Harvey Weinstein Weighs In on Baldoni & Lively Feud

Harvey Weinsein is calling out the New York Times.

In the midst of the persistent legal conflict between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, the disgraced Hollywood executive, currently detained at Rikers Island before his upcoming retrial on charges of sexual assault and rape in New York, mused over his own 2017 exposé by the newspaper and its impact on igniting the #MeToo movement against workplace harassment during the late 2010s.

In contemplation of his personal court struggle, he expressed admiration towards the director who initiated a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the newspaper.

Seeing Justin Baldoni sue The New York Times and its journalists, who he says distorted communications and overlooked evidence contradicting Ms. Lively’s allegations, was a tough reminder for Weinstein, as it triggered memories of when The Times published articles about him in 2017.

Weinstein, who had decades of sexual assault accusations detailed in articles by both The New Yorker and The New York Times, commented, “They both selected only information that supported their account and disregarded crucial context and facts that might have contradicted the story they were telling.

In response to Baldoni’s lawsuits, totaling $650 million against a publication, Reynolds, their publicist, and Lively, Weinstein commented that he should have taken similar action when facing a similar situation. Notably, Reynolds and the publicist have asked to be removed from the $400 million lawsuit, while Lively has countered with her own defamation suit against Baldoni, who was previously part of ‘Jane the Virgin’ cast.

He went on, admitting he wished he’d mustered the bravery to challenge the distortion of the truth. That missed opportunity continues to weigh heavily on him.”

“He carried on, expressing regret for not standing up when the truth was being manipulated. That moment of inaction still casts a shadow over him.

73-year-old individual, who was previously found guilty of sexual assault in a 2022 California trial and is now awaiting a retrial in New York after his 2020 conviction was reversed, stated that he has been keeping a close eye on the developments in the Baldoni and Lively cases.

He clarified that this is relevant for anyone who has experienced a negative portrayal in the media, and especially significant for those who have faced substantial legal consequences as a result.

TopMob News has reached out to the New York Times for comment but has not heard back.

Contrary to his assertions of not standing up against him, Megan Twohy and Jodi Kantor – Pulitzer prize winners for their 2017 report on the Hollywood producer – claimed that Miramax cofounder had made threats towards The New York Times shortly after their investigation into Weinstein was made public.

Kantor shared with Variety in 2017 that he felt Harvey Weinstein was aggressively trying to dominate The Times. He made legal threats, had a big team working against us, and our phones were constantly ringing. This was just the overt action; there were also covert efforts aimed at stifling the story.

Despite Baldoni’s lawsuit against them, the New York Times upheld their confidence in their reporting and sought to have the lawsuit dismissed.

The spokesperson for the newspaper stated, “From our actions, it’s clear that this case should not have been filed against The New York Times. Mr. Baldoni’s ill-conceived crusade against The Times – challenging our integrity, trying to undermine our journalism, and filing a groundless lawsuit – will not silence us.

Keep reading to untangle Baldoni and Lively’s lawsuit proceedings…

Four months after the movie based on Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us” hit theaters, I, Blake Lively, filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against my costar Justin Baldoni and his associates on December 20th, as reported by The New York Times.

In the complaint obtained by TopMob News, Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios (Wayfarer), its CEO Jamey Heath, co-founder 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.

I claimed in my complaint that Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates “initiated a complex press and digital strategy in retaliation” for expressing concerns about alleged misconduct on set—with me stating that I, along with other cast and crew members, “encountered intrusive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior” from Baldoni and Heath.

I further asserted that this alleged campaign against me caused “significant harm” to my personal and professional life.

The charges outlined in the complaint include sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to investigate, prevent, and/or rectify 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 counterattack smear strategy, which Baldoni and his allies are said to have employed against Lively – referencing her CRD complaint. In its article, the publication showcased correspondence from Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist), all of whom were implicated in her complaint. The readers were given access to the court documents on The New York Times’ website as well. Lively expressed to the outlet, “I hope my legal action serves to unveil these underhanded retaliatory moves aimed at damaging those who speak up about misconduct, and safeguard others who might face similar targeting.

Following the revelation of Lively’s complaint, Bryan Freedman – lawyer for Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives – strongly disputed Lively’s accusations. In a statement on The New York Times website, he stated that it was disgraceful for Lively and her team to make such grave and unequivocally false allegations against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives. This was another desperate attempt, he suggested, to improve Lively’s tarnished reputation, which was caused by her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film, as well as interviews and press activities that were publicly observed in real-time, unedited, allowing for public opinion to be generated on the internet. Freedman further asserted that these claims were entirely false, excessively sensational, and intended to harm Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives by reviving a media narrative.

Freedman also justified Wayfarer’s decision to hire a crisis manager, stating this was done prior to the marketing campaign of the movie. He later added that Wayfarer’s representatives did not take any proactive measures nor retaliate, but only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and accurate reporting, and monitored social activity. Notably absent from the selectively presented correspondence, Freedman pointed out, was evidence of any lack of proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; only internal strategic planning and private correspondence were found, which 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) parted ways with actor Baldoni. This decision was confirmed by Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME’s parent company Endeavor, to the outlet. However, it was later denied that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband and also a client of WME, played any role in the agency’s separation from Baldoni. This allegation was made by Baldoni in his subsequent lawsuit against The New York Times (more details below). In response to this claim, WME stated that there was no truth to the assertion that Reynolds exerted pressure on Baldoni’s agent during the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine. Furthermore, they clarified that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere and neither Reynolds nor Lively ever applied any pressure to drop Baldoni as a client at any point in time.

Following the CRD filing by Blake Lively and the subsequent New York Times article, several well-known personalities expressed their support for her accusations against Baldoni. Among them was the author of ‘It Ends With Us’, Colleen Hoover.

On Instagram Stories on December 21st, I wrote, “Dear @blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive, and patient since our first encounter. Thank you for being exactly the person you are. Never change. Never wilt.” I linked out to The New York Times in my post.

Jenny Slate, who played Ryle’s sister in the series, also voiced her support for Lively. In a statement to Today on December 23rd, she said, “As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I express my solidarity 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 many others who know and love her.”

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 with the caption, “For the love of God, read this.”

Additionally, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn wrote that they stand with her in solidarity.

Liz Plank recently shared that she is no longer a co-host on “The Man Enough Podcast”, which she previously hosted with Baldoni and Heath. In an Instagram post, she expressed her gratitude for her listeners and the community they built together over the past four years. Although she did not specify why she left the podcast, it came shortly after Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer. Plank reassured her followers that she remains dedicated to the values they have built together and will continue to support those who speak out against injustice. She also mentioned that she will share more details soon as she reflects on recent events.

In my capacity as a lifestyle advisor, I’d like to share an update on a recent legal matter that has come to light. Former publicist Stephanie Jones and her agency, Jonesworks LLC, have filed a lawsuit against me, my company Wayfarer, my current publicist Abel, and crisis communications specialist Nathan in New York City on Christmas Eve.

The lawsuit claims that Abel and Nathan orchestrated a secretive campaign over several months to publicly and privately attack Jones and Jonesworks, breach contracts, induce contractual breaches, and steal clients and business prospects. Without Jones’ knowledge or involvement, they allegedly collaborated with me and Wayfarer to execute an aggressive smear campaign against one of my film co-stars. They then capitalized on the ensuing crisis to drive a wedge between us and to publicly blame Jones for the smear campaign.

According to Abel’s LinkedIn profile, she was with Jonesworks until last summer. The lawsuit alleges that Abel and Nathan have continued to falsely accuse Jones as their own misconduct is unveiled, defaming and attacking her in the industry.

Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer Jonesworks clients, are accused of repudiating their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and rejecting Jones’ attempts to settle this dispute privately through arbitration.

TopMob News has reached out to the defendants for comment.

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

Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, Wallace and Street Relations filed a lawsuit against The New York Times Dec. 31.

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 its article about a retaliatory smear campaign the plaintiffs allegedly conducted against Lively after she voiced concerns about purported misconduct on set.

Saying the report was “false” and based on Lively’s CRD complaint, the plaintiffs denied the accusations and alleged messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context.

“Despite its claim to have ‘reviewed these along with other documents[,]’ the Times relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative,” the lawsuit says, “lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives.”

They also allege “it was Lively, not Plaintiffs, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign.” She has denied this.

The New York Times said it plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.”

“The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead,” it stated to TopMob. “Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article.”

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 obtained by TopMob News, she is charging the defendants with sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to address harassment, aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation, breach of contract, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and false light invasion of privacy.

The accusations in this lawsuit were initially outlined in the CRD complaint Lively filed previously that month. In response to the lawsuit filed against them (which does not include Lively as a defendant), Baldoni and his associates have responded by filing a suit against The New York Times, stating that her lawyers have commented to TopMob that “the lawsuit has no impact on the claims made in her CRD and federal complaints.”

Lively’s legal team further stated in their response that the premise of this lawsuit – that Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a ploy, and that she didn’t genuinely intend to sue Baldoni and his associates – is false. They point out that her previously filed federal complaint corroborates this assertion.

In their legal action against The New York Times, the plaintiffs have made it clear that they are not finished yet. As court documents reveal, there are more wrongdoers involved, and it is important to note that this will not be the only lawsuit they file. In a recent interview with NBC News, Baldoni and Freedman, their attorney, confirmed their intention to sue Lively as well.

The chatter about Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ceased, as social media users have suggested that Reynolds made fun of Baldoni in his film Deadpool & Wolverine through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has not publicly addressed these rumors; however, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman spoke about his opinion on the matter. During an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show (posted to YouTube on Jan 7), he stated: “In my view, if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make light of Justin Baldoni’s situation like Ryan Reynolds did in the movie. You should take it seriously, file HR complaints, and follow a legal process. Making jokes about it isn’t appropriate.

In their statement to TopMob News on January 7th, Ms. Lively’s lawyers clarified that her lawsuit against the Southern District of New York is based on substantial allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation. They emphasized that this isn’t a mere disagreement or he-said-she-said situation, as Wayfarer and its associates have been accused of unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against Ms. Lively for standing up for herself and others on the film set. The lawyers further pointed out that since the lawsuit was filed, there have been more attacks directed at Ms. Lively.

They urged everyone to keep in mind that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in all workplaces and industries. They warned against common tactics to deflect accusations of misconduct, such as blaming the victim or suggesting they invited it, misunderstood intentions, or lied. Another tactic is to portray the offender as the victim instead of the accuser. The lawyers stated that these strategies serve to normalize and trivialize serious allegations. Lastly, they emphasized that media statements are not a defense for Ms. Lively’s claims and that they will pursue her 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 Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s firm Vision PR in New York.

The lawsuit, obtained by TopMob News, alleges that all defendants are guilty of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy through false light. Lively and Reynolds, specifically, have been accused of breaching the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, as well as intentionally interfering with contractual relations for personal and economic advantage, and negligently interfering with prospective economic advantage.

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

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that defendants collaborated with The New York Times to publish a sensational but false news report. The outlet has defended its report. Meanwhile, in response to TopMob, Freedman stated, “Either Blake Lively was deceived by her team or she deliberately misled the truth.

In a statement to TopMob News, Lively’s legal team labeled the lawsuit as “just another tactic in the playbook of abusers,” explaining that it’s a common pattern: A woman presents solid proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the accused tries to shift blame onto the accuser. This behavior is often referred to by experts as DARVO – Deny the allegations, Attack the accuser, Reverse the roles of Victim and Offender.

Additionally, she alleged that he responded by counter-attacking after she levied accusations against him, asserting that Baldoni aims to divert attention away from the claim that Lively took over creative direction, causing the cast to distance themselves from Mr. Baldoni.

…”It’ll become clear,” it went on, “that both the cast and others encountered unfavorable interactions with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Additionally, evidence will demonstrate that Sony tasked Ms. Lively with supervising their portion of the film, which they subsequently chose for distribution and proved to be a massive hit.

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

In a nutshell, the defendants’ argument regarding the sexual harassment accusations against them was that she invited it and it was her own fault. Furthermore, they suggested that her clothing choice might have contributed to the incident, as stated by their legal team. To put it simply, while the victim concentrates on the abuse suffered, the abuser focuses on blaming the victim. This tactic of attacking the woman is pathetic and does not negate the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s claim; it will ultimately fall flat.

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

According to Baldoni’s lawyers, the particular scene was meant to depict the two characters developing feelings for each other and yearning for closeness. It’s evident that both actors were acting appropriately within the context of the scene, demonstrating respect and professionalism towards one another.

Nevertheless, Lively’s legal representatives argue that the video aligns word-for-word with Lively’s account in her lawsuit, and they claim that every scene was spontaneously created by Baldoni without any prior discussion or consent.

The video depicts Ms. Lively pulling back and insistently requesting that the characters engage solely in conversation, as reported to TopMob News in a statement. A sense of unease similar to that experienced by any woman who has endured unwanted physical contact in a professional setting can be identified in Ms. Lively’s demeanor.

In simpler terms, they wrote a letter to the judge handling their case, asking him to restrict Freedman, the lead lawyer for Baldoni, from making any public statements during their ongoing court case to prevent inappropriate behavior.

Online, a seven-minute voice recording that allegedly came from Baldoni was shared. In this recording, it seemed like he talked about the rooftop scene in the movie “It Ends With Us” which Lively rewrote, and how these changes were discussed during an alleged meeting with Reynolds and their friend Taylor Swift.

He said to Lively, “It’s great to have friends as creative as them, not just because they’re two of the most inventive individuals globally, but when the three of you are together, it’s simply astonishing.

In the recording, it appears that Baldoni also expressed an apology to the actress for his cool response to her script, stating, “I made a mistake. An important aspect of my character is that I’ll own up to my mistakes and offer an apology when necessary.

A court hearing was scheduled for March 9, 2026, exactly one month following the submission of Lively’s legal action against Baldoni.

I’ve updated my counterclaim, as filed with the U.S. District Court against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane on January 16th. In response to recent developments, I’ve decided to include The New York Times in this legal action, as reported by TopMob News based on obtained documents.

In the revised report, I’m alleging that Lively and her camp were secretly conspiring for months, dishing out untruths to the New York Times.

In my professional opinion, I’d like to clarify a point regarding a case distinct from the $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times. This separate instance alleges that the newspaper selectively chose and manipulated certain communications, removing crucial context along the way. Furthermore, it claims they intentionally edited these communications in a manner designed to mislead readers.

Baldoni set up a website detailing his legal dispute with Lively, featuring the amended complaint filed on January 31 by his legal team along with a chronology of significant events. This chronology reportedly includes the claimed screenshots of text messages involving Lively, Reynolds and Baldoni.

The website was unveiled a month following when Freedman announced that they would be making public all text messages exchanged between the two parties.

In a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s lawyer stated, “We wish for transparency; we desire all relevant documents to be publicly available so that individuals can form their own opinions using the evidence at hand.

As a devoted supporter, I’d like to share that in the course of my loyalty, I’ve learned about an updated legal action taken by Lively’s legal team. This action alleges two other female colleagues from the production of “It End” had expressed feelings of discomfort due to Baldoni’s on-set conduct.

TopMob News obtained a complaint stating that not only Ms. Lively voiced concerns about Mr. Baldoni, but several others did as well. Their discomfort with Mr. Baldoni’s behavior was recorded from May 2023 onwards. Contrary to the Defendants’ constructed narrative, Mr. Baldoni admitted the complaints in writing at the time, acknowledging that women besides Ms. Lively had expressed their unease.

In the revised lawsuit, the two potential witnesses were not mentioned by name because, as stated by Lively, they were in a potentially harmful environment filled with threats, harassment, and intimidation, allegedly instigated by the defendants’ reprisal efforts.

Speaking to TopMob, Freedman claimed the accusation was riddled with “flimsy second-hand information” and suggested that the anonymous individuals initially involved are no longer prepared to step forward or back her allegations publicly.

Following Baldoni’s claims that Sloane was spreading “harmful tales” which depicted him as a “sexual harasser” and organizing a “defamatory campaign” under Lively’s guidance, Sloane requested to be released from the ongoing lawsuit by filing a motion for dismissal.

In the documents acquired by TopMob News, Sloane’s lawyer claimed that there was no solid ground for the charges brought against their client and that she was unwillingly involved in the lawsuit as a diversionary tactic to conceal Lively’s allegations.

Nick Shapiro, previously Deputy Chief of Staff at the CIA, was recruited by Lively to provide legal communication advice regarding the ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in the Southern District of New York. This information was shared by a member from her litigation team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher with Variety on February 28th.

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

TopMob News has acquired documents showing that The New York Times, currently involved in a $250 million legal dispute with Baldoni, has filed a motion to be released from a separate $400 million lawsuit that also involves Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane. In simpler terms, The New York Times is trying to withdraw from the larger lawsuit it’s not directly part of.

In their submission, the newspaper contended that Baldoni’s team was presenting a biased account, generating much publicity, but emphasized that “The Times” should not be involved in this disagreement.

After The New York Times submitted a motion to be dismissed, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman complied with their request for postponement of the discovery process, as reported by TopMob News based on obtained documents.

The judge’s decision, which involved a temporary hold on the sharing of information or documents between the parties, was made in response to the newspaper’s motion filed on February 28th. The judge is currently reviewing this request.

In the document dated March 4, Liman stated that the New York Times has “solid reasons” and “made a convincing case” suggesting that their motion to dismiss is likely to be granted based on its merit.

In addition, the judge expressed his view that Baldoni’s legal team wouldn’t be unfairly disadvantaged if the court chose to postpone (stay) its decision while it considered the outstanding motion.

In an interview with TopMob News, a representative of the New York Times stated their appreciation for today’s court decision, which upholds the significance of First Amendment rights involved in this case. The court has now prevented Mr. Baldoni from imposing discovery requests on The Times, as this lawsuit, in the opinion of the Times, should never have been initiated against them.

2025-04-09 19:20

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