment and retaliation issues that Ms. Lively had filed with the California Civil Rights Department.

The conclusion was reached that this case will not proceed further, but we’re glad that Mr. Wallace has come out of hiding, and it’s satisfying to know that he too will face charges in a federal court.

Wallace’s legal action follows approximately a month since Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist. He asserts that the actress from ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ was intent on portraying him as the antagonist in real life, and that her accusations of sexual harassment were fabricated tales.

In my professional opinion, the lawsuit filed on January 16th by Baldoni not only alleged, but vividly portrayed that Lively and her associates orchestrated a malicious smear tactic aimed at tarnishing my reputation and Wayfarer. This strategic campaign was seemingly designed to divert attention from Lively’s questionable decisions and shift the blame onto us.

After the filing, Bryan Freedman, who is one of Baldoni’s attorneys, has consistently refuted Lively’s claims against his client. In fact, their legal team has created a separate website to present evidence supporting their case, which was initially presented in the lawsuit. Interestingly, Reynolds and Lively attempted to impose a gag order on Freedman at the end of last month, but the judge denied their request.

In the midst of my ongoing legal struggles, I’ve chosen to keep a more subdued presence. Yet, it’s essential to highlight that life goes on, and with my wonderful partner Ryan Reynolds, we are parents to James (10), Inez (8), Betty (5), and our newest addition, Olin (born 2023). Last month, we were spotted enjoying a night out together, which serves as a testament to the strength of our bond and unity amidst our current situation.

Keep reading for more on Baldoni and Lively’s ongoing legal battles…

Approximately four months following the theater release of the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us,” Blake Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) on December 20, as reported by The New York Times. In this complaint, obtained 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 alleged that Baldoni and Wayfarer associates initiated a retaliatory press and digital campaign against her after she voiced concerns about on-set misconduct—with her stating that she and other cast and crew members experienced inappropriate and unwelcome behavior by Baldoni and Heath.

Lively further stated that this alleged campaign inflicted significant personal and professional harm upon her. The accusations listed 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 a report detailing a suspected counterattack smear operation that Baldoni and his companions were said to have carried out against Lively – referring to her CRD complaint. In the piece, the publication shared messages exchanged between Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), Nathan (crisis communications specialist), and others, which were part of the complaint. The newspaper’s website also made available the related court documents for perusal by readers.

“I hope my legal action will shed light on these underhanded retaliatory strategies aimed at harming those who speak out about misconduct,” Lively stated to the outlet, “and safeguard others who might become targets in the future.

Following the disclosure of Lively’s complaint, Bryan Freedman—the lawyer for Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their representatives—strongly disputed Lively’s allegations. He stated in a statement on The New York Times website that it was regrettable for Lively and her team to make such grave and absolutely false claims against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives, as another desperate move to improve her damaged reputation stemming from her own comments and actions during the film’s campaign; interviews and press activities that were visible in real-time and uncensored, enabling the public to form their own opinions. Freedman argued these claims are entirely false, excessively sensationalized, and deliberately salacious with the intention of causing harm and perpetuating a narrative in the media.

Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s decision to engage a crisis manager, explaining that this was done before the movie’s promotional campaign. He later added that the representatives of Wayfarer Studios took no proactive measures nor retaliated, only responding to incoming media inquiries to ensure accurate and fair reporting and monitoring social activity. What is conspicuously absent from the selectively presented correspondence is evidence that there were no active measures taken with the media or otherwise; just internal strategic planning and private communication, which is standard practice among public relations professionals.

After an article by The New York Times was published on December 21, the talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) ended its association with Baldoni. Ari Emanuel, CEO of the agency’s parent company Endeavor, confirmed this to the outlet. However, it’s important to clarify that Ryan Reynolds, husband of Blake Lively and also represented by WME, was not responsible for the agency’s decision to part ways with Baldoni, as later alleged in a lawsuit filed against The New York Times (details below).

In Baldoni’s filing, there is a claim that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere. This allegation is not true, according to WME. They further 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 point to drop Baldoni as a client, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter on January 1.

In the aftermath of Blake Lively’s CRD filing and a New York Times article, several prominent individuals expressed their support for her accusations against Baldoni. For instance, author Hoover from It Ends With Us commented on Instagram Stories linking to The New York Times, praising Lively’s honesty, kindness, and patience.

Similarly, Jenny Slate, who played the sister of Baldoni’s character Ryle, expressed her solidarity with Lively in a statement to Today. She commended Lively for standing up against those accused of damaging her reputation and acknowledged the disturbing nature of the reported attacks on her friend.

Additionally, Brandon Sklenar, a love interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom, shared a link to The New York Times article and encouraged others to read it. Lastly, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn declared their solidarity with her.

Liz Plank recently shared her decision to step down from hosting “The Man Enough Podcast” with Wayfarer on December 23rd. In a heartfelt post on Instagram, she expressed gratitude for the trust and support of listeners, stating that they had made the show special. Although she didn’t specify the reason for her departure, it followed closely after Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his Wayfarer colleagues. Plank emphasized her ongoing commitment to the values they built together and her belief in their ability to create a better future. She promised to share more updates soon as she reflects on recent events, but assured continued support for those who speak out against injustice.

In a lawsuit filed against him in New York on Christmas Eve, Baldoni’s former publicist Stephanie Jones and her agency Jonesworks LLC accused Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel, and crisis communications specialist Nathan of conspiring to publicly and privately attack Jones and her agency for months. The lawsuit claims that Abel and Nathan orchestrated a smear campaign against one of Baldoni’s film co-stars and used the resulting crisis to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni, falsely blaming Jones for the smear campaign when she had no involvement in it.

The lawsuit also alleges that Abel and Nathan continue to falsely accuse Jones of wrongdoing now that their own misconduct is being exposed, and defame and attack her in the industry. The defendants, who are no longer clients of Jonesworks, are accused of breaching contracts with Jonesworks and refusing to settle the dispute privately through arbitration.

Abel’s LinkedIn profile indicates that she worked at Jonesworks until last summer. TopMob News reached out to the defendants for comment.

According to a statement made by Lively’s legal team to Variety, they obtained the texts mentioned in The New York Times article through a subpoena issued to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and their Wayfarer associates, further stated that none of his clients were subpoenaed regarding this matter. He also expressed his intention to file a lawsuit against Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s attorneys without proper authorization.

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 due to an article about a supposed retaliatory smear campaign the plaintiffs allegedly conducted against Lively after she raised concerns about purported misconduct on set. The report was deemed “false” by the plaintiffs, who claim it was based on Lively’s CRD complaint and that messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context.

The lawsuit claims that The New York Times relied heavily on Lively’s unverified narrative while disregarding 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.

In response, The New York Times stated that it plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.” It added 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 that were accurately quoted 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. The court records obtained by TopMob News reveal that 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, negligence related to emotional distress, false light invasion of privacy.

The accusations in this lawsuit were initially outlined in the CRD complaint Lively submitted earlier that month.

In response to this lawsuit, Baldoni and his associates filed a counter-suit against The New York Times (which does not name Lively as a defendant). In a statement to TopMob, her legal team stated that “the contents of this lawsuit do not alter the claims made in her CRD and federal complaints.”

They further clarified that the premise behind Lively’s lawsuit against Wayfarer and others (that her initial complaint was a ruse and she never intended to sue Baldoni) is false, as evidenced by the federal complaint filed by Lively earlier today.

In the legal action brought by Baldoni and his team against The New York Times, they made it clear that their fight is not over. As court documents show, there are more individuals who have acted wrongly, and it’s important to note that this lawsuit will not be the only one filed. When speaking with NBC News on January 2, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman confirmed that they intend to take legal action against Lively as well.

The conversation surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended there. Some social media users have suggested that Reynolds, in his film Deadpool & Wolverine, subtly mocked Baldoni through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has yet to respond publicly to these speculations; however, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman shared his thoughts on the matter. During an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, posted to YouTube on Jan 7, Freedman stated:

“In my opinion, if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make light of Justin Baldoni’s situation. You take it seriously. You pursue appropriate channels and follow legal procedures. What you don’t do is make fun of the person and turn it into a joke.

In response to your lawsuit, Lively’s legal team asserts that there have been additional instances of hostile actions against her, not mere disagreements or hearsay. According to their statement on January 7th, the case filed in the Southern District of New York is about severe accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation supported by solid evidence. The defendants, allegedly, have been involved in unlawful, retaliatory actions against Lively for taking a stand against inappropriate behavior on set. Since the lawsuit was filed, these actions have escalated further.

In the meantime, they encourage everyone to recognize that sexual harassment and retaliation are unacceptable in any professional setting or industry. A common strategy to evade accusations of such misconduct is to defame the victim by implying they invited it, brought it upon themselves, or lied about the incident. Another tactic is to switch the roles of victim and offender, claiming that the alleged perpetrator is actually the one being wronged.

Lively’s lawyers emphasize that these tactics serve to minimize and trivialize serious allegations. They also want to clarify that media statements do not serve as a defense for her claims, and they will be taking this matter to court.

On January 16th, Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, publicist Abel, crisis communication specialist Nathan, and It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, Leslie Sloane (her publicist), and Vision PR firm in New York. The lawsuit alleges that all defendants are guilty of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contractual relations, economic advantage, and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage.

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

In their lawsuit, plaintiffs claim that defendants collaborated with The New York Times to publish a sensational news piece that was both inaccurate and damaging. Despite this, the outlet maintains its report’s validity. As part of his statement to TopMob, Freedman suggested that Blake Lively was either deceived by her team or deliberately lied about the truth.

Lively’s legal team referred to his lawsuit as “an additional instance in the script for an abuser,” stating to TopMob News, “This scenario repeats itself frequently: A woman presents solid proof of sexual misconduct and retaliation, and the abuser tries to shift the blame onto the victim. This is often known as DARVO. Deny allegations. Attack the accuser. Reverse Victim and Offender roles.

In addition to her initial accusations, she also claimed he reacted by counter-attacking, stating that Baldoni is attempting to change the storyline to suggest that Lively took creative control and distanced herself from Mr. Baldoni, estranging the cast in the process.

It was further stated that the proof will indicate that both the cast members and others had unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Additionally, the evidence will demonstrate that Sony requested Ms. Lively to supervise their portion of the movie, which they subsequently chose for distribution and became a significant hit.

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

In summary, their defense against sexual harassment accusations revolves around blaming the victim, implying she desired it and was responsible. Their reasoning for this incident is based on her attire, as stated by her legal team. Essentially, while the victim concentrates on the abuse, the abuser focuses on the victim herself. This strategy of vilifying the woman is desperate, does not dispute the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and will ultimately fall short.

In simpler terms, Baldoni’s lawyer disclosed unseen footage from the set of “It Ends With Us”, stating that the actor’s behavior on camera contradicts Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him.

According to Baldoni’s lawyers, the particular scene aimed at portraying the two characters developing feelings for each other and yearning to be near one another. It is evident that both actors were acting appropriately and professionally within the context of the scene, demonstrating mutual respect.

Nevertheless, Lively’s legal representatives contend that the video fully supports, point by point, what Ms. Lively claimed in her lawsuit. They argue that every instance depicted in the video was spontaneously created by Mr. Baldoni without any prior discussion or consent.

The video depicts Ms. Lively pulling back and persistently requesting that the characters converse instead, as reported to TopMob News in a declaration. A sense of unease similar to Ms. Lively’s may be familiar to women who have experienced workplace harassment.

In my professional capacity as a lifestyle expert, I find it essential to uphold integrity and transparency in all matters. Thus, during the course of my recent legal proceedings, I have written directly to the overseeing judge, requesting that any individual, particularly Freedman—my legal representative’s leader—be subjected to a gag order. The purpose of this request is to maintain fairness and prevent any form of inappropriate behavior during our ongoing case.

A seven-minute audio message, claimed to have been sent by Baldoni to Lively during the filming of “It Ends With Us”, was made public. In this recording, it seems that the director discussed the rooftop scene in the movie, which Lively had rewritten, and mentioned a meeting he supposedly had with Reynolds and their friend Taylor Swift regarding these changes.

He shared with Lively, “It’s not just their incredible creativity, but having friends like them is something we all should aspire to. When the three of you are together, it’s simply amazing.

In the recording, it appears Baldoni also seemed to apologize to the actress for not responding favorably to her script. He said, “I made a mistake. Here’s something important to understand about me: I will acknowledge and apologize when I fall short.

Exactly one month following the legal action initiated by Lively, a court hearing was scheduled for March 9, 2026.

2025-02-05 22:51

Blake Lively’s Legal Nightmare Deepens: Crisis PR Firm Sues Amid Justin Baldoni Drama!

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