Blake Lively Claps Back at Justin Baldoni’s Lawyer During Deposition

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Blake Lively is standing her ground.

Based on TopMob News’ acquisition of related court documents, a heated discussion between the former Gossip Girl actress and Justin Baldoni’s legal representative has been disclosed in the course of her ongoing legal dispute with the It Ends With Us director.

During Baldoni’s testification, spanning approximately 300 pages and partly released on August 11th, his lawyer inquired about the time when Lively believed the defamatory campaign against her might have ceased.

In response, Lively – who is taking legal action against Baldoni for claims of sexual harassment and fostering a toxic work environment during the production of the Colleen Hoover adaptation – stated, “It still feels far from over.

When the lawyer asked whether “it’s still ongoing,” the actress said, “It feels that way, yes.”

As for who Lively believes is involved with the smear campaign? 

She informed Baldoni’s legal representatives that, beyond my knowledge obtained from lawyers, I have reason to suspect that all the defendants are implicated in this matter. I hold this belief strongly, including towards your team.

In addition to Baldoni, her lawsuit lists Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz (executives from Wayfarer Studios), Jennifer Abel (a publicist), and Melissa Nathan (a crisis management expert) as the parties being sued.

She stated that the aggressive legal action against her (retaliatory lawsuit) and the negative media coverage, as well as the comments about her and her reputation, seemed extremely retributive to her.

TopMob News has reached out to reps for Lively and Baldoni for comment and has not yet heard back. 

Lively claimed that the defendants were behind a negative campaign against her shortly after filing her civil rights lawsuit against Baldoni. However, they’ve all refuted these accusations.

A week ago, Lively’s heated exchange with Baldoni’s lawyer occurred, following her legal team’s refutation of claims they required a big group to testify during a deposition. The actress’ lawyers also disputed that Baldoni and his attorney Brian Freedman were the only ones present from the defense, implying they had misled the situation.

In a letter dated August 4th, Esra A. Hudson wrote to Judge Lewis J. Liman, who was presiding over the case. In this letter, Hudson’s counsel asked for Lively’s deposition to be removed from the court records. Hudson mentioned that besides Baldoni and Freedman, all other defendants involved in her lawsuit, along with their legal representatives, were present.

Hudson also accused Baldoni’s counsel of leaking information about the deposition to outlets.

The letter claimed that, in line with their aim to generate sensational headlines about Ms. Lively’s testimony, it seemed that the Wayfarer Defendants swiftly shared information from her deposition with the gossip press.

For more on Lively and Baldoni’s legal battle, keep reading.

Approximately four months following the release of the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us” in cinemas, Blake Lively lodged a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against her costar Justin Baldoni and several 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, its cofounder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel, RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace and Street Relations Inc. were named as defendants.

According to Lively, Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates “retaliated” in a complex press and digital campaign following her expressing concerns about alleged misconduct on set. The actress stated that she and other cast and crew members endured invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior from Baldoni and Heath.

The complaint also claimed the alleged campaign against Lively caused “significant damage” to her personally and professionally.

The listed accusations include sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to address, prevent or rectify harassment; assisting and abetting harassment and retaliation; breach of contract; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligence; false light invasion of privacy and interference with potential economic opportunities.

In a follow-up to the unfolding story, The New York Times released an exposé detailing allegations of a counterattack smear strategy that my associates and I were accused of directing against Scarlett Lively. This was based on her CRD complaint, with evidence from our private communications – emails from myself, my publicist Abel, and crisis management expert Nathan – being highlighted in the report. The Times’ article also offered access to court documents on their website for further scrutiny.

In an effort to expose such underhanded tactics that can damage individuals who stand up against misconduct, I expressed to the outlet, “I hope my legal action serves as a catalyst to pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory actions and safeguard others who might find themselves in similar situations.

Following the disclosure of Lively’s grievances, attorney Bryan Freedman – representing Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their representatives – forcefully refuted Lively’s allegations. He stated on The New York Times website that it was regretful for Lively and her team to make such severe and entirely unfounded accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives. This, he claimed, was another desperate move to improve Lively’s tarnished reputation, which had been damaged by her own comments and actions during the film campaign; public interviews and press activities that were viewed in real-time and unedited, enabling the internet to form its own opinions. Freedman labeled these claims as false, excessive, maliciously salacious, and intended to harm publicly and perpetuate media speculation.

Furthermore, Freedman defended Wayfarer’s choice to hire a crisis manager, asserting that this was done before the promotional campaign for the movie. He later clarified that Wayfarer’s representatives had not taken any proactive measures nor retaliated; instead, they only responded to media inquiries to ensure accurate and fair reporting and monitored social activity. Notably absent from the selectively presented correspondence is evidence showing that no active steps were taken with the media or otherwise; what was missing was merely internal strategy planning and private communications – standard practice among public relations professionals.

After an article by The New York Times was published on December 21, William Morris Endeavor (WME) decided to end their relationship with Baldoni. Ari Emanuel, the CEO of WME’s parent company Endeavor, confirmed this to the outlet. However, it’s important to note that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband and a client represented by WME, was not the reason behind WME’s decision to part ways with Baldoni, as Baldoni later claimed in his lawsuit against The New York Times (more on that later). In response to these allegations, WME stated to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1 that Baldoni’s claim about Reynolds pressuring Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere was false. Furthermore, they clarified that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere and there was never any pressure from Reynolds or Lively to drop Baldoni as a client at any point in time.

In the aftermath of Blake Lively’s CRD filing and a related article in The New York Times, several notable individuals publicly expressed their support for Lively regarding her allegations against Baldoni.

For instance, Colleen Hoover, author of It Ends With Us, posted on Instagram Stories on December 21, expressing her admiration for Lively: “Blake Lively, you have always been honest, kind, supportive, and patient since the day we met…Never change. Never wilt.”

Jenny Slate, who portrayed Ryle’s sister in the series, also showed her support in a statement to Today on December 23: “As Blake Lively’s costar and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation…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 link to the complaint published on The New York Times’ website, urging his followers to read it. Lastly, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn expressed their solidarity with her in a joint statement.

I wanted to share some news with you all. Recently, I made the decision to step away from co-hosting The Man Enough Podcast, a show that has been incredibly meaningful to me for the past four years. I’ve had the privilege of sharing space with amazing listeners, and together we built a community that I hold dear. While I won’t be on the podcast anymore, I remain committed to the values we’ve nurtured together.

I won’t delve into the reasons behind my departure, but it comes at a time when important conversations about accountability are being had in our industry. I believe that everyone deserves better, and I know that with your support, we can continue creating positive change.

I will share more insights as I process this transition. Until then, please know that I’m grateful for your trust, your presence, and the remarkable journey we’ve been on together. I’ll be here supporting those who speak out against injustice and holding the powerful accountable.

Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s former publicist, and her company Jonesworks LLC have filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, his firm Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel, crisis communications specialist Nathan, and others in New York on December 24. The complaint alleges that these defendants secretly conspired for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and her agency, breach contracts, induce contractual breaches, and steal clients.

Behind Jones’ back, they coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch an aggressive smear campaign against one of Baldoni’s film co-stars, using the ensuing crisis as a chance to create a rift between Jones and Baldoni, and falsely pin the blame for this smear campaign on Jones. 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, and defaming and attacking her in the industry.

The suit further alleges that Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer Jonesworks’ clients, have repudiated their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and rejected Jones’ attempts to settle this dispute privately through arbitration. TopMob News has reached out to the defendants for comment.

In a December 23rd report, Lively’s lawyers informed Variety that they acquired 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 to the outlet that none of his clients were served with a subpoena related to this matter. He also expressed his intent to take legal action 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 $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times Dec. 31.

In the suit obtained by TopMob, The New York Times was 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 said, “lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives.”

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

The New York Times said it planned 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, the production company It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, his 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, 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 against the defendants were initially outlined in the CRD complaint Lively submitted earlier that month. Regarding her response to Baldoni and his associates’ lawsuit against The New York Times (where she was not named as a defendant), Lively’s legal team stated in a TopMob statement, “The claims made in this lawsuit are unchanged by the events outlined in the CRD and federal complaints.”

“The basis for Wayfarer’s lawsuit-that Lively’s administrative complaint against them was a deceitful strategy meant to avoid filing a lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer, and that she had no intention of pursuing legal action-is false,” her attorneys added. “As evidenced by the federal complaint Lively filed today, this assertion is unfounded.

In their lawsuit against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team have made it clear that they are not finished with this legal matter. Court documents reveal that there are other parties involved who have acted improperly, and they intend to file more lawsuits as a result. During an interview with NBC News on January 2nd, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman confirmed that they indeed plan to sue Lively.

The news about Baldoni and Lively didn’t end there, as some social media users suggested that Reynolds (Lively’s husband) may have teased Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool. Although Reynolds hasn’t addressed these rumors publicly, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman commented on the matter during an interview on “The Megyn Kelly Show”, which was posted to YouTube on January 7th. Freedman stated: “When your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make fun of Justin Baldoni. You don’t turn the situation into a joke. Instead, you take it seriously, file HR complaints, raise the issue and follow due legal process. What you definitely don’t do is mock the person.

In a statement to TopMob News on January 7, Lively’s attorneys asserted that there have been further instances of harassment against their client since she filed a lawsuit. They emphasized that the lawsuit, which involves accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation in the Southern District of New York, is based on solid evidence. They clarified that this is not merely a disagreement or he-said-she-said situation, but rather an alleged astroturfing campaign by Wayfarer and its associates aimed at retaliating against Lively for taking action to ensure safety on a film set.

Moreover, her lawyers warned against trivializing such allegations by blaming the victim or reversing the roles of the victim and offender. They expressed concern that such tactics are often employed to divert attention from misconduct claims. Lastly, they reminded everyone that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in all workplaces and industries, and stressed that media statements do not serve as a defense against Lively’s accusations. They assured that they will vigorously pursue her claims in court.

In response, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman told TopMob, “It’s quite ironic that Blake Lively is accusing Justin Baldoni of manipulating the media, when it appears her own team initiated this harsh attack by providing the New York Times with heavily edited documents before even filing the complaint.”

He further stated, “We are releasing all the proof that demonstrates a pattern of bullying and threats to seize control of the movie. This won’t be shocking, as it aligns with her previous conduct where she used others to communicate threats and strong-arm her way to get what she wanted. We have the records to back this up.

On January 16th in New York, Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, Abel (a publicist), Nathan (crisis communication specialist) and It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit against Blake Lively, Heathcote Reynolds, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s firm Vision PR. The suit alleges civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of good faith and fair dealing, intentional and negligent interference with contractual relations, and economic advantage among other charges.

The plaintiffs deny Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a smear campaign against her. Instead, they accuse her of seizing control over It Ends With Us, collaborating with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to tarnish the plaintiffs’ reputation in the media following negative feedback on Lively’s promotion of the film. (Lively stated she followed Sony’s marketing plan.)

The plaintiffs claim that the defendants conspired with The New York Times to release a false and damaging report. The newspaper defended its report.

In a statement to TopMob, Freedman said, “Blake Lively was either deceived by her team or intentionally and knowingly misrepresented the truth.

In simpler terms, Lively’s legal team referred to his lawsuit as “a typical tactic used by abusers,” stating to TopMob News that when a woman presents solid proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, the accused often tries to shift the blame onto the victim. This is commonly known as DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.

Furthermore, Lively’s team asserted that Baldoni is trying to manipulate the narrative, implying that she took control of the creative aspects and distanced the cast from Baldoni. They also suggested that evidence will reveal that both the cast and crew had negative experiences with Baldoni and Wayfarer, and that Sony asked Lively to supervise their share of the film, which was subsequently a hit.

Additionally, her lawyers criticized Baldoni’s response to the allegations of harassment, claiming that his defense was that Lively wanted it or it was her fault. Furthermore, they argued that he used inappropriate justifications, such as what she was wearing, to explain the situation. Essentially, while the victim is focused on the abuse, the abuser is focusing on discrediting the victim. This strategy of attacking the woman will ultimately fail, according to Lively’s legal team, because it does not dispute the evidence presented in her complaint.

In a recent development, Baldoni’s legal team has shared exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of “It Ends With Us,” stating that the actor’s actions depicted in the video contradict Emily Blunt’s portrayal of him. According to Baldoni’s lawyers, the footage is intended to demonstrate a loving and respectful scene between the characters, with both actors exhibiting professional behavior.

On the other hand, Blunt’s legal team contends that the video supports her claims in the lawsuit, as every moment was allegedly improvised without prior discussion or consent by Baldoni. They assert that the footage shows Blunt distancing herself and repeatedly asking for the characters to simply talk, which they believe resonates with any woman who has experienced inappropriate behavior at work.

As a devoted follower, I penned a letter to the presiding judge in our ongoing case, humbly petitioning for Freedman, the lead attorney representing Baldoni, to be subjected to a gag order during our legal proceedings. This request is aimed at preventing any potential misconduct that could compromise the fairness and integrity of our court process.

A recently leaked seven-minute voice note allegedly sent by Baldoni to Lively during the filming of “It Ends With Us” has surfaced online. In this recording, Baldoni appears to discuss the rooftop scene that Lively rewrote and the conversation he had about it with Reynolds and their friend Taylor Swift.

Baldoni expressed admiration for Lively in the note, saying, “You all should have friends like that, not just because they’re two of the most creative people on the planet, but because when you’re together, it’s extraordinary.”

The recording also suggests that Baldoni apologized to Lively for his initial lackluster response to her script, stating, “I made a mistake. One thing you should know about me is that I will admit and apologize when I’m wrong.

Approximately one month following the submission of Lively’s legal complaint against Baldoni, a court hearing was scheduled to take place on March 9, 2026.

Baldoni’s legal team has updated their counterclaim against Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, and Vision PR Inc., which they initially filed on January 16 with the U.S. District Court, to now involve The New York Times as well. According to TopMob News’ acquired documents, Baldoni accuses Lively and her associates of working together for months, spreading false information to The New York Times. The updated filing claims that the newspaper selectively presented communications, removed important context, and manipulated these exchanges in a way that misleads readers.

Baldoni established a website, sharing details about his lawsuit against Lively, which included his revised complaint and a chronology of significant events. The timeline document allegedly featured screenshots of text conversations between Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni.

The website was unveiled a month after Freedman announced they intended to disclose all text messages exchanged between the two parties. During an interview with NBC News in January, Baldoni’s legal representative stated, “We want transparency. We want the documents out in the open. We want people to evaluate the evidence for themselves.

The revised court filing by Lively’s legal team alleges that two other female colleagues who worked on the production of ‘It Ends With Us’ had experienced discomfort due to Baldoni’s conduct on set. The complaint, acquired by TopMob News, states that these incidents were recorded back in May 2023 and Baldoni acknowledged the complaints in writing at the time. Contrary to the Defendants’ assertion, it was known that women other than Lively felt uneasy and voiced concerns about his behavior. However, due to a harmful environment of threats, harassment, and intimidation instigated by the Defendants, the identities of these two witnesses were not disclosed in the amended complaint as they have expressed reluctance to testify publicly out of fear for their safety. In response to this filing, Freedman contested it as containing “unsubstantiated hearsay” and claimed that the unnamed individuals are no longer willing to support Lively’s allegations.

Following Baldoni’s allegations against Sloane for spreading “harmful rumors” that depicted him as a “sexual offender,” and for organizing a “defamatory campaign” at Lively’s behest, Sloane chose to ask for dismissal from the court case.

As a loyal follower, I can share that based on the papers unveiled by TopMob News, my attorney has asserted that there is no solid ground for the claims levied against me. Instead, it seems I was unwittingly pulled into this lawsuit as part of an intricate smokescreen strategy designed to divert attention from the allegations leveled at Lively.

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

Shapiro, who served for the CIA between 2013 and 2015 under the Obama administration, later held positions as Visa’s vice president of global security and communications, followed by Airbnb’s global leader in crisis management. Following a three-year tenure at the rental company, he established his own consulting firm named 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.

TopMob News reports that The New York Times has asked to be released from a $400 million lawsuit which additionally involves Eric Lively, Michael Baldoni, the Sloanes (individually and as a company).

The lawyers for The New York Times contended in their filing that Baldoni’s team was presenting a biased account that has attracted significant media attention. However, they asserted that The New York Times should not be involved in this legal dispute.

It is also important to note that the initial $250 million lawsuit filed by Baldoni and his associates against The New York Times was dismissed. This dismissal occurred after The New York Times became a part of the subsequent $400 million lawsuit, as evidenced by court documents obtained by Deadline.

After The New York Times requested dismissal, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman decided to temporarily halt the exchange of information or documents between parties, as per TopMob News’ obtained documents. This filing was granted following Liman’s review of The New York Times’ February 28 motion.

In a document dated March 4, Liman stated that The New York Times presented “substantial grounds” and demonstrated a strong likelihood of success in their dismissal motion. He also mentioned that Baldoni’s team would not be unfairly prejudiced by this temporary stay while the court considers the pending motion.

In response to this update, a representative from The New York Times commented to TopMob News, stating, “We are grateful for the court’s decision today, which underscores the significance of First Amendment values at stake in this case. The court has blocked Mr. Baldoni from imposing discovery requests on The Times in a lawsuit that should not have been brought against us.

Following Baldoni’s allegation that Lively exploited her friendship with Swift to gain greater creative influence over “It Ends With Us“, and his lawyers attempting to summon the singer, Swift’s representative responded defensively.

According to a statement issued on May 9, the representative confirmed that Taylor Swift didn’t appear in this movie at all. She had no role in the castings, creative decisions, scoring, or providing feedback regarding edits for the film.

Taylor Swift’s connection to the movie was granted permission to use one of her songs, ‘My Tears Ricochet.’ However, it appears that the subpoena seeking her involvement is more about generating public interest and sensational headlines than addressing the actual facts of the case. This is similar to what 19 other artists did in licensing their songs for the film.

Baldoni’s attorneys withdrew their request later that month, per Lively’s legal team.

In a ruling, the judge dismissed the countersuit against Lively, Reynolds, their publicist Sloane, Sloan’s company Vision PR, and The New York Times. This decision was made because Baldoni and his legal team were unable to substantiate their claims of defamation or civil extortion.

In his Instagram Stories, Lively expressed that he, like many others, has experienced the distress of a counter-lawsuit, including the attempt to instill manufactured embarrassment meant to undermine us. After the lawsuit against him was dropped, he noted that numerous individuals lack the means to defend themselves in such situations.

She expressed, ‘I am filled with love and gratitude towards those who supported me. Some of you are familiar to me, while others remain unknown. However, my appreciation and advocacy for all of you will always endure.’

Instead, Baldoni’s lawyer informed TopMob News that Lively’s expected claim of victory is actually unfounded.

Or alternatively, Baldoni’s attorney shared with TopMob News that Lively’s proclaimed victory is, in fact, baseless.

These sentences convey the same meaning as the original statement while sounding more natural and easy to read.

The attorney stated that this matter revolves around unfounded claims of sexual harassment and retaliation, as well as an alleged defamatory campaign without evidence, which Miss Lively’s team has labeled ‘untraceable’ due to their inability to substantiate events that did not occur.

Lively had a meeting at her lawyers’ office in New York for a deposition. Contrary to news reports suggesting it was a heated face-off between Lively and Baldoni, her legal team later disputed this narrative, stating that she did not require a large group of people to testify.

As a devoted follower, I can confirm, based on Lively’s advice, that Baldoni was indeed present in the same room with the other defendants mentioned in the lawsuit, along with their respective legal representatives.

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2025-08-13 22:19