Blake Lively was calling in favors during post-production of It Ends With Us.
I was so excited when an email popped up pretending to be from Ben Affleck, my co-star and director on The Town. It was asking for his thoughts on my edit of the movie based on Colleen Hoover’s book! It felt so real, I couldn’t believe it.
According to a May 2024 email revealed in a court document obtained by TopMob News, Blake Lively explained she significantly revised the screenplay for It Ends With Us, essentially rewriting and reorganizing it. The original script was written by Christy Hall. Lively’s email, addressed to someone whose name is hidden in the filing, contained details referencing Ben Affleck’s personal life and career.
TopMob News has reached out to teams for both Lively and Affleck regarding the email.
Blake Lively explained that she essentially had to co-direct the film, taking direction from one person who wore many hats – he was the director, an actor, a producer, the film’s financial backer, and the head of the studio all rolled into one.
Blake Lively, 38, who shares four children – James, 11, Inez, 9, Betty, 6, and Olin, 2 – with Ryan Reynolds, claimed that everyone working with director Brett Baldoni on a recent film seemed to be part of a problematic group. She explained that if she had officially directed the project, it would have been simpler, but dealing with Baldoni’s preferences, his ego, and his previous choices created significant challenges. She also hinted at serious human resources issues on set, but didn’t elaborate.
Lively was asking Affleck for his opinion on her edit of the film, as she and Baldoni were playfully competing to see whose version made it into the final cut. She asked him to watch her version if he had about two hours free in the next few days. She also invited his wife, Jennifer Lopez, and his children with Jennifer Garner to watch and share their thoughts, saying she’d appreciate their input too.
Lively shared her admiration for Jennifer, saying she’s told Jennifer personally how much she appreciates her work and would be thrilled if Jennifer agreed to participate.
During communications related to her May trial against Baldoni – which involves claims of sexual harassment and retaliation – Lively repeatedly stated that Ben Affleck wasn’t required to see the film in question.
She admitted she was desperate for the project to succeed, having invested so much effort into it. She described making the film as an incredibly difficult experience, and expressed her belief that I was uniquely qualified to offer helpful and detailed guidance.
I also made sure to tell Ben how impressed I was with everything he’s been up to. It means a lot to have support from people in the industry, and it was really sweet to hear that his close friend and frequent co-star, Matt Damon, was planning to check out my edit of the film!
Ryan asked Matt to help out, so it sounds like he’ll be watching this weekend. It’s so great to have such good people supporting me, I’m really thankful. And get this – Jason Bourne is watching my movie! I’m going to get an autograph for you someday, promise.
Blake Lively ended her email with a playful note: “If you’ve made it this far, either you have a lot of free time or you’re just incredibly kind!”
Following the recent release of documents, Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, provided a statement to TopMob News.
Let me be clear: after reviewing all the evidence – including what our clients have presented, and even internal discussions from Sony about Blake Lively’s actions – it’s obvious the claims simply don’t hold up legally. The newly released messages really tell the whole story. We’re confident the legal process will ultimately clear Justin Baldoni and everyone involved.
For a full timeline on Lively and Baldoni’s legal pursuits, keep reading…
As a longtime fan of Colleen Hoover and Blake Lively, I was shocked to learn about the serious allegations she’s made. Apparently, four months after the It Ends With Us movie came out, Blake filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department against her co-star, Justin Baldoni, and a number of people connected to his production company, Wayfarer Studios. According to reports, she claims that after she raised concerns about inappropriate behavior on set – behavior she and others experienced as invasive, unwelcome, and even sexually inappropriate from Baldoni and Wayfarer’s CEO – they launched a deliberate campaign to discredit her. She alleges this caused significant personal and professional damage. The complaint details a long list of accusations, including sexual harassment, retaliation for speaking up, failing to address the issues, and even intentional emotional distress. It’s a really difficult situation, and I’m hoping for a fair and thorough investigation.
The following day, The New York Times published a story detailing what Lively claimed was a deliberate effort by Baldoni and his colleagues to discredit her – a claim supported by her complaint filed with the CRD. The article included messages from Baldoni, his publicist Abel, and crisis communications specialist Nathan, all of which were part of Lively’s legal filing. The New York Times also made the full court documents available on its website. Lively told the newspaper, “I hope my lawsuit exposes these harmful tactics used against those who report wrongdoing and helps protect others who might be targeted.”
Following Blake Lively’s public complaint, Bryan Freedman, the lawyer representing Tony Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, strongly refuted her claims. In a statement to The New York Times, Freedman called Lively’s accusations “shameful” and “categorically false,” suggesting they were a desperate attempt to repair her reputation after her own public statements and actions during the film’s promotion. He argued that Lively’s claims were intentionally sensationalized and meant to harm Baldoni and Wayfarer.
Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s decision to hire a crisis manager, explaining that this happened before the film’s marketing campaign even began. He added that Wayfarer’s team didn’t take any aggressive action, only responding to media inquiries and monitoring social media to ensure accurate reporting. He emphasized that the released correspondence only showed internal planning and strategy – standard practice for public relations – and didn’t prove any proactive negative actions were taken.
Following the publication of a New York Times article on December 21st, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) ended its relationship with director Justin Baldoni, according to Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel.
WME refuted claims that actor Ryan Reynolds, husband of Blake Lively, was the reason for the split, which Baldoni later alleged in a lawsuit against The New York Times.
WME stated to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1st that Baldoni’s claim of Reynolds pressuring his agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere was false. The agency, which represents both Reynolds and Lively, confirmed that Baldoni’s former representative wasn’t even at the premiere and that neither Reynolds nor Lively ever pressured them to drop Baldoni as a client.
Following Blake Lively’s legal complaint and a New York Times article detailing her allegations, several public figures publicly voiced their support. Colleen Hoover, author of It Ends With Us, shared a message on Instagram thanking Lively for her honesty, kindness, and patience, and urging fans to read the article. Jenny Slate, who acted alongside Lively, released a statement to Today expressing her support, calling Lively a leader, loyal friend, and trusted source of emotional support. She described the revelations about the attack on Lively as “terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening” and praised her bravery. Brandon Sklenar, who played a love interest in the film, shared a link to the complaint published by The New York Times, encouraging people to read it. Lively also received a statement of solidarity from her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn.
On December 23rd, Liz Plank announced she was leaving The Man Enough Podcast, which she co-hosted with Justin Baldoni and Heath. In an Instagram post, Plank expressed gratitude to listeners for sharing their stories and creating a special community. While she didn’t state a specific reason for her departure, it followed accusations made against Baldoni and his colleagues by Blake Lively. Plank affirmed her commitment to the values the podcast represented and thanked her followers for their support over the past four years. She indicated she would share more information later and reiterated her support for those speaking out against injustice and demanding accountability.
Stephanie Jones, a former publicist for actor Baldoni, and her firm, Jonesworks LLC, are suing Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, and current publicists Abel and Nathan in New York. The lawsuit, obtained by NBC News, claims Abel and Nathan secretly worked together for months to damage Jones and Jonesworks’ reputation, break contracts, and steal clients. According to the suit, they coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch a negative media campaign against Baldoni’s co-star, then falsely blamed Jones for the campaign after using it to create conflict between Jones and Baldoni. Abel previously worked at Jonesworks until last summer. The lawsuit further alleges that Abel and Nathan are now trying to deflect blame onto Jones as their own misconduct is revealed, and are continuing to harm her professional reputation. Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer clients of Jonesworks, are accused of breaching their contracts and refusing to resolve the dispute through private arbitration. TopMob News has reached out to those named in the suit for comment.
According to a December 23rd report in Variety, Lively’s lawyers received text messages published in The New York Times through a legal request to Jonesworks. Freedman, the attorney for Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and those connected to Wayfarer, stated that none of his clients were asked to provide information and that he plans to sue Jones for sharing messages from Abel’s phone with Lively’s legal team.
On December 31st, Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, and Street Relations filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times. The suit claims the newspaper falsely reported on a supposed retaliatory campaign the plaintiffs conducted against an actress, identified as Lively, after she raised concerns about potential misconduct on set.
The plaintiffs allege libel, invasion of privacy, and breach of contract, arguing the Times based its article on false information from Lively’s complaint and misrepresented the context of messages cited in both the complaint and the article. They claim the Times primarily relied on Lively’s account, ignoring evidence that contradicted her claims and revealed her true intentions. The lawsuit asserts Lively, not the plaintiffs, was the one who engaged in a deliberate smear campaign.
The New York Times stated it intends to strongly defend itself, maintaining its reporting was meticulous, responsible, and based on a thorough review of thousands of documents, including accurately quoted text messages and emails.
That day, Lively filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Entertainment, Heath Farrugia, Jason Sarowitz, the production company It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan Keith, Nathan’s company TAG, and Abel in New York.
The lawsuit, details of which were obtained by TopMob News, accuses them of sexual harassment, retaliation, failing to address harassment, supporting the harassment and retaliation, breaking their contract with her, intentionally causing her emotional distress, negligently causing her emotional distress, and violating her privacy.
These allegations were initially outlined in a complaint Lively filed with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) earlier that month.
Regarding the lawsuit Baldoni and his colleagues filed against The New York Times (which did not name Lively as a defendant), Lively’s lawyers told TopMob that her claims remain unchanged.
They stated that Baldoni’s lawsuit falsely suggests Lively’s initial complaint was a trick and that she never intended to sue him, Wayfarer, or others. They pointed to Lively’s recently filed federal complaint as proof that this claim is untrue.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit against The New York Times, led by Baldoni, have indicated they intend to pursue further legal action. Court documents reveal they believe others were also involved in wrongdoing and that this won’t be their only lawsuit. In a January 2nd interview with NBC News, Baldoni and their attorney, Freedman, confirmed they definitely plan to sue Lively as well.
The controversy surrounding Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni continued to gain attention online. Some social media users believed Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, subtly referenced Baldoni in his upcoming film, Deadpool & Wolverine, through the character Nicepool. While Reynolds hasn’t addressed these claims publicly, Baldoni’s lawyer, Freedman, did speak out. In an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show (posted on YouTube January 7th), Freedman stated that if your wife experiences sexual harassment, you shouldn’t joke about it or the person involved. Instead, you should treat it seriously, file complaints with HR, and follow proper legal procedures.
Since Lively filed her lawsuit, her legal team says there’s been a continued effort to discredit her. They emphasize that the case isn’t a simple disagreement or a matter of differing opinions, but a serious claim of sexual harassment and retaliation supported by evidence. They accuse Wayfarer and its associates of illegally trying to damage Lively’s reputation after she attempted to ensure a safe work environment on a film set. According to her lawyers, the company responded to the lawsuit by intensifying these attacks.
Her team also highlighted that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal everywhere, and warned against common tactics used to deflect blame, such as suggesting the victim is at fault or reversing the roles of victim and offender. They stated that these approaches minimize the seriousness of the allegations. They made it clear that public statements won’t protect Wayfarer from the claims and that they intend to pursue the case fully in court.
In a statement to TopMob, Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Freedman, pointed out the irony of Blake Lively accusing Baldoni of using the media to his advantage, considering her team sent heavily edited documents to The New York Times before even filing their complaint. He added that they are releasing evidence showing a pattern of bullying and threats aimed at taking control of the film, and that Lively has a history of using others to deliver threats and get her way. He stated they have proof to support these claims.
As a dedicated follower of this case, I’ve been closely watching the lawsuit filed by the team behind the It Ends With Us movie – that includes Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, publicist Abel, crisis communication specialist Nathan, and the production company itself. They’re suing Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s firm, Vision PR, claiming civil extortion, defamation, and a violation of privacy. Specifically, they allege Blake Lively broke an unspoken agreement to act in good faith, and both she and Ryan intentionally interfered with their contracts and potential business deals.
The plaintiffs strongly deny Blake’s claims of sexual harassment and any retaliatory behavior on their part. They claim she took control of the It Ends With Us promotion and, along with Ryan, Sloane, and others, launched a smear campaign after facing criticism for how the film was marketed. Blake maintains she followed Sony’s approved marketing plan.
The lawsuit also alleges the defendants worked with The New York Times to publish a damaging and untrue news story, though the outlet stands by its reporting. Our lawyer, Freedman, stated that Blake Lively was either seriously misinformed by her team or deliberately misrepresented the truth.
Lively’s lawyers have responded to a lawsuit filed against her, calling it a common tactic used by abusers. They claim Baldoni is attempting to portray her as the problem, alleging he’s trying to make it seem like she took over the project and caused issues with the cast.
According to Lively’s team, evidence will demonstrate that others also had negative experiences with Baldoni and the production company, and that Sony specifically asked Lively to oversee the final cut of the film, which ultimately proved successful.
They strongly criticized Baldoni’s reaction to her harassment claims, stating his defense attempts to blame Lively for the alleged abuse, even suggesting it was her fault. Her lawyers argue this is a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the abuse itself and will ultimately fail to disprove her claims.
Attorneys for actor Justin Baldoni have released footage from the filming of It Ends With Us, arguing it disproves claims made by his co-star, Blake Lively. They state the scene was intended to portray a loving connection between the characters and that both actors behaved professionally and respectfully.
Lively’s lawyers, however, maintain the video actually supports her allegations. They claim Baldoni improvised all of his actions without prior discussion or consent, and the footage clearly shows Lively repeatedly trying to create distance and requesting a simple conversation between the characters. They believe any woman who has experienced inappropriate touching at work will recognize the discomfort Lively displays in the video.
The couple asked the judge handling their case to prevent Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, from speaking publicly about it, hoping to ensure fairness and prevent any inappropriate actions.
A seven-minute voice memo reportedly sent by director Baldoni to actress Lively during the making of It Ends With Us was leaked online. In the memo, Baldoni seemed to discuss a rooftop scene Lively had revised and how she presented those changes to him, allegedly with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and singer Taylor Swift. He praised their collaborative creativity, saying, “The three of you together, it’s unbelievable.”
Baldoni also appeared to apologize for his initial reaction to Lively’s script, admitting, “I messed up. I’ll admit and apologize when I’m wrong.”
A court date was scheduled for March 9, 2026, one month after Lively officially sued Baldoni.
According to documents obtained by TopMob News, Stephen Baldoni has updated his lawsuit against Camille Lively, her team, and her PR firm, Vision PR, to now include The New York Times. Baldoni claims Lively and her team spent months working together to spread false information to the newspaper. He alleges that The New York Times selectively used and changed communications, removing important context and intentionally editing them to be misleading.
Okay, so I’ve been following this whole thing with Baldoni and Lively so closely, and it’s getting insane! Baldoni actually put up a whole website with everything about his lawsuit – seriously, everything! He posted the official complaint and this detailed timeline of what happened. And get this – he even included screenshots of text messages between Lively, Reynolds, and himself! It’s all there! It’s been about a month since Baldoni’s lawyer, Freedman, said they were going to release all the texts, and now they’ve done it! His lawyer told NBC News they just want everyone to see the proof, to see what really happened, and make up their own minds. He said they want the ‘receipts,’ and honestly, I’m here for it! I need to know the truth!
Lively’s lawyers updated her lawsuit, stating that two other women who worked on the movie It Ends With Us also felt uncomfortable with Baldoni’s behavior on set.
The lawsuit, which TopMob News obtained, asserts that Lively wasn’t the only one to complain about Baldoni. It claims that these experiences, including those of the other women, were recorded starting in May 2023, and that Baldoni acknowledged the complaints in writing at the time.
The complaint didn’t reveal the names of these two women, who Lively says will testify, citing a threatening environment created by the defendants’ alleged retaliation.
Baldoni’s attorney, Freedman, responded by calling the complaint unsubstantiated and claiming the women are no longer willing to support Lively’s accusations publicly.
Following accusations from Baldoni that Sloane spread false and damaging rumors painting him as a “sexual predator,” and that these were part of a coordinated effort led by Lively, Sloane requested the court to dismiss the lawsuit.
According to legal documents obtained by TopMob News, Sloane’s lawyer claims the accusations against her are unfounded and that she was brought into the lawsuit only to divert attention from claims made by Lively.
Lively has hired Nick Shapiro, a former Deputy Chief of Staff for the CIA, to help with the legal strategy surrounding the sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in New York. According to a member of Lively’s legal team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, this news was reported by Variety on February 28th.
From 2013 to 2015, Shapiro worked at the CIA during the Obama administration. He later held leadership positions at Visa and Airbnb, overseeing global security, communications, and crisis management. After three years at Airbnb, he started his own consulting company, 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.
According to documents obtained by TopMob News, The New York Times has asked a court to dismiss them from the $400 million lawsuit, which also involves Lively, Baldoni, and the company Sloane and Sloane.
As a longtime reader of The New York Times, I was really concerned to see them dragged into this legal battle. It seems like Baldoni’s team is pushing a particular narrative that’s been getting a lot of attention, but honestly, The Times shouldn’t even be involved. What’s even more frustrating is learning that Baldoni initially sued them for $250 million, but then dropped that claim when they expanded the lawsuit to $400 million – all this according to documents Deadline has seen. It just feels like a tactic to keep The Times entangled in something that doesn’t concern them.
U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman has temporarily paused the exchange of information and documents in a case involving The New York Times, following the newspaper’s request. Documents obtained by TopMob News show the judge agreed to the pause while he reviews the newspaper’s motion to dismiss the case.
Judge Liman stated that The New York Times presented a strong argument that its request to dismiss the case is likely to be approved, and that delaying the exchange of information wouldn’t unfairly harm the opposing side, led by Mr. Baldoni.
A spokesperson for The New York Times told TopMob News they were pleased with the court’s decision, which they believe acknowledges the important First Amendment principles at stake and prevents unnecessary burdens on the newspaper in a case they believe should not have been filed.
Following accusations from Baldoni that Lively was using her friendship with Taylor Swift to gain more control over the film adaptation of It Ends With Us—and after Baldoni’s lawyers attempted to subpoena Swift—a spokesperson for the singer responded.
A spokesperson confirmed to TopMob News on May 9th that Taylor Swift had no involvement in the movie’s production. They stated she wasn’t part of the casting process, didn’t contribute to the music, and never reviewed any version of the film.
Taylor Swift allowed the film to use her song, ‘My Tears Ricochet,’ explained her representative. They believe this legal request for documents isn’t about getting real information, but rather about using Swift’s fame to generate publicity and sensationalize the case, just like many other artists who licensed music for the film – a total of twenty artists contributed songs.
Baldoni’s attorneys withdrew their request later that month, per Lively’s legal team.
The judge dismissed the lawsuit brought against Lively, Reynolds, their publicist Sloane, Sloane’s company Vision PR, and The New York Times. The judge ruled that Baldoni and his lawyers didn’t provide enough evidence to support their claims of defamation or civil extortion.
After the lawsuit against her was dropped, Lively shared on Instagram that she understands how devastating retaliatory lawsuits can be, and the embarrassment they try to inflict. She also pointed out that many people don’t have the means to defend themselves when sued.
She expressed her love and thanks to everyone who supported her, both those she knew and those she didn’t. She promised to always be grateful for and fight for them.
Baldoni’s lawyer told TopMob News that Lively’s claim of winning is untrue.
The lawyer stated that this case centers around false claims of sexual harassment, subsequent retaliation, and a fabricated attempt to damage the plaintiff’s reputation. Ms. Lively’s legal team has called this alleged campaign ‘untraceable’ because they can’t provide evidence of something that never occurred.
Blake Lively gave a deposition at her lawyers’ office in New York. While some news outlets described it as a dramatic confrontation with Jason Baldoni, her legal team quickly challenged reports suggesting she required a large group of witnesses for support.
According to Lively’s lawyer, Baldoni was present in the room with the other people she was suing, and their lawyers, too.
Read More
- Darkwood Trunk Location in Hytale
- Hytale: Upgrade All Workbenches to Max Level, Materials Guide
- Best Controller Settings for ARC Raiders
- How To Watch A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Online And Stream The Game Of Thrones Spinoff From Anywhere
- Ashes of Creation Rogue Guide for Beginners
- PS5’s Biggest Game Has Not Released Yet, PlayStation Boss Teases
- Olympian Katie Ledecky Details Her Gold Medal-Winning Training Regimen
- Donkey Kong Country Returns HD version 1.1.0 update now available, adds Dixie Kong and Switch 2 enhancements
- Nicole Richie Reveals Her Daughter, 18, Now Goes By Different Name
- Arc Raiders Guide – All Workbenches And How To Upgrade Them
2026-01-21 21:50