Blake Lively Slams Claim She Won’t Share Medical Records in Lawsuit

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Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni‘s legal battle wages on. 

In our latest encounter, I firmly refute the assertion put forth by Baldoni’s team suggesting that my decision to abandon the intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress claims was due to reluctance in disclosing related medical records.

Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, Lively’s attorneys, explained to TopMob News that this step in the litigation is a regular procedure being exploited for a publicity spectacle. They added, “We are performing our role as trial lawyers – organizing and honing our case for trial; they are trying to generate another round of sensational headlines in the tabloids.

They went on to say, “Ms. Lively persists with her allegations of emotional distress, among other charges in her lawsuit, which include sexual harassment, retribution, and substantial supplementary compensatory damages for each claim.

In a thrilling twist, as an ardent admirer of mine, I’m ecstatic to share that a communique, submitted by my esteemed legal team on June 2nd and later acquired by TopMob News, reveals a remarkable resolution in our case! It appears that during a teleconference, the legal eagles from both sides came to an agreement to withdraw the claims – with some minor adjustments requested by me, they claim my opponent’s team didn’t bat an eye or voice any apprehensions or concerns about these revisions. This development fills me with unbridled joy and anticipation for what lies ahead!

Yet, according to Lively’s legal team, they claim in their letter that on the same day, after the teleconference, the group associated with the Wayfarer Parties (Baldoni, his Wayfarer Studios, and other named parties in the lawsuit) submitted a motion asserting that Lively was abandoning her claims due to her refusal to disclose medical information crucial for her emotional distress allegations.

In addition, Lively’s letter proposes that Judge Lewis Liman rules to dismiss her claims in a manner that allows for their potential re-filing at a future time if necessary.

(1) withhold the information and documents necessary to prove that she did not experience any emotional distress or that the Wayfarer Parties were not responsible; (2) preserve her ability to re-submit her IED Claims at an unspecified time in this or another court, following the conclusion of the discovery period.

However, Lively’s team slammed the allegations. 

In their June 2nd letter, they state that it is intentionally deceptive for someone to imply that Ms. Lively hasn’t provided anything related to her claims (either in written discovery responses, during the parties’ conference, or later) because such a claim misrepresents the truth to the court and any public audience who might rely on this distorted account of events.

TopMob News reached out to Baldoni’s legal team for comment. 

To learn about the ongoing debates regarding the legality of Lively and Baldoni’s 2024 movie “It Ends With Us”, continue reading below.

Approximately four months following the cinema release of Colleen Hoover’s book adaptation “It Ends With Us,” Blake Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against her costar Justin Baldoni and his associates on December 20, as reported by The New York Times.

The complaint, acquired by TopMob News, named Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios (Wayfarer), its CEO Jamey Heath, its co-founder 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.

Lively claimed in the complaint that Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates “initiated a complex press and digital strategy as retaliation” for expressing concerns about alleged on-set misconduct—with Lively stating she, along with other cast and crew members, “were subjected to intrusive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior” by Baldoni and Heath.

The actress further asserted that the alleged actions against her resulted in “significant harm” to both her personal and professional life.

The allegations mentioned in the complaint encompass sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to investigate, prevent, 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 published an exposé detailing a supposed counterattack smear operation carried out by Baldoni and his colleagues against Lively – referring to her CRD complaint. In their article, the publication disclosed communications from Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist) that were part of her complaint. The readers had access to the related court documents on the The New York Times‘ website. Lively expressed to the outlet, “I hope my legal action serves to unveil these underhanded retaliatory tactics used to harm those who expose misconduct, and offer protection to others who might face similar targeting.

 

—Reporting by Sara Ouerfelli

Following the revelation of Lively’s complaint, Bryan Freedman—the lawyer for Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives—vehemently disputed her allegations. In a statement published on The New York Times website, he stated that it was disgraceful for Lively and her representatives to make such serious and undeniably false accusations against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives, as an underhanded attempt to improve her tarnished reputation stemming from her own statements and actions during the movie’s promotional campaign. These claims are entirely unfounded, excessively sensational, and deliberately salacious with the intention of causing public harm and perpetuating a media narrative.

Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s choice to hire a crisis manager, explaining that this was done before the movie’s marketing campaign. He later added that Wayfarer’s representatives did not take any proactive measures nor retaliate, but only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure accurate and balanced reporting. Moreover, he pointed out that what is notably absent from the selectively presented correspondence is evidence of a lack of proactive measures with the media; instead, it shows internal strategic planning and private communication—which is customary among public relations professionals.

Following the publication of an article by The New York Times on December 21, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) chose to end their relationship with Baldoni. This decision was confirmed by Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME’s parent company Endeavor, to the outlet.

However, it is important to clarify that Ryan Reynolds, husband of Blake Lively, was not responsible for the separation between WME and Baldoni as previously alleged in a lawsuit filed by Baldoni against The New York Times (more on this below). In response to these allegations, WME, who also represents both 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.” They further added that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere and no pressure was ever exerted by Reynolds or Lively to drop Baldoni as a client at any time.

After Lively’s CRD filing and an article in The New York Times, several well-known personalities expressed their reactions to the allegations against Baldoni. For instance, the author of It Ends With Us, Hoover, showed support on Instagram Stories. Similarly, Jenny Slate, who played the sister of Baldoni’s character, also voiced her backing for Lively. In a statement to Today on Dec 23, Slate said, “As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation.” She further added, “Blake is a leader, loyal friend, and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her. What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.” Additionally, Brandon Sklenar, a love interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, shared the complaint published on The New York Times’ website and linked to the outlet, writing, “For the love of God read this.” Moreover, America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn – Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars – wrote they “stand with her in solidarity.

Liz Plank recently shared on her Instagram that she is no longer co-hosting “The Man Enough Podcast”. She expressed gratitude for the trust placed in her, the heartfelt stories shared, and the community built over the past four years. However, she did not disclose the reason behind her departure. She ended by stating that she will have more to share soon and will continue to support those who speak out against injustice. This decision came shortly after Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer.

Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s previous representative, and her firm Jonesworks LLC have filed a lawsuit against him, his company Wayfarer, Abel (his current publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist) in New York on Christmas Eve. The lawsuit, as reported by NBC News, claims that Abel and Nathan secretly colluded for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and Jonesworks, breach contracts, induce contractual breaches, and poach clients.

Behind my back, they allegedly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to carry out a smear campaign against one of Baldoni’s co-stars in the media. They then used this crisis as an opportunity to widen the gap between Jones and Baldoni, and publicly shift blame for this smear campaign onto me – all while I had no knowledge or involvement in it.

According to Abel’s LinkedIn profile, she worked at Jonesworks until last summer. The lawsuit alleges that Abel and Nathan are now falsely implicating Jones as their misconduct comes to light, defaming her, and attacking her reputation in the industry.

Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer Jonesworks clients, are accused of repudiating their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and turning down Jones’ attempts to settle this dispute privately through arbitration.

I reached out to the defendants for a comment on this matter but have yet to receive a response from them.

In a recent communication I had with Variety, I revealed that we, my legal team, obtained the texts mentioned in the New York Times article through a subpoena sent to Jonesworks, not any of my clients. Freedman, who represents Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and Wayfarer associates, further clarified to this outlet that none of his clients were served with a subpoena regarding this matter. However, he has expressed his intention to file a lawsuit against Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to my legal team without proper authorization.

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 the same day, Lively initiated a legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, Nathan’s company TAG, and Abel in New York. The court documents obtained by TopMob News reveal that she is accusing the defendants of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, false light invasion of privacy, aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation. These accusations were initially detailed in the CRD complaint she filed earlier that month. In response to this lawsuit, Baldoni and his associates have filed a counterclaim against The New York Times—which does not list Lively as a defendant. Her lawyers responded to TopMob that “the allegations in this lawsuit do not change anything about the claims made in her CRD and federal complaints.” They further stated that the premise of Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others being a ruse to avoid suing Baldoni, Wayfarer, is false, as demonstrated by the federal complaint filed by Lively earlier that day.

In their legal action against The New York Times, the plaintiffs have made it clear that they are not wrapping up their efforts; in fact, they intend to pursue further litigation. According to court documents, there are other unscrupulous parties involved, and this will not be the only lawsuit they file. In a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman confirmed that they indeed have plans to sue Lively.

The conversation surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended, as many have suggested that Reynolds may have teased Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has yet to address these rumors publicly, but Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman has commented on the matter. In an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show (available on YouTube as of Jan 7), Freedman stated:

“In my opinion, if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make light of Justin Baldoni’s situation. You don’t turn it into a joke. Instead, you take the issue seriously by filing HR complaints, raising concerns, and following proper legal procedures. Mocking someone in such a sensitive matter isn’t appropriate.

In their statement, Lively’s legal representatives explained that the ongoing lawsuit against Wayfarer Entertainment in the Southern District of New York is based on substantial accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation. They emphasized that this is not a dispute arising from creative differences or a he-said-she-said situation, but rather an instance where Wayfarer and its associates engaged in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against Lively for attempting to safeguard herself and others on set. The lawyers also pointed out that since the lawsuit was filed, there have been further attempts to attack Lively.

They urged everyone to keep in mind that sexual harassment and retaliation are unlawful in every workplace and industry. They warned against tactics like blaming the victim or suggesting they invited the conduct, or reversing the roles of the victim and offender to deflect accusations of misconduct. Lively’s lawyers stated that such concepts serve to downplay and trivialise serious allegations of wrongdoing. Additionally, they highlighted that media statements do not constitute a defense for their client’s claims and assured that they will pursue justice 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, Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s firm Vision PR in New York. The plaintiffs allege that all defendants have committed 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, intentional interference with contractual relations, and economic advantage, as well as negligent interference with prospective economic advantage.

The plaintiffs dispute Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign against her. They also accuse Lively of seizing control of the film “It Ends With Us” and collaborating with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to harm the plaintiffs’ reputation in the media after receiving criticism for promoting the movie, which she claims was done according to Sony’s marketing plan.

As a devoted supporter recounting this legal dispute, I can share that plaintiffs claim defendants colluded with The New York Times to publish a sensational but untrue report. The outlet maintains its story’s veracity. To TopMob, Freedman stated, “Either Blake Lively was deceived by her team or she deliberately distorted the truth.

A woman presents proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the accused tries to shift blame onto the victim. This behavior is often termed DARVO by experts, which stands for Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.

I stood firm in my accusations towards him, asserting that Baldoni is attempting to reframe the situation by claiming that Lively seized creative control and distanced the cast from himself.

As an ardent admirer, let me share some intriguing insights. It’s clear that the testimonies will unveil the struggles faced by Mr. Baldoni, the cast, and crew at Wayfarer. Moreover, the proof will reveal that Sony entrusted Ms. Lively to manage their version of the film, which they subsequently chose for distribution, leading to an incredible success.

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

In a nutshell, the defendants’ approach to addressing sexual harassment accusations revolves around blaming the victim. They claim that she desired it and is responsible for what happened, while suggesting her attire was the reason for the incident. However, this tactic is futile as it does not dispute the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and ultimately, it will not succeed.

In a recent statement, Baldoni’s attorney disclosed exclusive footage from the set of “It Ends With Us“, claiming that the portrayal of Baldoni by Ms. Lively in public does not align with his actions on camera, which provide a clear contradiction to her characterization.

In a statement, Baldoni’s lawyers explained that the depicted moment was intended to portray the blossoming romance between the characters, as they yearned for closeness. Both performers were acting appropriately within the context of the scene, demonstrating respect and professionalism towards one another.

Nevertheless, Lively’s legal representatives argue that the video fully supports, in every detail, what Ms. Lively stated in her lawsuit. They claim that each moment depicted was spontaneously created by Mr. Baldoni without any prior consultation or approval.

As an ardent admirer, I can’t help but express my sentiments about a video that depicts Miss Lively leaning back, persistently requesting her co-stars to engage in conversation rather than actions. In an official statement to TopMob News, I shared my observation, emphasizing that many women who have experienced inappropriate workplace touch can relate to Miss Lively’s evident discomfort.

 

In their ongoing case, the couple wrote a letter to the presiding judge asking for attorney Freedman, leading Baldoni’s legal team, to be subjected to a gag order during the trial. This action is aimed at preventing any inappropriate behavior.

Online, a seven-minute voice recording supposedly sent by Baldoni to Lively during the production of “It Ends With Us” became public. In this recording, it seems that Baldoni mentioned the movie’s rooftop scene which Lively rewrote and discussed how these changes were presented in a meeting with Reynolds and their friend Taylor Swift.

He said to Lively, “It’s great to have friends as remarkable and inventive as them, not just because they’re two of the world’s top creatives, but also because when the three of you are together, it’s simply incredible!

In the recording, it appears that Baldoni additionally expressed an apology to the actress for his less-than-enthusiastic response to her script. He stated, “I made a mistake. A crucial aspect of my character is that I will acknowledge and apologize when I fall short.

Approximately a month following the submission of Lively’s legal action against Baldoni, the court scheduled a hearing for March 9, 2026.

According to reports from TopMob News, Baldoni’s team has updated their January 16 counterclaim filed against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane in the U.S. District Court, now also involving The New York Times.

In the revised paperwork, Baldoni alleged that Lively and her associates had been secretly working together for several months, spreading untruths 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 paper selectively chose and manipulated communications, removing crucial context, and intentionally edited them to deceive.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve established an online platform where you can find the latest updates on my ongoing legal battle with Lively. My team recently submitted the first amended complaint on January 31st, and as part of our transparency efforts, we’ve also included a timeline of significant events related to the case. This timeline includes alleged screenshots of text conversations between Lively, Reynolds, and myself that have become relevant to the dispute.

The website went live a month following when Freedman announced his group intended to publish “all texts exchanged between the two parties.

In a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s lawyer expressed that they desire transparency and want all relevant documents to be made public. They believe individuals should base their judgments on actual receipts or evidence.

In the updated lawsuit, Lively’s legal team asserted that two additional female crew members from the set of “It Ends” had expressed discomfort due to Baldoni’s actions on the job.

TopMob News obtained a complaint stating that Ms. Lively was not the only one voicing concerns about Mr. Baldoni. The complaint, dating back to May 2023, details the experiences of Ms. Lively and other individuals. Crucially, contrary to the storyline the Defendants have constructed, Mr. Baldoni acknowledged these complaints in writing at the time. He was aware that women besides Ms. Lively were uncomfortable with his behavior and had voiced their concerns.

In the revised lawsuit, Lively’s alleged witnesses were left unnamed because of the potentially harmful environment marked by threats, harassment, and intimidation allegedly instigated by the defendants’ reprisal efforts.

In an interview with TopMob, Freedman asserted that the allegations were primarily based on flimsy rumors rather than solid evidence. He also suggested that those anonymous individuals who had initially backed her claims have since chosen not to disclose themselves or endorse her accusations publically.

Following Baldoni’s allegations that Sloane spread malevolent tales making him appear as a sexual offender and organized a smear operation under Lively’s supervision, Sloane chose to request the dismissal of the legal action in response.

According to documents obtained by TopMob News, Sloane’s lawyer claimed that there was no justification for the allegations leveled against their client. Instead, they argued she had been unfairly involved in the lawsuit as a means of creating confusion, or smoke and mirrors, to divert attention away from Lively’s accusations.

Nick Shapiro, who previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the CIA, was recruited 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, according to a member of her litigation team from Willkie Farr & Gallagher, as reported to Variety on February 28.

Shapiro, who served for the CIA from 2013 to 2015 under President Obama’s administration, later moved on to become Visa’s vice president in charge of global security and communications, followed by Airbnb’s chief of global crisis management. After spending three years with the rental company, 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 that also involves Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane.

In the court documents, the newspaper stated that Baldoni’s team was spinning a biased account that generated significant media attention. However, it emphasized that The Times should not be involved in this legal conflict.

According to reports from TopMob News, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman has agreed with The New York Times’ motion to postpone the discovery process, as per court records.

As a devoted follower, I’m sharing that my request for a temporary halt on exchanging information or documents between parties was granted by the judge. He is currently reviewing our motion from February 28th, published in the newspaper.

In my professional opinion, I’d like to highlight that the New York Times appears to have built a compelling case in the March 4 document. The evidence presented seems substantial enough, and it suggests that their motion to dismiss could very well be upheld based on its merits.

Additionally, the judge expressed his view that during the court’s consideration of the upcoming motion, Baldoni’s legal team should not face an unfair disadvantage.

In response to TopMob News, a representative of the New York Times stated their gratitude for the court’s decision today, which acknowledges the significant First Amendment principles involved. The court has halted Mr. Baldoni from overwhelming The Times with discovery requests in a case that should not have been initiated against them.

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2025-06-03 16:49