Blake Lively's Legal Battle Intensifies Amidst Violent Threats and Controversy

Blake Lively is seeking additional protections.

In the midst of the ongoing court case between the actress from “It Ends With Us” and its director and leading actor, Justin Baldoni, Blake’s legal team has sent a letter to the court on their behalf, asking for a broader protection order as they navigate through the legal proceedings together with her husband, Ryan Reynolds.

According to a letter, dated February 20 and acquired by TopMob News, it includes a request that permits specific discovery documents to be labeled as “Confidential – Attorney’s Eyes Only.” This label restricts the number of people who can access this sensitive information.

The communication states that the classification will be assigned exclusively to information that is extremely private, confidential, and potentially damaging to one’s business, finances, or privacy, due to its sensitive or proprietary nature. Notably, this category applies particularly to high-profile individuals who are bound by a duty of confidentiality.

To support this classification, an extra document submitted by the former Gossip Girl actor’s representatives refers to the updated complaint that was recently filed by him, which is 37 years old.

In my fervent enthusiasm to share, let me recount from my personal perspective what’s stated in Ms. Lively’s Amended Complaint: a chilling series of messages, laced with violence, profanity, sexism, and threats, have been directed towards Ms. Lively herself, her family, fellow cast members, eyewitnesses, and even those who publicly support her.

In the continuation of the letter, it asserts that one of the fact witnesses cited in Wayfarer’s complaint was given a written warning stating that their family would be subjected to sexual assault and murder if they did not cooperate by making a statement and telling the truth.

The demand additionally touches upon the intense cyberbullying directed towards Blake, which was so malicious that Meta openly denounced it as unacceptable.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d put it this way: It’s clearly predictable, likely, and unavoidable that disclosing specific details would breach their privacy, endanger them, and potentially foster an atmosphere of potential witness intimidation.

Just a few days ago, the couple made a plea for extra safeguards, following Blake’s submission of a revised lawsuit against Justin and Wayfarer Studios.

In the revised account, Blake asserted that two more females experienced discomfort on set due to Justin and his associate, specifically Jamey Heath.

The experiences of Ms. Lively and others were recorded as they unfolded, starting from May 2023, according to the document. Crucially, contrary to the entire storyline the Defendants have concocted, Mr. Baldoni admitted the complaints in writing at that time. He was aware that women other than Ms. Lively also expressed discomfort and had voiced concerns about his conduct.

After the submission of the document, I, as a dedicated follower, would express that Bryan Freedman, Justin’s attorney, communicated a statement to TopMob News, asserting that the revised complaint is packed with unverified testimonies, accused the anonymous individuals of no longer being eager to surface or endorse their claims publicly, and criticized the absence of tangible evidence.

For a deeper look into the ongoing legal battle, 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) against her costar Justin Baldoni and several associates on December 20, as reported by The New York Times.

In the complaint obtained by TopMob News, 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 all named as defendants.

In the complaint, Lively claimed that Baldoni and Wayfarer associates initiated a deliberate press and digital campaign in retaliation for expressing concerns about alleged misconduct on set. She stated that she and other cast and crew members “experienced intrusive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior” from Baldoni and Heath.

Lively further stated that this alleged campaign against her caused significant harm to her both personally and professionally. The allegations 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 exposé detailing a supposed counterattack smear operation that Baldoni and his allies were accused of carrying out against Lively – corroborating her CRD complaint. In the piece, the publication shared messages from Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist) – all included in her accusation. The public was also given access to the court documents on The New York Times‘s website. Lively expressed to the outlet that she hoped her legal action would reveal these underhanded retaliatory tactics used to harm those speaking out about misconduct, thus offering protection to others who might face similar targeting.

Following the revelation of Lively’s criticism, as a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it this way: After Lively’s allegations surfaced, Bryan Freedman—representing Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their associates—vehemently denounced these claims. He stated on The New York Times website that it was disgraceful for Lively and her team to make such grave, unfounded accusations against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives. These allegations, he asserted, were fabricated, outrageous, and deliberately sensational with the intention of damaging Baldoni’s reputation maliciously and perpetuating a negative narrative in the media.

Freedman further defended Wayfarer’s choice to engage a crisis manager, explaining that this was done prior to the movie’s marketing campaign. He added that Wayfarer’s representatives did not take any proactive measures or retaliate, but rather only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure fair and accurate reporting and monitored social activity. What is conspicuously absent from the selectively presented correspondence, he noted, is evidence of a lack of proactive measures taken with the media or otherwise; instead, it shows internal planning and private discussions among public relations professionals—which is standard practice in our field.

After an article in The New York Times, published on December 21st, William Morris Endeavor (WME) ended their association with Baldoni. Ari Emanuel, CEO of the parent company Endeavor, confirmed this to the outlet. However, WME refuted claims that Ryan Reynolds was responsible for the separation between them and Baldoni, as alleged by Baldoni in his lawsuit against The New York Times (more on that later). In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1st, WME stated that Baldoni’s claim of pressure from Reynolds at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere was false. They added that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere and neither Reynolds nor Lively ever applied pressure to drop Baldoni as a client at any point in time.

Following Lively’s CRD filing and the New York Times article, several well-known personalities voiced their support for her allegations against Baldoni. This included author Colleen Hoover, who posted on Instagram Stories, “Blake Lively, you have always been honest, kind, supportive, and patient since we first met…Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”

Actress Jenny Slate, who portrayed Baldoni’s character Ryle’s sister, also expressed her solidarity with Lively. In a statement to Today on December 23rd, she said, “As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation.” She added, “Blake is a leader, loyal friend, and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her.”

Brandon Sklenar, a romantic interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom, shared the complaint published in the New York Times and linked out to the outlet with the caption, “For the love of God, read this.”

Additionally, America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn – Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars – expressed their solidarity with her.

I’m reaching out to share some personal news with you all. I’ve made the decision to step away from co-hosting The Man Enough Podcast, effective immediately. It has been an incredible journey, and I’ve cherished every moment we spent together as a community.

I want to express my deep gratitude for your trust, for allowing me to share in your stories, and for being there during the most intimate moments of mine. You have played a significant role in shaping this podcast into what it was, and I will miss you dearly.

At this time, I’m not at liberty to disclose the reasons behind my departure, but rest assured that I remain steadfast in upholding the values we’ve cultivated together. I am grateful for your support during these last four years, and I believe that our collective efforts can lead us towards a better future.

I will be sharing more about this transition soon as I take some time to reflect on everything that has transpired. In the meantime, please know that I will continue to champion those who fight for justice and hold accountable those who stand in their way.

In a lawsuit filed against him on December 24th in New York, 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 attack Jones and breach contracts. The lawsuit claims that Abel and Nathan orchestrated a smear campaign against Baldoni’s film co-star without Jones’ knowledge, then blamed her for it when it came to light. Abel had previously worked at Jonesworks but is now being accused of falsely implicating Jones in their own misconduct. The suit also alleges that Baldoni and Wayfarer breached their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refused to settle the dispute privately. The defendants have been contacted for comment by TopMob News.

In a statement made to Variety on December 23rd, Lively’s legal team clarified they received 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 explained that neither of his clients were subpoenaed regarding this matter. He also expressed his intention to take legal action against Jones for disclosing texts 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 this lawsuit, The New York Times is accused of libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud, and breach of implied-in-fact contract regarding an article about a supposed retaliatory smear campaign the plaintiffs allegedly conducted against Lively following her expressed concerns about purported misconduct on set.

The plaintiffs claim that the report was false and based solely on Lively’s CRD complaint, and they deny the accusations made in the article, stating that messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context.

The lawsuit alleges that The New York Times relied heavily on Lively’s unverified narrative while disregarding evidence contradicting her claims and exposing her true motives. It also alleges that it was Lively, not the plaintiffs, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign, a claim she has denied.

In response, The New York Times stated it plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.” They added 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 accurately quoted in the article.

That very 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 obtained by TopMob News, she is charging the defendants with sexual harassment, retaliation, neglecting to investigate and address harassment, aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation, breach of contract, intentionally causing emotional distress, negligently inflicting emotional distress, and invading her privacy through false light.

The accusations in the lawsuit echo those she made in the CRD complaint she filed earlier that month. In response to this lawsuit, Baldoni and his associates filed a counteraction against The New York Times—which does not name Lively as a defendant. Her legal team responded to TopMob by stating that “the lawsuit does not alter any aspect of the claims in her CRD and federal complaints.”

They further clarified that the basis for this lawsuit is a false presumption that Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was merely a tactic to avoid filing a lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer, and that she had no intention of pursuing litigation. However, they added, “the federal complaint filed by Ms. Lively today clearly demonstrates this premise for the Wayfarer lawsuit is false.

In their legal action against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team have indicated that they have more to pursue, specifically naming other parties as culprits. It is clear from the court documents that this will not be the only lawsuit they initiate. During a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney, Freedman, confirmed their intention to also sue Lively.

The chatter about Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended yet. For example, some social media users have proposed that Reynolds made fun of Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has not spoken out on these rumors; however, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman shared his thoughts. During an interview on “The Megyn Kelly Show,” posted to YouTube on January 7, he said, “When your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make light of Justin Baldoni’s situation. You treat it seriously. You file complaints through HR, raise the issue, and follow a legal process. What you shouldn’t do is joke about it.

In a statement issued on January 7th, Lively’s legal team clarified that the ongoing federal lawsuit against Wayfarer Entertainment in the Southern District of New York is based on substantial evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation. They emphasized that this case is not merely a “feud” or a matter of creative differences, but rather an instance of unlawful retaliatory astroturfing by Wayfarer and their associates against Lively for standing up for herself and others on a film set. Since the lawsuit was filed, there have been further attacks against Lively.

In the meantime, they urged everyone to remember that sexual harassment and retaliation are unacceptable in any workplace or industry. They cautioned against tactics such as blaming the victim or suggesting that they invited, brought on, misunderstood, or lied about the misconduct. These tactics aim to divert attention from allegations of serious misconduct. Lastly, they emphasized that media statements do not serve as a defense for Lively’s claims and reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing 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 Lively, Reynolds, Leslie Sloane (publicist), and Vision PR. The plaintiffs claim that all defendants are guilty of civil extortion, defamation, and invading privacy through false light. Specifically, they accuse Lively and Reynolds of breaking the implied covenant of good faith, interfering with contractual relations intentionally or negligently, and using their economic advantage against the plaintiffs.

The suit also denies Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign. Instead, they accuse her of taking control of It Ends With Us, working with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to harm the plaintiffs’ reputation in the media after she faced criticism for her film promotion methods (which Lively claims were in accordance with Sony’s marketing plan).

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the defendants collaborated with The New York Times to publish a sensational yet false news report. Regarding this report, The New York Times maintains its validity. In response to TopMob, Freedman stated, “Either Blake Lively was significantly deceived by her team or she deliberately distorted the truth.

In a statement given to TopMob News, Lively’s legal team labeled his lawsuit as “just another tactic in an abuser’s playbook,” implying that it’s a common strategy for those accused of sexual harassment and retaliation: first, they deny the allegations; second, they counter-attack the accuser; third, they try to switch the roles of the victim and the offender. This is often referred to as DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender).

She additionally claimed that he reacted after she brought charges against him, arguing that Baldoni is attempting to alter the storyline, suggesting that Lively took creative control and distanced the cast from Mr. Baldoni.

It was further stated, “The proof will reveal that the cast and others encountered difficulties with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Additionally, the evidence will demonstrate that Sony assigned Ms. Lively to supervise their portion of the film, which they subsequently chose for distribution and achieved significant success.

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

In summary, when faced with sexual harassment accusations, they blamed the victim, implying she consented and it was her own fault. Their explanation for the incident was that of her attire. To put it simply, while the victim is concerned about the abuse, the abuser concentrates on the victim. This tactic of blaming the woman is weak, as it does not negate the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and it will ultimately fall short.

In a statement, Baldoni’s attorney shared unseen footage from the set of “It Ends With Us“, stating that the actor’s actions in the video contradict Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d like to clarify the intent behind the intriguing sequence. This particular moment was carefully crafted to depict the blossoming romance between the characters, their yearning for intimacy, and their deep emotional connection. It’s essential to note that both actors were meticulously portraying their roles within the boundaries of the scene, demonstrating respect and maintaining a high level of professionalism throughout the process.

According to Lively’s legal team, the video supports, in every detail, what Ms. Lively claimed in her lawsuit. They argue that each moment depicted in the video was spontaneously created by Mr. Baldoni without any prior discussion or agreement.

The video depicts Ms. Lively pulling back and continually requesting the characters to converse instead, as stated to TopMob News. A similar unease may be recognized by any woman who has experienced unwanted physical contact at work.

In the context of my involvement as a dedicated follower, I have composed a letter on behalf of the couple, addressed to the judge overseeing our case. In this correspondence, we have respectfully requested that Freedman, who leads Baldoni’s legal team, be subjected to a gag order during our ongoing court proceedings. Our intention behind this request is to prevent any form of inappropriate behavior or conduct that could potentially compromise the fairness and integrity of the judicial process.

A seven-minute audio message, supposedly 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 movie’s rooftop scene that Lively rewrote and how these alterations were reportedly presented to him in a meeting with Reynolds and their acquaintance Taylor Swift.

He said to Lively, “It’s great to have friends as creative as them, and they’re among the most imaginative individuals out there. The trio of you is incredible; it’s hard to believe!

In the recording, it appears that Baldoni offered an apology to the actress for not responding favorably to her script. He said, “I made a mistake. Something important for you to understand about me is that I will acknowledge and apologize when I fall short.

A court hearing was scheduled exactly one month after Lively initiated legal action against Baldoni, with the date set for March 9, 2026.

2025-02-21 21:18

Blake Lively’s Legal Battle Intensifies Amidst Violent Threats and Controversy

Read More