Blake Lively Seeks to Dismiss Justin Baldoni’s Controversial Lawsuit

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Blake Lively wants to end Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit with a dismissal.

Two months following the director’s submission of a $400 million defamation counter-accusation against his “It Ends With Us” co-star (after she initiated a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and retaliation), Lively has submitted a request to discard his countersuit in a New York federal court, as reported by TopMob News based on obtained documents.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it like this: In my professional opinion, when addressing the case at hand, my legal team emphasized that the lawsuit brought forth by Baldoni against my client was an unwarranted and disorganized attempt to seek vengeance, which has no place in federal court. We invoked a California law that safeguards individuals who bring forth allegations of sexual misconduct, asserting that such protections are essential in these situations.

The filing further contended that Baldoni’s allegations, which implicated Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane, Sloane’s PR firm Vision PR, and The New York Times for civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy through false light, should be discarded based on California’s Assembly Bill 933. This bill, amended in 2023, provides legal immunity to individuals who make statements without any malicious intent.

The motion states that it’s unacceptable to use defamation lawsuits as a form of revenge against people who have filed legal claims or spoken out about sexual harassment and retaliation. It emphasizes that the ability to seek justice through legal means and the press’s duty to report on these matters are fundamental rights, safeguarded by various protections such as litigation privilege and fair report privilege, which are absolute.

TopMob News contacted representatives for Baldoni as well as Baldoni’s legal team for a statement, but we haven’t received a response yet.

According to a law that Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed as a response to defamation cases during the #MeToo movement, if the motion is approved, Baldoni will have to reimburse Lively for her court costs and any resulting harm.

The filing stated, “To put it another way, the Wayfarer Parties, in a remarkable own-goal, have inadvertently increased their own potential legal responsibilities by attempting to sue Ms. Lively excessively.

In simpler terms, Lively’s lawyers claimed that Baldoni’s legal team was using the lawsuit as a powerful public relations tool, with the intention of damaging and discrediting Lively for her public statements on sexual harassment and retaliation, which aligns with the Wayfarer Parties’ alleged strategy to silence her.

After the filing, a representative from Lively commented to TopMob News, “Unfortunately, Ms. Lively isn’t an exception when it comes to being sued for defamation following her disclosure of workplace sexual harassment.

The sentence can be rephrased as: “Although Ms. Lively has faced hardships for voicing her concerns and filing lawsuits,” the statement emphasized, “it’s crucial for others to understand that they have safeguards in place, and a specific law exists to shield them from being silenced or financially devastated through defamation lawsuits, should they bravely decide to speak up.

Just a few days ago, an update was made following Reynolds’ petition to a New York court to be released from the ongoing lawsuit. As reported by TopMob News, his legal team has countered Baldoni’s claim of defamation against Reynolds by denying it in their submission.

For a full breakdown of Lively and Baldoni’s ongoing legal battle, read on.

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 20, as reported by The New York Times. In this complaint, obtained by TopMob News, Justin Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios, 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 his Wayfarer associates retaliated against her with a complex media and digital campaign after she expressed concerns about reported misconduct on set. She stated that she, along with other cast and crew members, endured invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior by Baldoni and Heath.

Lively further claimed that this alleged campaign against her resulted in significant harm to both her personal life and career. 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 revealed a damning report concerning a supposed smear campaign orchestrated by Baldoni and his allies, allegedly directed at Lively – corroborated by her CRD complaint. In its exposé, the publication unveiled communications from Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist) – all implicated in the complaint. The article also provided access to the related court documents on The New York Times’ website for readers to peruse. As an ardent fan, I can’t help but feel outraged and compelled by Lively’s statement: “I fervently hope that my legal action sheds light on these underhanded retaliatory maneuvers aimed at undermining those who expose misconduct. May it serve as a shield for others who might be targeted in the future.

Following the disclosure of Lively’s complaint, Bryan Freedman – legal representative for Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their associates – forcefully denied Lively’s allegations.

In a statement published on The New York Times website, he expressed disappointment over Lively and her representatives making grave and completely false accusations against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their associates. He deemed it a desperate attempt to repair her tarnished reputation stemming from her own statements and actions during the movie’s promotional campaign, where her unedited interviews and press activities allowed for public scrutiny and opinion formation on social media.

Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s choice to engage a crisis manager, stating that this was done prior to the marketing campaign of the film. He later emphasized that Wayfarer’s representatives did not take any proactive measures nor retaliated, instead only responding to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and accurate reporting and monitoring social activity. He pointed out that what is conspicuously absent from the selectively shared correspondence is evidence of a lack of proactive measures with the media or otherwise; only internal strategy planning and private communication was present, which he noted is standard practice among public relations professionals.

Following the publication of an article in The New York Times on December 21, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) ended its association with Baldoni. Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME’s parent company Endeavor, confirmed this to the outlet. However, it’s important to note that WME refuted claims made by Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband and a client represented by WME, for having influenced their decision to part ways with Baldoni. This allegation was later made in a lawsuit filed by Baldoni against The New York Times. In response to these accusations, WME stated that there was no pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time, nor was Baldoni’s former representative present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere where such alleged pressure could have occurred.

After Blake 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’, Colleen Hoover.

On Instagram Stories, December 21st, Hoover 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.”

Similarly, Jenny Slate, who played Baldoni’s character Ryle’s sister, expressed her backing of Lively. In a statement to Today on December 23rd, she stated: “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 continued by expressing her admiration for Lively’s courage, stating: “What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.”

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

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

Liz Plank recently shared her decision to step down from co-hosting The Man Enough Podcast on Instagram, effective immediately. In her post, she expressed gratitude for the trust and support of the show’s listeners and acknowledged the strong bond that was formed over the past four years. Although Plank did not disclose the reasons behind her departure, it followed closely after the allegations made against her co-hosts by Lively.

In a heartfelt message to her followers, she expressed her continued commitment to the values they had built together and emphasized the importance of striving for better as a community. Plank also hinted at sharing more about her thoughts and feelings in the near future while continuing to support those who speak out against injustice and hold accountable those who stand in their way.

Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s former publicist, and her agency Jonesworks LLC filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel, crisis communications specialist Nathan, and others in New York on December 24. According to the lawsuit obtained by NBC News, Abel and Nathan secretly conspired for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and Jonesworks, breach contracts, induce contractual breaches, and steal clients and business prospects. They allegedly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch a smear campaign against one of Baldoni’s film co-stars, used the ensuing crisis to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni, and blamed Jones for the smear campaign even though she had no knowledge or involvement in it. Abel worked at Jonesworks until last summer, and the lawsuit claims that she is now falsely accusing Jones as her own misconduct comes to light and defaming and attacking her in the industry. The defendants, including Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer Jonesworks clients, are accused of breaching their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refusing to settle this dispute privately in arbitration. TopMob News reached out to the defendants for comment.

In a statement given to Variety on December 23rd, Lively’s legal team revealed they obtained the texts mentioned in The New York Times article through a subpoena issued to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and Wayfarer associates, further stated that none of his clients were subpoenaed concerning this matter. He also expressed his intention to sue Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s lawyers.

On December 31, 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 that claimed the plaintiffs conducted a retaliatory smear campaign against Lively following her concerns about misconduct on set.

The plaintiffs claim the report was false and based primarily on Lively’s complaint to the CRD. They deny the accusations, stating that messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context. The lawsuit asserts that The New York Times relied heavily on Lively’s unverified narrative, while disregarding contradictory evidence.

The plaintiffs allege that it was actually Lively who engaged in a calculated smear campaign, a claim she denies. In response, The New York Times plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.” They maintain 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 that very day, I took the step to instigate a legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, his company TAG, and Abel in New York. As documented by court records made available to TopMob News, I’m accusing these parties for various offenses including sexual harassment, retaliation, negligence, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false light invasion of privacy, among others.

The details of my grievances were initially outlined in the CRD complaint I filed earlier that month. In response to this lawsuit, Baldoni and his associates have countered by filing a suit against The New York Times—which does not involve me as a defendant. Regarding this, my legal team has asserted to TopMob that “the essence of this lawsuit remains unaltered with respect to the claims in my CRD and federal complaints.”

They further stated, “The premise that my administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a mere tactic to avoid suing Baldoni and his associates, and that litigation was never my ultimate goal, is fundamentally flawed. As evidenced by the federal complaint filed by me today, this perspective on the lawsuit against Wayfarer is incorrect.

In their legal action against The New York Times, Baldoni and his colleagues have made it clear that they have not finished their fight. According to court documents, there are more wrongdoers to be held accountable, and this will not be the final lawsuit they initiate. In a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman confirmed that they indeed intend to take legal action against Lively.

The chatter surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t subsided, with some social media users suggesting that Reynolds may have teased Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has yet to respond publicly to these rumors; however, Baldoni’s attorney, Freedman, shared his thoughts on the matter during an interview on “The Megyn Kelly Show,” available on YouTube as of January 7th.

“In my opinion, if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make light of Justin Baldoni’s situation,” Freedman stated. “You don’t make fun of it and turn it into a joke. Instead, you take it seriously, file complaints through HR, raise the issue, and follow due process. Mocking someone in such a situation is not appropriate.

Ms. Lively’s legal team states that since she filed a lawsuit, there have been further instances of what they call “attacks” against her. The lawsuit involves severe accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation, supported by solid evidence. This is not a petty dispute stemming from creative differences or a he-said-she-said situation. Instead, as detailed in Ms. Lively’s complaint, Wayfarer and its associates are accused of engaging in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against her for standing up for herself and others on set. In response to the lawsuit, they have continued to launch additional attacks against Ms. Lively.

While the legal proceedings are ongoing, they request everyone to keep in mind that sexual harassment and retaliation are prohibited in all workplaces and industries. A common tactic to deflect accusations of such misconduct is to blame the victim by implying they welcomed it, brought it upon themselves, or misunderstood the intentions. Another strategy is to reverse the roles of the victim and offender, suggesting that the offender was actually the victim.

Her lawyers emphasize that these approaches normalize and trivialize serious misconduct allegations. They also remind everyone that media statements do not constitute a defense for her claims, and they will present their case in 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 in New York. The plaintiffs have accused all defendants of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of good faith, interference with contractual relations, and causing economic harm.

The lawsuit claims that Lively and Reynolds are specifically responsible for breaching the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, as well as intentionally interfering with their contracts and causing them economic disadvantage. The plaintiffs deny Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign against her. Instead, they accuse her of taking control of It Ends With Us and working with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to damage the reputation of the plaintiffs in the press after receiving backlash for promoting the film. (Lively claims she promoted the movie in accordance with Sony’s marketing plan.)

In the lawsuit, plaintiffs claim that defendants collaborated with The New York Times to release a sensational news piece, which turned out to be untrue. Despite this allegation, the media outlet maintains its report’s accuracy.

In response to TopMob, Freedman stated, “Blake Lively was either deceived by her team or deliberately misled about the truth.

In a statement made to TopMob News, Lively’s legal team labeled his lawsuit as “just another example in the abuser’s playbook.” They explained that this situation follows a familiar pattern: A woman presents proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the accused tries to shift the blame onto the victim. This tactic is often referred to by experts as DARVO, which stands for Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.

Additionally, she asserted that he responded with counter-accusations after she had levied claims against him, implying that Baldoni aims to redirect attention away from the fact that Lively took over creative leadership and reportedly estranged the cast from Mr. Baldoni.

It was further stated, “The proof will make clear that both the cast members and others encountered unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Additionally, the evidence will demonstrate that Sony requested Ms. Lively to supervise Sony’s portion of the film, which they subsequently chose for distribution and turned out to be a huge success.

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

In simpler terms, the defendants’ argument regarding sexual harassment accusations was that she invited it and it was her own fault. They also suggested that her clothing was responsible for the incident, as stated by her legal team. Essentially, while the victim is concentrating on the abuse, the perpetrator is targeting the victim. This tactic of blaming the woman is desperate and will not succeed in undermining the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint.

In simpler terms, Baldoni’s lawyer made public unseen footage from the set of the movie “It Ends With Us“, stating that the actor’s behavior shown in the video contradicts what Ms. Lively claimed about him.

According to Baldoni’s lawyers, the specific sequence was intended to depict the blossoming romance between the characters, as they yearned for physical proximity. It is evident that both performers were acting appropriately and professionally within the context of the scene, demonstrating mutual understanding and respect.

According to Lively’s legal team, the video completely supports the account given by Ms. Lively in her lawsuit, as it was all spontaneously created by Mr. Baldoni without any prior conversation or approval.

According to a statement given to TopMob News, the video depicts Miss Lively leaning back and frequently requesting that the characters simply converse. This scenario may resonate with any woman who has experienced unwanted physical contact at work, as it reflects her evident unease.

 

In their ongoing court case, the couple wrote to the presiding judge, asking for Freedman, who leads Baldoni’s legal team, to be subjected to a restriction on public discussion (gag order), in an attempt to prevent any inappropriate behavior during the legal proceedings.

Online, a seven-minute voice recording supposedly sent by Baldoni to Lively during the filming of “It Ends With Us” became available. In this recording, it seems that Baldoni discussed the rooftop scene Lively rewrote and mentioned how these changes were supposedly presented to him in a meeting with Reynolds and their friend, Taylor Swift.

He shared with Lively that it’s not just their creativity that makes them great friends, but added, “The trio of you is simply amazing, almost unreal.

In the recording, it appears Baldoni also seemed to apologize to the actress for not being more receptive to her script. He said, “I made a mistake. Here’s something important to understand about me: when I fall short, I will acknowledge my mistakes and offer an apology.

Exactly one month following the submission of Lively’s legal complaint against Baldoni, a court hearing was scheduled for March 9, 2026.

According to TopMob News’ report of obtained documents, Baldoni’s legal team has updated their counterclaim against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane in the U.S. District Court, now including The New York Times as well.

In the revised paperwork, Baldoni alleged that Lively and her associates conspired together for several months, spreading untruths to The New York Times.

In a distinct case, not linked to the $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, it was claimed that the paper selectively presented and manipulated communications, omitting crucial context and intentionally editing them to deceive.

Baldoni constructed a website detailing his legal dispute with Lively, which includes the initial amended complaint filed by his legal team on January 31st, as well as a chronology of important events. The timeline document contains alleged screenshots of messages exchanged between Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni.

One month following Freedman’s announcement about their plans, they launched the website, making public every single text message exchange between the two parties involved.

In a January 2nd interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s lawyer expressed that they desire transparency and want all relevant documents to be publicly accessible. They believe that people should base their judgement on tangible evidence like receipts.

Legal representatives for Lively submitted a revised lawsuit, asserting that two additional female crew members from the production of ‘It Ends’ had expressed discomfort due to Baldoni’s on-set conduct.

TopMob News obtained a complaint stating that Ms. Lively wasn’t the only one voicing concerns about Mr. Baldoni. The experiences of Ms. Lively, among others, were recorded from May 2023 onwards when the incidents took place. Crucially, contrary to the storyline Defendants have fabricated, Mr. Baldoni admitted the complaints in writing at the time. He was aware that women apart from Ms. Lively also expressed discomfort and made complaints about his conduct.

As a fervent admirer, I found it quite concerning that the revised lawsuit I’m referring to didn’t mention the two potential witnesses whom Mr. Lively hinted at testifying. This is because, as he stated, our beloved figures have stirred up a dangerous atmosphere of threats, harassment, and intimidation through their retaliatory campaign, making it too risky for these individuals to come forward publicly.

In an interview with TopMob, Freedman asserted that the accusations were mainly based on vague second-hand information and implied that those who had initially supported the allegations are now unwilling to corroborate them publicly.

In my role as a lifestyle advisor, I find it crucial to address rumors and allegations head-on for transparency’s sake. Recently, I found myself in a situation where Baldoni accused me of spreading malicious tales depicting him as a sexual predator, along with orchestrating a smear campaign under Lively’s guidance. In response, I decided to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against me.

According to documents acquired by TopMob News, Sloane’s legal representative claimed that there was no solid evidence supporting the allegations against their client, and instead, she had been unwarrantedly pulled into the lawsuit as a tactic to divert attention away from Lively’s accusations. This appears to be a smoke and mirrors maneuver intended to obscure the truth.

As a lifestyle expert, I am excited to share that I’ve recently welcomed Nick Shapiro, a seasoned professional who served as the Deputy Chief of Staff at the CIA, onto my team. He’ll be lending his expertise in crafting our legal communications strategy, focusing on the ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit unfolding in the Southern District of New York. This strategic move was confirmed by a member of my litigation team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher to Variety on February 28th.

Shapiro, who served for the CIA from 2013 to 2015 during the Obama administration, later moved on to become Visa’s vice president of global security and communications, followed by Airbnb’s global head of crisis management. After spending three years at the rental company, he established his own consulting firm, 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d put it this way: In a recent turn of events, The New York Times, currently entangled in a $250 million lawsuit with Baldoni, has taken a step to extricate itself from another legal battle. This new development involves a $400 million lawsuit that also encompasses Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane. TopMob News has obtained the court documents detailing this motion to dismiss The New York Times from the ongoing litigation.

In simpler terms, the newspaper stated in their submission that Baldoni’s team was presenting only one perspective of the story, which has received significant media attention. However, they made it clear that The Times should not be involved in this disagreement.

After the motion from The New York Times for dismissal was approved, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman agreed to hold off on the discovery process, as reported by TopMob News based on obtained documents.

As I, your trusted lifestyle advisor, navigate through the intricacies of legal matters, I can share with you that a request for a temporary hold on the exchange of information or documents between parties has been approved by the judge. This decision comes as he carefully reviews the newspaper’s motion filed on February 28.

In the March 4 report, Liman stated that the New York Times has provided “solid reasons” and demonstrated a “high probability of success” when making their motion to dismiss based on the case’s inherent qualities.

The judge further stated that he doubts Baldoni’s legal team will suffer an unfair disadvantage if the court chooses to postpone its decision while it considers the upcoming motion.

In response to TopMob News, a representative for the New York Times commented on the recent ruling, stating, “We are grateful for today’s court decision, which acknowledges the significant First Amendment principles involved. The court has prevented Mr. Baldoni from imposing discovery requests on The Times in a case that should not have been initiated against us.

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2025-03-20 21:51