Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick are settling a simple debate.
For several months, rumors swirled about a potential disagreement brewing between the stars of “A Simple Favor”. However, the actresses from “Gossip Girl” and “Pitch Perfect” demonstrated unequivocally that they share no hard feelings towards each other.
37-year-old Blake and 39-year-old Anna were full of joy during their reunion at London’s Corinthia Hotel on April 15, smiling together while promoting their film, “Another Simple Favor.” For the event, Blake—who has children James (10), Inez (8), Betty (5), and Olin (2) with husband Ryan Reynolds—chose a black cardigan with cream accents, a mini skirt, and knee-high boots. Simultaneously, Anna radiated next to her in a vibrant red vest, coordinating skirt, and gold heels.
Could it be that the speculation about potential conflicts between the actresses recently arises? Whispers started spreading last month when Anna gave a mysterious reply regarding her professional connection with Blake, who is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with the director of It Ends With Us, Justin Baldoni.
During a recent interview at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival, Anna was questioned about rejoining forces with her co-star, who graced the red carpet alongside her on this occasion.
In a video posted by Entertainment Tonight, Anna responded casually with an evasive, “Oh, it’s something you already know…” or “Oh, something familiar…” (to convey the sense of not revealing much information)
In a continuation of her sharp-witted exchanges, the “Woman of the Hour” actress didn’t run out of clever comebacks. When queried later in the evening about her thoughts on “global events,” she served up yet another witty remark in response.
Anna jokingly commented to Variety, “So, what’s the news? I took ayahuasca, and it feels like the past year of my life vanished.
Although playfully claiming she couldn’t remember recent cultural happenings, she didn’t forget to endorse the film wholeheartedly, saying, “I hear the movie is fantastic.
Despite Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart’s unusual comments fueling previous assumptions about a relationship between the co-stars, it was clarified by a well-informed source in February that there has never been any hostility or tension between them.
According to our source, there’s no feud between them. Instead, they share a professional relationship, being colleagues and good friends who get along nicely. (TopMob News, February 14)
Despite persistent online speculation, director Paul Feig has consistently refuted claims of any unkindness between Blake and Anna since the start of their collaboration on A Simple Favor.
In a January post on X, Feig expressed skepticism by saying, “What was written there is complete nonsense. I apologize,” referring to a previously removed speculative piece. He cautioned, “These days, be wary of everything you read on social media.
For a full breakdown of Blake and Justin’s ongoing legal battle, keep reading.
Four months following the cinema release of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us”, Blake Lively reportedly filed a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department against her co-star Justin Baldoni and his associates on December 20, as stated by The New York Times.
In the complaint obtained by TopMob News, Baldoni, 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.
Lively alleged that Baldoni and Wayfarer associates retaliated against her with a complex media and digital strategy after she raised concerns about inappropriate behavior on set – claiming that she and other cast and crew members endured intrusive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate conduct by Baldoni and Heath.
The actress further stated that this alleged campaign against her caused significant harm to both her personal and professional life. The accusations mentioned in the complaint include sexual harassment, retaliation, negligence, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false light invasion of privacy, and interference with prospective economic advantage.
The following day, The New York Times released a report detailing a supposed counterattack smear campaign led by Baldoni and his allies against Lively, which was based on her CRD complaint. In their article, they showcased messages sent from Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist), all of which were part of the complaint. The readers could access the court documents related to this case directly on The New York Times’ website. Lively stated to the outlet, “I hope that my legal action sheds light on these underhanded retaliatory strategies aimed at harming individuals who speak up about misconduct, and offers protection to others who might be targeted in similar situations.
Following the disclosure of Lively’s grievances, attorney Bryan Freedman, who represents Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their representatives, forcefully dismissed Lively’s allegations. In a statement on The New York Times website, he stated, “It’s regrettable that Ms. Lively and her team would make such severe and unequivocally 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 campaign; interviews and press activities that were publicly viewable, unedited, and open to public scrutiny and commentary. These assertions are entirely false, excessive, scandalous, and intentionally sensationalized with the purpose of causing harm and perpetuating a narrative in the media.” Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s choice to engage a crisis manager, explaining that this was done prior to the movie’s marketing campaign. “The representatives of Wayfarer Studios took no proactive measures nor retaliated; they merely responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure accurate and fair reporting and monitored social activity,” he later added. “What is notably absent from the selectively presented correspondence is evidence that there were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; only internal strategic planning and private correspondence, which is standard practice among public relations professionals.
Following the publication of an article by The New York Times on December 21, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) severed ties with Baldoni. This decision was confirmed by Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME’s parent company Endeavor, to the outlet. However, it’s important to note that WME denies any involvement from Ryan Reynolds, who is also represented by WME, in their decision to part ways with Baldoni. This claim, made by Baldoni in his subsequent lawsuit against The New York Times, alleges that Reynolds applied pressure on Baldoni’s agent during the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine. However, WME stated to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1 that this claim is false. They further clarified that Baldoni’s former representative was not at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere and there was no pressure from Reynolds or his wife, Blake Lively, at any point to drop Baldoni as a client.
After Lively’s CRD filing and an article in The New York Times, 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, Hoover wrote, “@blakelively, you have always been truthful, kind, supportive, and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the person you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
Actress Jenny Slate, who played Baldoni’s character Ryle’s sister, also expressed her support for Lively. On December 23rd, she stated to Today, “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 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.”
Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn also declared their solidarity with her.
Liz Plank recently shared that she is no longer co-hosting “The Man Enough Podcast” as of Dec 23rd. In an Instagram post, she expressed her gratitude towards the listeners for their trust, emotional support, and for making the show special. She mentioned that she will dearly miss them. Although Plank did not specify a reason, her decision came shortly after Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer.
Plank emphasized her commitment to the values they had built together and thanked everyone who stood by her for the past four years. She concluded that everyone deserves better and reaffirmed her support for those fighting injustice. Plank also mentioned she will share more details soon as she processes recent events, but for now, she plans to continue supporting those who speak out against injustice and hold accountable those who hinder progress.
In a lawsuit filed on December 24th in New York, Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s former publicist, and her agency, Jonesworks LLC, have accused Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel, crisis communications specialist Nathan, and others of conspiring to harm Jones and her business. The lawsuit claims that Abel and Nathan secretly coordinated a smear campaign against Jones for several months, breached contracts, and attempted to steal clients and opportunities.
The suit further alleges that behind Jones’s back, they collaborated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch an aggressive media attack on one of Baldoni’s film co-stars. They then used this crisis as a means to create a rift between Jones and Baldoni, falsely blaming Jones for the smear campaign when she had no involvement.
Abel, who worked at Jonesworks until last summer according to her LinkedIn profile, is accused of continuing to falsely implicate Jones now that their own misconduct is being exposed. The lawsuit also alleges that Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer Jonesworks clients, have breached their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refused to settle the dispute privately in arbitration.
TopMob News has reached out to the defendants for comment.
According to a report by Variety published on December 23, Lively’s lawyers stated they obtained the texts mentioned in The New York Times article through a subpoena issued to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents both Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and their associates at Wayfarer, further explained that none of his clients were served a subpoena regarding this matter. He also expressed his intention to sue Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s lawyers.
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.”
On 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. The court documents obtained by TopMob News reveal that she is accusing the defendants of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, false light invasion of privacy, aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation.
These accusations were initially detailed in the CRD complaint she filed earlier that month. In response to this lawsuit, Baldoni and his associates have taken legal action against The New York Times—which does not name Lively as a defendant. However, her lawyers responded to TopMob by stating that “the lawsuit has no impact on the claims made in her CRD and federal complaints.”
They further clarified that the idea that Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a strategy to avoid suing Baldoni and Wayfarer is false. They added, “As proven by the federal complaint filed by Ms. Lively today, this is not the case.
In their legal action against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team have signaled that they are far from finished, indicating that more legal actions may follow. As the court documents suggest, there are other parties involved who are under scrutiny, and it’s clear that this is not the only lawsuit they plan to file. In a recent interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman confirmed their intention to also sue Lively.
The buzz surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t subsided, as some social media users have suggested that Reynolds poked fun at Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.
Reynolds has not addressed these rumors publicly; however, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman expressed his thoughts on the matter during an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, posted to YouTube on January 7th.
Freedman stated, “In my opinion, if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make light of Justin Baldoni’s situation. You don’t turn it into a joke. Instead, you should take it very seriously, file HR complaints, and follow due process. Making fun of someone in such a sensitive situation is not appropriate.
In their statement, Lively’s legal team asserted that the ongoing lawsuit against Wayfarer Entertainment in the Southern District of New York is based on substantial evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation. They clarified that this isn’t a personal dispute or disagreement, but rather a case of unlawful retaliatory astroturfing instigated by Wayfarer and their associates, who targeted Lively for standing up against misconduct on set. The lawyers also warned that since the lawsuit was filed, there have been further attempts to attack Lively.
They emphasized that sexual harassment and retaliation are unacceptable in any professional setting. They cautioned against common strategies used to deflect accusations of such misbehavior, like blaming the victim or suggesting they were responsible for their own treatment, misunderstanding intentions, or lying. They also pointed out that media statements do not serve as a defense for Lively’s claims and reaffirmed their intention to pursue justice in court.
As a dedicated follower, I am sharing that on January 16th, Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, Abel (publicist), Nathan (crisis communication specialist), and It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit in New York against Lively, Reynolds, Leslie Sloane (her publicist), and Sloane’s firm Vision PR. The lawsuit alleges 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 against Lively and Reynolds.
The plaintiffs refute Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign. Instead, they accuse her of seizing control over It Ends With Us and collaborating with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to tarnish the plaintiffs’ reputation in the press after she faced criticism for her promotional strategies for the movie (which she 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 release a sensational news piece, which while dramatic, turned out to be untrue. The media outlet has defended its report.
In response to TopMob’s inquiry, Freedman stated, “Either Blake Lively was significantly misinformed by her team or she deliberately and consciously distorted the truth.
A woman presents solid proof of sexual misconduct and retaliation, and the accused attempts to shift the blame onto the accuser. This tactic is often referred to as DARVO by experts – Deny the allegations, Attack the accuser, Reverse the roles of Victim and Offender.
Additionally, she claimed he responded by counterattacking after she had leveled accusations towards him, stating that Baldoni aims to divert attention away from the fact that Lively took over creative direction and estranged the cast from Mr. Baldoni.
It was further explained, “The proof will demonstrate that the cast and others encountered unfavorable interactions with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Additionally, the evidence will reveal 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 significant box office hit.
Her team went on to slam Baldoni’s reaction to her allegations of harassment.
In summary, the defendants have chosen to blame the victim for sexual harassment allegations instead of addressing the issue at hand. They claim she invited such behavior due to her actions, while their argument for the incident revolves around her attire. However, as her legal team points out, this tactic is futile and misdirected. It does not disprove the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint and ultimately will not succeed. In essence, while the victim concentrates on the abuse, the abuser focuses on deflecting blame onto the victim.
In simpler terms, Baldoni’s lawyer shared exclusive footage from the set of ‘It Ends With Us’, stating that the actor’s behavior as shown contradicts Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him.
According to Baldoni’s lawyers, the particular scene was intended to depict the two characters developing feelings for each other and yearning to be near one another. It is evident that both actors were acting appropriately within the boundaries of the scene and with mutual understanding and professionalism.
Nevertheless, Lively’s lawyers argue that the video aligns precisely with Lively’s account in her lawsuit, suggesting that every scene was spontaneously staged by Baldoni without prior consultation or agreement.
In a statement provided to TopMob News, it was stated that the video depicts Ms. Lively leaning back and continually requesting the characters to merely converse. Anyone who has experienced unwanted physical contact at work might identify with Ms. Lively’s unease.
In simpler terms, they wrote to the judge asking for Freedman, who leads Baldoni’s legal team, to be restricted from discussing the case publicly during the court process, to prevent any inappropriate behavior.
I, a fervent admirer, am utterly captivated by the latest buzz surrounding the production of “It Ends With Us.” Apparently, a voice memo supposedly from Baldoni surfaced online, which reportedly he sent to Lively. This memo seems to hint at the iconic rooftop scene that Lively rewrote and the way the changes were discussed in an alleged meeting with Reynolds and their close friend Taylor Swift. The drama behind-the-scenes has me on the edge of my seat!
I can’t help but be in awe, as I find myself saying this to Lively: Having friends like them is simply outstanding, not just because they’re amongst the most imaginative individuals on earth, but also due to their incredible synergy when they collaborate. The three of you together, it’s nothing short of extraordinary!
In the recording, Baldoni appeared to express remorse towards the actress for his less-than-enthusiastic response to her script. He said, “I made a mistake. A key aspect of my character is that I’ll own up to my failures and offer an apology when necessary.
Approximately a month following the filing of Lively’s formal legal action against Baldoni, the court scheduled a hearing for March 9, 2026.
In my capacity as a lifestyle expert, I recently made an adjustment to the response I filed on January 16th with the U.S. District Court against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane. This modification, as reported by TopMob News, now includes The New York Times in the matter.
In the revised paperwork, Baldoni claimed that Lively and her associates had been secretly coordinating for several months, spreading misinformation to The New York Times.
In a distinct case, apart from the $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, it was claimed that the newspaper selectively presented and manipulated communications, omitting crucial context, and intentionally edited them to deceive.
Baldoni set up a website providing details about his legal dispute with Lively. The site includes the revised complaint filed by Baldoni’s lawyers on January 31st, as well as a chronology of significant events. This chronology reportedly contains screenshots of text conversations between Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni, which were claimed to be part of the lawsuit’s content.
The website was unveiled a month following when Freedman announced that they would be publishing all text messages exchanged between the two parties.
In a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s lawyer expressed that they desire transparency: “We want all relevant documents to be publicly available. We believe decisions should be made based on evidence, not assumptions – and the evidence is in those documents.
Legal representatives for Lively submitted a revised lawsuit statement, asserting that two additional female crew members from the set of “It End” felt uneasy due to Baldoni’s actions during filming.
TopMob News obtained a complaint stating that Miss Lively wasn’t the only one voicing concerns about Mister Baldoni. The events involving Miss Lively and others, as they unfolded from May 2023 onwards, were recorded at the time. Crucially, contrary to the storyline the Defendants have concocted, Mr. Baldoni admitted to these complaints in writing back then. He was aware that women besides Miss Lively had expressed discomfort and voiced concerns about his conduct.
In the revised lawsuit, Lively’s alleged witnesses were left unnamed because of the threatening, harassing, and intimidating environment created by the Defendants’ reprisal efforts.
In an interview with TopMob, Freedman contended that the accusations were largely based on unverified rumors and implied that those involved in the allegations are unwilling to step forward or publicly endorse her assertions.
Following Baldoni’s allegations that Sloane was spreading “harmful tales” and making him appear as a “sexual predator,” as well as organizing a “defamatory campaign” at Lively’s behest, Sloane chose to request the dismissal of the lawsuit.
According to papers obtained by TopMob News, Sloane’s lawyer argued that there was no valid ground for the claims against her client and claimed she had been unfairly involved in the lawsuit as a way to divert attention away from Lively’s allegations, using her as a smokescreen.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher, one of Lively’s legal team members, informed Variety on February 28 that they had enlisted Nick Shapiro, a former Deputy Chief of Staff at the CIA, to provide counsel on the legal communications strategy for the ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in the Southern District of New York.
Shapiro, who served with the CIA from 2013 to 2015 during the Obama administration, subsequently held positions as Visa’s vice president for 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, known as 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.
In response to a $400 million lawsuit involving Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane, The New York Times, currently engaged in a separate $250 million lawsuit with Baldoni, has filed a motion seeking to be released from the larger lawsuit, as reported by TopMob News.
In their filing, the newspaper contended that Baldoni’s team was spinning a biased story that has received significant attention from media outlets. However, they asserted that The Times should not be involved in this disagreement.
After The New York Times requested dismissal, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman agreed and halted the discovery process, as reported by TopMob News based on the obtained court documents.
The judge’s decision to temporarily pause the sharing of information and documents between parties, as per the newspaper’s motion on February 28th, was approved, as he reviews the matter.
In the March 4 document, Liman stated that the New York Times has provided “solid reasons” and shown a high probability of their motion to dismiss being granted based on its merit.
The judge further stated that he’s not convinced that Baldoni’s legal team would be unfairly disadvantaged if the court chose to delay its decision while considering the pending motion.
In response to TopMob News, a representative from the New York Times commented on the recent ruling, stating, “We are pleased with today’s court decision, which upholds the significance of the First Amendment rights involved. The court has halted Mr. Baldoni’s subpoenas for discovery in a case that lacked merit and was unwarranted.
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