Blake Lively Celebrates Fan Support Amid Legal Drama at SXSW Premiere

Blake Lively is back in the spotlight.

Amid the legal dispute with director Justin Baldoni, who is also known from “Gossip Girl”, she thanked her supporters during the premiere of “Another Simple Favor” at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

Attending the opening night of @asimplefavor at SXSW felt more like a rock concert, according to Blake’s Instagram post from March 11th. A big thank you to an incredible audience – Texas knows how to put on a show! Making this movie was already a wonderful experience, and every aspect of it. To be able to share it with everyone and receive the love in return was simply amazing. Thank you for having us, Austin.

The 37-year-old also cheekily added a bit of insight to her dress, adding, “And yes. It’s latex.”

Blake enjoyed a great deal of time in Austin, as well as working on “Another Simple Favor”, which she frequently updated her followers about through various social media posts.

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In a subsequent post, she expressed: “Wrap-up from Austin for @asimplefavor.” I’m aware of how blessed I am to collaborate with every one of you. A big thank you goes out to my friends and family for making this weekend unforgettable. Alright, now it’s time to change back into comfy pants. That was a blast!

Blake, who happens to be the sibling of James (age 10), Inez (8), Betty (5), and Olin (2), is associated with Ryan Reynolds. Not only did Blake make SXSW a familial event, but she also reminisced about a humorous anecdote involving her wearing takeout boxes as shoes.

Blake penned in a photo she shared that her child had left their shoes behind, yet she herself was wearing a pair. So, as any good parent would do, she handed over her own shoes to the child, followed by a clever trick – wrapping their feet in paper bags. Shoeless, but problem-free.

Amidst Blake’s ongoing, complex legal dispute with her director over “It Ends With Us,” she occasionally shares light-hearted posts. In December, Blake initiated a legal complaint claiming unpaid wages and sexual harassment on the set of the Colleen Hoover adaptation. She followed up by filing an official lawsuit later in the same month.

In response, Justin has taken legal action by filing a lawsuit in retaliation against Blake, Ryan, their publicist, and separately, he’s suing the New York Times over an article they published about Blake’s original complaint.

Since then, Blake and Justin have persisted in their legal struggle through their respective representatives. Dive deeper into their ongoing dispute as we continue…

Four months after the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us” premiered, Blake Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against her 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, 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 claimed in her complaint that Baldoni and Wayfarer associates “launched a complex press and digital campaign” in retaliation for expressing concerns about alleged misconduct on set—with Lively stating that she and other cast and crew members “encountered invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior” from Baldoni and Heath.

The actress further asserted that the alleged actions against her caused “significant damage” to both her personal and professional life. The charges listed in the complaint include sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to investigate, prevent and/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 released an article detailing a suspected counterattack smear operation carried out by Baldoni and his associates against Lively, referring to her CRD complaint. In their report, the newspaper highlighted messages from Baldoni, his publicist Abel, and crisis communications specialist Nathan, all of which were included in her complaint. Additionally, readers could access the related court documents on The New York Times‘s website. Lively told the outlet, “I hope my legal action will unveil these underhanded retaliatory measures aimed at harming those who speak out about misconduct, and safeguard others who might be targeted in the future.”

Following the disclosure of Lively’s grievances, Bryan Freedman – attorney for Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives – vehemently denied Lively’s allegations. In a statement on The New York Times website, he stated:

“It’s regrettable that Ms. Lively and her representatives would level such grave and unquestionably false charges against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives, as another desperate ploy to improve her damaged reputation, which stemmed from her own words and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were visible and uncensored, enabling the public to form their own opinions online. These allegations are baseless, excessive, deliberately sensational with the purpose of causing harm and perpetuating a narrative in the media.”

Freedman also supported Wayfarer’s choice to engage a crisis manager, asserting that this was done prior to the film’s marketing campaign.

“The representatives of Wayfarer Studios did not take any proactive measures nor retaliate; they only responded to incoming media inquiries to guarantee accurate and fair reporting and monitored social activity,” he further explained. “What is notably absent from the selectively presented correspondence is proof that there were no proactive steps taken with the media or otherwise; just internal strategy discussions and private communications, which are standard practices among public relations professionals.

After 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 the agency’s parent company Endeavor, in discussions with the outlet. However, it should be noted that WME denied any involvement by Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband, in their decision to part ways with Baldoni. This allegation was later made by Baldoni in a lawsuit filed against The New York Times (more on that below). In response, WME, which also represents Reynolds and Lively, stated to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1 that “In Baldoni’s filing there is a claim that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere. This is not true.” It was further clarified that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere, and there was no pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time to drop Baldoni as a client.

After Blake Lively’s CRD filing and an article in The New York Times, several well-known figures expressed their support for Lively regarding the allegations against Baldoni. For instance, the author of ‘It Ends With Us’, Colleen Hoover, posted on Instagram Stories, “Blake Lively, you have always been honest, kind, supportive and patient since we first met.” She continued, “Thank you for being exactly the person you are. Never change. Never wilt.”

Jenny Slate, who portrayed Baldoni’s character Ryle’s sister, 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 accused of damaging her reputation.” Slate further stated, “Blake is a leader, loyal friend, and a trusted source of emotional support for many. What has been exposed about the attack on Blake is incredibly dark, disturbing, and threatening.” She concluded by praising Lively’s courage and standing with her.

Brandon Sklenar, who played Lily Bloom’s love interest, shared a screenshot of the complaint published in The New York Times and linked out to the website, writing, “For the sake of God, read this.”

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

I wanted to share some news with you all today. I’ve decided to part ways with The Man Enough Podcast, a journey we’ve been on together for the past four years. This wasn’t an easy decision, but it feels right. Together, we created something extraordinary, and that’s because of your unwavering trust, support, and open hearts.

I will deeply miss our connection, the stories shared, and the community we built. It was a privilege to be part of this experience, and I am grateful for every moment of it. As I move forward, I remain dedicated to the values we’ve nurtured together.

Although I won’t elaborate on the reasons behind my departure at this moment, I want you to know that I stand by the principles we’ve built together. I believe that we all deserve better, and I am confident that, united, we can create a brighter future.

In time, I will share more about my thoughts and feelings regarding this transition. Until then, please know that I continue to support those who speak out against injustice and hold accountable those who obstruct progress.

In a lawsuit filed in New York on Christmas Eve, Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s former publicist, and her agency, Jonesworks LLC, accused Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel, crisis communications specialist Nathan, and others of conspiring to attack Jones and breach contracts. The lawsuit claims that Abel, Nathan, and their associates secretly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer for months to launch a smear campaign against Baldoni’s film co-star. They allegedly used the crisis to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni, blame Jones for the campaign (even though she had no involvement), and defame her in the industry. Abel had previously worked at Jonesworks until last summer, and the lawsuit claims that she is now falsely accusing Jones as her misconduct comes to light. The suit also alleges that Baldoni and Wayfarer breached their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refused to settle the dispute privately in arbitration. The defendants have yet to comment on these accusations.

Lawyers for Lively indicated to Variety in an article published on December 23rd that they obtained the text exchanges mentioned in The New York Times piece through a subpoena issued to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents both Nathan, Abel, and Baldoni as well as his Wayfarer associates, further explained to the outlet that none of his clients were served with a subpoena regarding this matter. He also stated his intention to sue Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s attorneys.

I, as a part of Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, Wallace, and Street Relations, filed a lawsuit against The New York Times on December 31.

In this lawsuit, obtained by TopMob News, we’ve accused The New York Times of libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud, and breach of implied-in-fact contract for their article suggesting that we conducted a retaliatory smear campaign against Lively after she raised concerns about misconduct on set.

We claim the report was untrue and based on Lively’s CRD complaint. We’ve denied these accusations, stating that messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context.

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

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

The New York Times plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.” They’ve stated, “The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead. 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, I 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 outlined in the court documents acquired by TopMob News, I’m accusing these defendants of various offenses, including sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, false light invasion of privacy, and aiding and abetting these actions.

The details of these allegations were initially disclosed in the CRD complaint I filed earlier that month. In response to this lawsuit, Baldoni and his associates have taken action against The New York Times—where I’m not named as a defendant. My legal team has made it clear to TopMob that this lawsuit does not alter the validity of the claims presented in my CRD and federal complaints.

In their statement, they emphasized that the premise behind this lawsuit, which suggests my administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a strategic move rather than a genuine intention to file a lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer, is unfounded. They further stated that this perspective on the lawsuit is false, as evident in the federal complaint I filed today.

As a dedicated follower involved in Baldoni and his associates’ legal action against The New York Times, let me clarify that we have not reached the end of our efforts. The court documents reveal that there are more unscrupulous entities at play, and I can assure you this is far from being the only lawsuit. In a recent interview with NBC News, Baldoni and Freedman, his attorney, confirmed their intention to take legal action against Lively as well.

The speculation surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended, as some social media users have suggested that Reynolds, Lively’s husband, mocked Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool. Reynolds has not yet addressed these rumors, but Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman has spoken out about it. 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 fun of Justin Baldoni. You take the situation seriously, file HR complaints, raise the issue, and follow a legal process. What you don’t do is joke about it.

In a statement made on January 7, Ms. Lively’s legal team highlighted that the ongoing federal lawsuit against Wayfarer Entertainment in the Southern District of New York is based on substantial allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation. They emphasized that this situation is not a disagreement or he-said-she-said scenario, but rather a case where Wayfarer and its associates engaged in unlawful retaliatory actions against Ms. Lively for standing up for herself and others on set. Since filing the lawsuit, they have continued to face more attacks.

Her lawyers also urged people to keep in mind that sexual harassment and retaliation are unacceptable in any workplace or industry. They warned against tactics like blaming the victim and suggesting that they invited such behavior, or reversing the roles of victim and offender, as these strategies are often used to divert attention from allegations of misconduct.

They further stated that normalizing and trivializing serious misconduct allegations is harmful, and pointed out that media statements are not a defense against her claims. They assured that they will vigorously pursue her case in court.

In a lawsuit filed on January 16th in New York, Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, publicist Abel, crisis communication specialist Nathan and It Ends With Us Movie LLC alleged that Lively, Reynolds, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s firm Vision PR were involved in civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy through false light. Specifically, the plaintiffs accused Lively and Reynolds of breaching an implied covenant of good faith, intentionally interfering with contracts, and causing economic harm through negligence. The plaintiffs denied Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign against her. Instead, they accused her of seizing control of It Ends With Us and collaborating with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to tarnish the plaintiffs’ reputation in the press following negative feedback on Lively’s film promotion. (Lively claimed in her filings that she marketed the movie according to Sony’s plan.)

In their court case, plaintiffs claim that defendants collaborated with The New York Times to release a sensational news story that was both inaccurate and damaging. However, the media outlet maintains its confidence in the report. As part of a response to TopMob, Freedman stated, “Either Blake Lively was deceived by her team or she deliberately lied about the truth.

Lively’s legal team referred to his lawsuit as “just another tactic in an abuser’s playbook,” explaining to TopMob News that “This scenario has been repeated many times: A woman presents solid proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the abuser tries to shift the blame onto the victim. This is often referred to by experts as DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.

She also claimed that he responded negatively after she brought charges against him, stating that Baldoni is attempting to change the storyline by suggesting that Lively took over creative direction, causing the rest of the cast to distance themselves from Mr. Baldoni.

It’s clear from the evidence,” it went on, “that both the cast members and others had unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Furthermore, the evidence will reveal that Sony requested Ms. Lively to manage their share of the film, which they subsequently chose for distribution and turned out to be a significant hit.

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

In simpler terms, their defense against sexual harassment allegations was to blame the victim, implying she invited it and it was her fault. They also pointed out her clothing as a reason for the incident, according to her lawyers. Essentially, while the victim concentrates on the abuse, the abuser focuses on discrediting the victim. This tactic of blaming the woman is desperate, does not counteract the evidence in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and will ultimately fall apart.

In a recent development, the legal team for Baldoni has shared previously unseen footage from the set of ‘It Ends With Us’. They claim that the actor’s behaviors depicted in this footage contradict the portrayal of him by Ms. Lively.

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

Nevertheless, Lively’s legal representatives argue that the video aligns precisely with Lively’s account in her lawsuit, asserting that each moment depicted was spontaneously staged by Baldoni without prior discussion or consent.

According to their statement to TopMob News, the video depicts Ms. Lively pulling back and repeatedly urging the characters to simply converse. Women who have experienced unwanted physical contact in a professional setting may identify with her apparent unease.

In simpler terms, they wrote to the judge, asking him to restrict Freedman, who leads Baldoni’s lawyers, from discussing the case publicly during the ongoing legal process to prevent inappropriate behavior.

A seven-minute audio message, which Baldoni is said to have sent to Lively during the filming of “It Ends With Us,” was made public. In this recording, it seems that Baldoni discussed the movie’s rooftop scene that Lively rewrote and mentioned a meeting where these changes were supposedly presented to Reynolds and their friend Taylor Swift.

He mentioned to Lively that it’s not just because they are among the most imaginative individuals globally, but we all should be fortunate to have friends like them. Together, the trio is simply astonishing.

In the recording, it appears that Baldoni also seemed to express an apology towards the actress for not being fully supportive of her script. He said, “I made a mistake. A key aspect about me is that I’ll own up to my mistakes and offer an apology when necessary.

Exactly one month following Lively’s legal action against Baldoni, the court scheduled a hearing on March 9, 2026.

Baldoni’s legal team has updated their January 16th counter-suit filed against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane in the U.S. District Court, now also involving The New York Times, as revealed by documents acquired by TopMob News.

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

In a different case, not related to the $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, it was claimed that the newspaper manipulated communications by selectively choosing parts and modifying them without providing essential context, and furthermore, intentionally editing those pieces in a way that was designed to deceive.

Baldoni set up a website detailing his legal dispute with Lively, featuring the amended complaint filed by Baldoni’s lawyers on January 31st and a chronology of significant events. The timeline document reportedly includes screenshots of text messages purportedly exchanged between Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni.

In my role as a lifestyle expert, let me share a recent development I’ve been following. Exactly one month ago, I eagerly awaited the unveiling of a website, a moment we on the team had meticulously planned for quite some time. The unique aspect? We promised to reveal every single text exchange that took place between two individuals, an unprecedented move in the digital realm.

In a January 2nd interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s lawyer expressed that they desire transparency and want all relevant documents to be publicly available. They believe individuals should form their own opinions using the supporting evidence or receipts.

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

TopMob News obtained a complaint stating that Ms. Lively wasn’t the only one expressing concerns about Mr. Baldoni. The issue, which started in May 2023, was recorded as it happened. Crucially, unlike the story the Defendants have concocted, Mr. Baldoni acknowledged the complaints in writing at the time. He was aware that other women besides Ms. Lively were uncomfortable and had voiced their concerns about his behavior.

In the revised lawsuit, the two potential witnesses were not mentioned because, as stated by Lively, they were concerned about testifying in the current climate of threats, harassment, and intimidation that appears to be a result of the defendants’ alleged retaliation efforts.

As I spoke to TopMob, I voiced my concerns, stating that the accusations seemed heavily reliant on unverified reports rather than concrete evidence. Furthermore, I suggested that those who claim to have supporting evidence are now unwilling, or perhaps hesitant, to step forward publicly to validate her assertions.

Following Baldoni’s allegations that Sloane was spreading “harmful tales” depicting him as a “sexual predator” and masterminding a “defamatory campaign” under Lively’s supervision, Sloane submitted a motion to dismiss the legal case against them.

According to documents acquired by TopMob News, Sloane’s legal representative claimed that there was no solid ground for the charges brought against their client and that she had unfairly been drawn into the lawsuit as part of a “deceptive ploy” designed to divert attention away from Lively’s allegations.

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

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

TopMob News reports that The New York Times, currently involved in a $250 million lawsuit with Baldoni, has submitted a request to be released from a separate $400 million lawsuit involving Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane.

In the court document, the newspaper contended that Baldoni’s team was spinning a one-sided story that has attracted much attention, but it emphasized that “The Times should not be involved in this legal disagreement.

In response to The New York Times’ motion to dismiss, US District Judge Lewis J. Liman has approved their request to postpone the discovery process, as reported by TopMob News based on acquired documents.

The court granted the request for a temporary stay on the exchange of information and documents between parties, as the judge reviews the February 28th motion filed by the newspaper.

In the document dated March 4, Liman pointed out that the New York Times has provided “solid reasons” and demonstrated a high likelihood of their motion to dismiss being upheld based on its merits.

The judge further stated that he’s not convinced that Baldoni’s legal team would face an unfair disadvantage during the court’s decision-making process on the outstanding motion, if a stay were to be implemented.

In response to TopMob News, a representative of the New York Times commented on the latest development, stating, “We are pleased with today’s court decision, as it upholds the significant First Amendment principles involved. The court has prevented Mr. Baldoni from imposing discovery demands on our newspaper in a lawsuit that lacks merit.

2025-03-12 16:18

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