Blake Lively is prepared to take the stand.
After months of legal disputes between Blake and director Justin Baldoni, with Blake filing suits for sexual harassment and unpaid wages, while Justin counter-suing for $400 million due to false claims, Blake’s attorney has shared her trial strategy.
Mike Gottlieb, Lively’s attorney, stated to People magazine in an article published on May 8th, “She will indeed testify. The most crucial time for a plaintiff’s narrative to unfold is during the trial. In this case, we anticipate that to hold true. Therefore, it is only natural for us to expect her to be a witness during her own trial.
In a similar vein, Gottlieb hinted at additional “testimonials” from the cast of “It Ends With Us” that Lively’s legal team anticipates will provide statements in court. He pointed out that “We expect their testimonies, particularly concerning what transpired on set, to emerge through live witness testimonies.
In addition, the lawyer spoke about supposed “diversions” which seem to shift focus from the alleged defamation case as mentioned in Lively’s original court filing.
Gottlieb expressed confidence and anticipation that during our investigation, we’ll be able to zero in on what we consider essential to the case: the allegation that the retaliation campaign against Ms. Lively was initiated due to her speaking out about sexual harassment.
Following the submission of her civil complaint in December, an article from the New York Times emerged in the same month, detailing the lawsuit and the reported smear campaign. In this piece, Lively—the mother of children James (10), Inez (8), Betty (5), and Olin (2) with husband Ryan Reynolds—issued a statement, explaining that the perceived retaliation was what prompted her to file the lawsuit in the first place.
In her statement, she expressed her hope that her legal action would expose the hidden, malicious strategies used against those who voice misconduct, thus safeguarding others who might be similarly affected.
Since her conversation about the conflict with Baldoni, Lively mentioned on Seth Meyers’ Late Night in May that it was “unsurprising” to have had a rather challenging year.
She simply put, she shared that this year has been an extraordinary mix of exceptional high points and incredibly challenging low points, a reflection of her life experiences. Importantly, she chose to express herself in this manner. She emphasized that it’s the empowered voices of women that have given her strength, supported her convictions, and fueled her ongoing fight for a safer world for all women and girls.
To unravel the ongoing legal back-and-forth between Lively and Baldoni, keep reading…
Four months following the cinema release of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us,” Blake Lively submitted a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against her costar Justin Baldoni and his associates on December 20th, as reported by The New York Times.
The complaint, obtained by TopMob News, named 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. as defendants.
In the complaint, Lively claimed that Baldoni and Wayfarer associates initiated a “sophisticated press and digital plan” in retaliation for expressing concerns about alleged misconduct on set. She stated that she and other cast and crew members faced “invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior” from Baldoni and Heath.
Lively further asserted that the campaign against her caused significant harm to her personally and professionally. The charges listed in the complaint included sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to address, prevent, or rectify harassment; aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation; breach of contract; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligence; false light invasion of privacy, and interference with prospective economic advantage.
The following day, The New York Times released an article detailing accusations of a counterattack smear strategy, which Baldoni and his colleagues were said to have executed against Lively – corroborating her CRD complaint. In the publication, they shared messages exchanged between Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), Nathan (crisis communications specialist), and others – all implicated in her complaint. The article also provided access to related court documents on the New York Times website. Lively expressed hope that her legal action would expose these underhanded tactics aimed at harming those who speak out about misconduct, and safeguard others from similar targeting.
—Reporting by Sara Ouerfelli
Upon hearing about Lively’s allegations, as a devoted supporter of Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their representatives, I, Bryan Freedman, immediately refuted her claims. It’s disgraceful that Lively and her team would make such serious, entirely false accusations against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives. This seems to be another desperate attempt to improve her tarnished reputation, which was earned through her own remarks and actions during the movie campaign; observations of interviews and press activities that were public, unedited, and allowed for real-time commentary and opinion generation across the internet. These assertions are completely false, outrageous, and intentionally sensational with the aim to harm publicly and perpetuate a narrative in the media.
I also defended Wayfarer’s decision to hire a crisis manager, explaining that this was done before the movie’s marketing campaign. Later, I clarified that Wayfarer’s representatives didn’t take any proactive measures nor retaliate; they merely responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual reporting and monitored social activity. What is notably absent from the selectively presented correspondence is the evidence that there were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; only internal strategy planning and private communication, which is standard practice among public relations professionals.
As a dedicated follower, I’d rephrase it like this: After an article published by The New York Times on December 21st, I, [Name], was no longer associated with William Morris Endeavor (WME). Ari Emanuel, the CEO of the agency’s parent company Endeavor, confirmed this to the outlet. However, it’s important to clarify that Ryan Reynolds, my colleague, was not responsible for my separation from WME as I later alleged in a lawsuit against The New York Times (more on that later).
In his filing, there was a claim that Reynolds pressured my agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere. This is not accurate, as stated by WME, which also represents both Reynolds and my wife [Name]. My former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere, and there was no pressure from either Reynolds or Lively at any point to drop me as a client, according to WME’s statement to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1st.
After Lively’s CRD filing and an article in The New York Times, various well-known individuals expressed their support for her allegations against Baldoni. For instance, the author of “It Ends With Us”, Hoover, showed her backing on Instagram Stories. She wrote, “Blake Lively, you have always been truthful, kind, supportive, and patient since we first met. Thank you for being exactly who you are. Never change. Never falter.”
Similarly, Jenny Slate, who played Baldoni’s character Ryle’s sister, expressed her solidarity with Lively. In a statement to Today on December 23, she said, “As Blake Lively’s co-star and friend, I express my support as she acts against those accused of planning and executing an assault on her reputation.” She added, “Blake is a leader, a loyal friend, and a source of emotional support for many who know and care about her. What has been disclosed about the attack on Blake is incredibly dark, disturbing, and highly threatening. I applaud my friend, admire her courage, and stand by her side.”
Moreover, Brandon Sklenar, who played Lively’s love interest in the series, shared a screenshot of the complaint published on The New York Times’ website and linked to the outlet with the caption, “For the love of God, read this.”
Lastly, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn stated that they stand with her in solidarity.
Liz Plank recently shared that she is no longer co-hosting “The Man Enough Podcast” with Baldoni and Heath. In an Instagram post, she expressed her gratitude for the trust and stories shared by listeners over the past four years, stating that she will miss them dearly. Although she didn’t specify a reason for her departure, it occurred shortly after Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer. Plank assured her followers that she remains dedicated to the values they built together and will continue supporting those who call out injustice. She also mentioned that she would share more details soon as she processes the recent developments, vowing to keep advocating for a better future.
In a lawsuit filed in New York on Christmas Eve, Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s former publicist, and her agency Jonesworks LLC accused him, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel, and crisis communications specialist Nathan of secretly conspiring to defame and attack her for months. The lawsuit claims they breached multiple contracts, stole clients, and orchestrated a smear campaign against Baldoni’s film co-star, using the ensuing crisis to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni.
According to Abel’s LinkedIn profile, she worked for Jonesworks until last summer. The lawsuit alleges that Abel and Nathan have falsely accused Jones now that their own misconduct is being exposed, and they have defamed and attacked her in the industry.
Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer clients of Jonesworks, are accused in the suit of repudiating their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refusing to settle this dispute privately through arbitration. When contacted for comment, the defendants did not respond.
In a statement to Variety on December 23rd, Lively’s lawyers revealed they obtained the texts mentioned in The New York Times article through a subpoena sent to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and their Wayfarer associates, further explained that none of his clients were served subpoenas regarding this matter. He also stated his intention to file a lawsuit against 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. As per court documents obtained by TopMob News, she is accusing the defendants of various offenses including sexual harassment, retaliation, negligence, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false light invasion of privacy, among others.
The charges outlined in this lawsuit were initially detailed in the CRD complaint Lively filed earlier that month. In response to the lawsuit, Baldoni and his associates have filed a lawsuit against The New York Times – which does not list Lively as a defendant. However, her lawyers stated to TopMob that “the contents of this lawsuit do not alter anything about the claims in her CRD and federal complaints.”
They further added that the premise of Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others being a ruse to avoid filing a lawsuit against Baldoni, Wayfarer, and that litigation was never her ultimate goal, is false. As evidence, they pointed out the federal complaint filed by Lively earlier that day.
In their legal action against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team have indicated that they are not finished with this matter. According to the court documents, there are other parties involved who have acted inappropriately, and it is clear that this will not be the only lawsuit they file. In a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman stated that they indeed intend to take legal action against Lively.
The discussions about Baldoni and Lively haven’t ended, in fact.
For example, online users have suggested that Reynolds may have teased Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.
Reynolds has remained silent on these rumors; however, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman shared his thoughts on the matter.
During an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show (available on YouTube as of Jan 7), Freedman expressed his viewpoint.
“In my opinion,” Freedman said, “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 take it seriously. You file complaints and follow proper legal procedures. What you shouldn’t do is mock the person.
In response to your lawsuit, Lively’s legal team has stated there have been further instances of what they call “attacks” against her, not just a disagreement or he-said-she-said situation. The allegations involve serious charges of sexual harassment and retaliation in the workplace, which are illegal everywhere, according to them. They claim that Wayfarer and its associates have used unlawful astroturfing tactics against Lively for standing up for herself and others on a film set. Since the lawsuit was filed, they have continued these attacks against Lively.
While the legal process unfolds, her lawyers ask everyone to remember the seriousness of sexual harassment and retaliation in any workplace or industry. They warn against common tactics used to deflect such allegations, like blaming the victim or reversing the roles of offender and victim. These strategies normalize and trivialize the gravity of the misconduct. Lastly, they emphasize that media statements are not a defense to her claims and they intend to prove them in court.
On January 16th, Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, publicist Abel, crisis communication specialist Nathan, and It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, Leslie Sloane (Lively’s publicist), and Vision PR in New York.
The lawsuit claims that all defendants are guilty of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy through false light. Specifically, Lively and Reynolds are accused of breaching the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, as well as intentionally interfering with contractual relations and economic advantage, and negligently interfering with prospective economic advantage.
The plaintiffs deny Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign against her. They also accuse Lively of taking control of It Ends With Us and collaborating with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to harm the reputation of the plaintiffs in the media after facing criticism for promoting the film. (Lively claimed in her filings that she promoted the movie according to Sony’s marketing plan.)
In the lawsuit, plaintiffs claim that defendants collaborated with The New York Times to release a sensational news piece that was not only untrue but highly damaging. Despite this allegation, the media outlet maintains its report’s accuracy. Regarding the statement to TopMob, Freedman mentioned that Blake Lively was either given misleading information by her team or deliberately lied about the truth.
Lively’s legal team referred to his lawsuit as “just another page in the script used by abusers,” explaining in a statement to TopMob News, “This situation follows an all-too-familiar pattern: A woman presents solid proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the perpetrator tries to shift the blame onto the victim. This tactic is often referred to as DARVO – Deny allegations, Attack the accuser, Reverse Victim and Offender.
I myself continued to assert that he responded in kind after I brought forward accusations towards him, expressing my belief that Baldoni is attempting to divert attention from the fact that Lively took over creative direction and reportedly created a divide among the cast with regards to Mr. Baldoni.
It was further stated, “The proof will reveal that the cast, among others, had unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Additionally, it will be demonstrated that Sony requested Ms. Lively to supervise Sony’s portion of the film, which they later chose for distribution and became a huge hit.
Her team went on to slam Baldoni’s reaction to her allegations of harassment.
In a nutshell, when faced with sexual harassment accusations, they blamed the victim – asserting that she welcomed it and was responsible for what happened to her, citing her choice of clothing as the reason. However, their lawyers further stated, this strategy is pathetic, as it does not undermine the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and ultimately will prove unsuccessful.
In a statement, Baldoni’s lawyer unveiled unseen footage from the set of “It Ends With Us“, asserting that the actor’s on-camera conduct contradicts Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him.
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 within the context of the scene, demonstrating respect and professionalism towards each other.
As a devoted supporter, I firmly believe that the video aligns verbatim with the account provided by Ms. Lively in her lawsuit. According to her legal team, every second of this incident was spontaneously enacted by Mr. Baldoni without any prior conversation or agreement.
The video depicts Ms. Lively moving back and continually urging the characters to converse instead, which she communicated to TopMob News through a statement. Any female employee who has experienced unwanted physical contact at work may empathize with Ms. Lively’s unease.
In simpler terms, they wrote to the judge managing their case, asking for Freedman, who leads Baldoni’s legal team, to be subjected to a restriction on speaking publicly during the court process to prevent any inappropriate behavior.
Online, a seven-minute audio message purportedly sent by Baldoni 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 which Lively had rewritten and mentioned how these alterations were presented in a supposed meeting with Reynolds and their friend, Taylor Swift.
He said to Lively, “It’s fantastic to have friends as imaginative as them, not just because they’re among the most inventive individuals globally. When the three of you collaborate, it’s simply astonishing.
In the recording, it appears Baldoni also seemed to express an apology to the actress for his cool response to her script, stating, “I made a mistake. Something important for you to understand about me is that I will acknowledge and apologize when I fall short.
Approximately a month following the submission of Lively’s legal complaint against Baldoni, a court hearing was scheduled on March 9, 2026.
According to reports from TopMob News, Baldoni’s team has updated their counterclaim filed against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane in the U.S. District Court on January 16th. This update now includes The New York Times as well.
In the revised paperwork, Baldoni claimed that Lively and her associates had been secretly conspiring for months and providing untruths to The New York Times.
In a different case, it was claimed that the New York Times selectively used certain communications, removing essential context and intentionally splitting them to deceive. This claim is distinct from the $250 million lawsuit against the newspaper.
Baldoni established a website detailing his legal dispute with Lively, which includes the first amended complaint submitted by his legal team on January 31st, as well as a chronology of significant events. The timeline document reportedly contains screenshots of text messages said to have been exchanged between Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni.
The site went live a month following Freedman’s announcement that they would be making public “all text messages exchanged between the two parties.
In a January 2nd interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s lawyer expressed that they wish for all truthful information to be accessible. They desire the release of relevant documents. Their goal is for individuals to form their own conclusions, guided by the supporting evidence.
In a revised lawsuit, Lively’s lawyers asserted that two additional female crew members from the production of “It End” felt uneasy due to Baldoni’s conduct on set.
TopMob News obtained a complaint stating that Ms. Lively wasn’t the only one expressing concerns about Mr. Baldoni. The issues faced by Ms. Lively, as well as others, were recorded starting from May 2023. Crucially, contrary to the Defendants’ fabricated narrative, Mr. Baldoni admitted the complaints in writing at the time. He was aware that there were other women who felt uneasy and had voiced their concerns about his behavior.
In the revised lawsuit, the two potential witnesses who were mentioned as testifying by Lively remained unnamed, because of the potentially harmful environment filled with threats, harassment, and intimidation that the defendants’ reprisal effort had stirred up.
In a statement given to TopMob, Freedman asserted that the allegations were riddled with “unsolidified rumors” and implied that unknown individuals are no longer interested in disclosing information or backing up her statements publicly.
Following accusations by Baldoni that Sloane was spreading “harmful tales” depicting him as a “sexual offender” and coordinating a “defamation scheme” at Lively’s command, Sloane chose to ask for dismissal from the ongoing legal case.
According to documents acquired by TopMob News, Sloane’s legal representative claimed that there was no valid foundation for the charges brought against their client. Instead, they suggested she had been unfairly drawn into the lawsuit as part of a strategy to divert attention away from Lively’s accusations, using her as a smokescreen or deceptive tactic.
Nick Shapiro, previously CIA’s Deputy Chief of Staff, was recently enlisted by Lively to provide guidance on the legal communication strategy for the ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, as a representative from her litigation team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher confirmed to Variety on February 28.
Previously employed by the CIA during the Obama administration (from 2013 to 2015), Shapiro transitioned into roles such as Visa’s vice president for global security and communications, followed by Airbnb’s global head of crisis management. Following a tenure of three years at the rental company, he established his own consulting business, named 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.
TopMob News reports that The New York Times has recently submitted a request to be released from a $400 million lawsuit that involves both Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane. Previously, it’s still engaged in a separate $250 million lawsuit with Baldoni.
In the legal document, the newspaper contended that Baldoni’s team was presenting a biased account, which has received much attention in the news, but it insisted that The Times should not be involved in this disagreement.
In response to a motion by The New York Times for dismissal, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman has agreed and halted the process of discovery, as reported by TopMob News based on obtained documents.
The judge has agreed to the request made in the filing, which aimed to pause the exchange of information and documents between parties, following his review of the newspaper’s motion dated February 28th.
In the document dated March 4, Liman pointed out that the New York Times provides “solid reasons” and has a convincing argument suggesting that their motion to dismiss may well be granted based on its merit.
As a lifestyle expert, I’d put it this way: The judge expressed his conviction that my legal team won’t face an unfair disadvantage during the court’s decision-making process on the forthcoming motion, even with a temporary hold in place.
In a statement to TopMob News, a representative from the New York Times commented on the recent ruling, 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 requests in a case that lacks merit and should not have been initiated against us.
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