Blake Lively’s Brother-in-Law Issues Apology After Controversial Legal Comments

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Bart Johnson regrets how he went about weighing in on the It Ends With Us legal battle.

Over a month since the actor from “High School Musical”, husband to Blake Lively’s elder sister Robyn Lively, passionately defended his sister-in-law amidst her lawsuit against “It Ends With Us” co-star and director Justin Baldoni, he expressed regret for entering the situation.

In his January 28th post on X (formerly Twitter), Bart expressed that he’s seldom spoken unkindly about anyone, but when he has, he’s always regretted it. However, he shared that such instances are rare and definitely not present when he’s at his very best.

However, even though Blake’s brother-in-law expressed regret, he unequivocally showed support for him, albeit acknowledging that he could display a touch more empathy in standing up for his case.

The 54-year-old stated that, as far as he’s concerned, expressing an opinion—whether it involves speaking truth or defending someone—isn’t beneficial. Even when it seems justified or right, it doesn’t matter. A superior approach exists. It falls short of my personal standards, and I am sorry for it.

Following Blake’s filing of a lawsuit against Justin with the California Civil Rights Department over claims of sexual harassment and retaliation in December, Bart immediately came to the defense of the actor from “A Simple Favor,” expressing strong support and offering criticism towards Justin.

Bart stated in a now-deleted comment on The New York Times’ Instagram post about their extensive investigation into suspected smear tactics, “He’s a charlatan, appearing as a hero with his man bun and all. He employs the latest catchphrases and buzzwords for his podcasts, but it’s all a facade. There’s no authenticity; it’s just a performance.

During his Dec. 21 comments, the actor from “Someone Like You” hinted that Justin had been misleading his followers “over a long period,” implying that “many were fooled by it.

Bart pointed out that her grievances were lodged while the movie was being made, as documented. He added this detail in a different remark. The rift between us became public later, but the cast stopped following him for a significant cause.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d like to weigh in on the ongoing conversation about Blake’s approach during the press tour for the adaptation of “It Ends With Us.” Some viewers perceived his stance as minimizing the domestic violence theme. During this time, I defended my family member, but let me be clear – I don’t shy away from acknowledging faults. In my view, the public was led to believe one thing, but in reality, it seems a different narrative may have been at play.

Since Bart initially intervened to support Blake, the situation has escalated into a legal war over several weeks. On December 31st, the actress from Gossip Girl furthered her California complaint – where she disclosed the press tour’s suspected role in the smear campaign – by filing an official lawsuit against Justin and Wayfarer Studios. That same day, the former Jane the Virgin star retaliated with a defamation lawsuit worth $250 million against The New York Times for their reporting on the initial complaint. In response, the paper declared its intention to “vigorously defend” itself against the lawsuit.

Later this month, Justin initiated a countersuit worth $400 million against Blake, her spouse Ryan Reynolds, as well as her publicist Leslie Slone. He claimed that Blake was attempting to portray him as the antagonist in real life, and that she fabricated stories accusing him of sexual harassment. They have four children together: James (10), Inez (8), Betty (5), and Olin (almost 2).

As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase that statement like this: “Contrary to what was suggested by Lively, the lawsuit claims it was actually my team and I who orchestrated a malicious smear campaign against Baldoni and Wayfarer. This was done to divert attention from my own regrettable errors.

In response, Blake’s legal team has argued that Justin’s court document submission is simply “another tactic from an alleged abuser’s manual.

In this classic scenario, a woman presents solid proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, but instead of admitting wrongdoing, the perpetrator counters by trying to shift the blame onto the victim. Experts refer to this tactic as DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.

Keep reading for more details about the ongoing legal battles between the It Ends With Us costars…

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

The complaint, obtained by TopMob News, names Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios (Wayfarer), its CEO Jamey Heath, its 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 asserted that Baldoni and Wayfarer associates initiated a complex press and digital strategy in retaliation for her expressing concerns about alleged misconduct on set. She claimed that she, along with other cast and crew members, “encountered intrusive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior” from Baldoni and Heath.

Lively further stated that this alleged campaign against her caused significant personal and professional harm. The allegations listed in the complaint include 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.

Yesterday, The New York Times released a report detailing a supposed counterattack smear campaign that Baldoni and his colleagues were accused of launching against Lively, referencing her CRD complaint. In their article, they shared messages from Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist) – all part of the complaint. The documents could also be perused by readers on The New York Times’ website.

Lively stated to the outlet, “I hope that my legal action serves to unveil these underhanded retaliatory strategies aimed at harming those who speak out against misconduct, and safeguard others who might become targets.

Following Lively’s criticism, Bryan Freedman – lawyer for Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their representatives – forcefully denied the accusations made by Lively. In a statement published on The New York Times website, he expressed dismay that Lively and her team would make such severe and absolutely false claims against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives as a last-ditch effort to improve Lively’s tarnished reputation from comments and actions during the film campaign; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, unedited, and in real-time, allowing for public opinion to be formed. Freedman asserted these claims are entirely false, outrageous, and deliberately sensational with the purpose of causing harm and perpetuating a media narrative.

Furthermore, Freedman defended Wayfarer’s decision to hire a crisis manager before the movie’s marketing campaign. He explained that Wayfarer’s representatives did not take any proactive measures nor retaliate; instead, they only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and accurate reporting and monitored social activity. Notably absent from the selectively shared correspondence is evidence of a lack of proactive actions with the media or otherwise; merely internal planning and private communication to strategize, which is standard practice among public relations professionals.

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

However, it’s important to note that WME has denied claims made by Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband, being responsible for the agency’s separation from Baldoni. These allegations were later made in a lawsuit filed against The New York Times (which we’ll discuss further below).

In response to these allegations, WME, which also represents both Reynolds and Lively, stated to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1 that Baldoni’s claim of pressure from Reynolds at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere is not true. They added that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere, and there was no pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time to drop Baldoni as a client.

After Blake Lively’s CRD filing and the NY Times article, several renowned figures have expressed their support for her allegations against Baldoni. Here’s my take on it from a passionate fan’s perspective:

“Ever since I first crossed paths with the incredible @blakelively, I’ve been in awe of her honesty, kindness, and unwavering support. On December 21st, I took to Instagram Stories to express my admiration for her, linking out to The New York Times article. ‘Blake,’ I wrote, ‘thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.’

Jenny Slate, who played Ryle’s sister in our show, also voiced her support for Blake. On December 23rd, she issued a statement to Today, saying, “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 added, “Blake is a leader, loyal friend, and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her.”

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

And let me tell you, my Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn have also made it clear that they stand with Blake in solidarity.

Liz Plank recently informed her followers on Instagram that she is no longer co-hosting “The Man Enough Podcast”. She expressed gratitude for the trust and support from listeners, and shared how much she will miss them. Although she didn’t specify a reason for leaving, her decision comes following a complaint made by Lively against Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer. Plank assured her followers that she remains dedicated to the values they built together, and emphasized that everyone deserves better. She also hinted at sharing more details soon as she processes everything that has transpired. In the meantime, she will continue to support those who speak out against injustice and hold accountable those who obstruct them.

In a lawsuit filed on December 24th in New York, Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s former publicist, and her agency Jonesworks LLC accused Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel, and crisis communications specialist Nathan of a months-long conspiracy to attack Jones and Jonesworks. The lawsuit alleges that they breached multiple contracts, stole clients, and orchestrated a smear campaign against Baldoni’s film co-star, all while secretly coordinating with Baldoni and Wayfarer. The suit further claims that Abel and Nathan have been falsely accusing Jones of the smear campaign, defaming her in the industry, even after their own misconduct has been exposed. Meanwhile, Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer Jonesworks clients, allegedly violated their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refused to settle the dispute privately through arbitration. The defendants have yet to comment on these allegations.

In a statement given 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 to the outlet that neither his clients nor any of them were subpoenaed 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.

On December 31st, Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, Wallace, and Street Relations filed a lawsuit against The New York Times. The lawsuit alleges that The New York Times is guilty of libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud, and breach of implied-in-fact contract due to an article about a supposed retaliatory smear campaign the plaintiffs conducted against Lively after she raised concerns about misconduct on set.

The plaintiffs claim that the report was false and based on Lively’s CRD complaint. They deny the accusations and allege that messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context. The lawsuit states that The New York Times “relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative,” while disregarding evidence contradicting her claims and exposing her true motives.

The plaintiffs also allege that it was Lively, not them, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign. However, Lively has denied this. The New York Times has stated that it plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.” The newspaper claims that its story was thoroughly and responsibly reported, based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails it accurately quotes in the article.

On the same day, Lively initiated a legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, his company TAG, and Abel in New York. The court documents acquired by TopMob News reveal that she is accusing these defendants of sexual harassment, retaliation, failing to address harassment, aiding and abetting such actions, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy through false light.

The allegations in the lawsuit were initially outlined in the CRD complaint she filed earlier that month. In response to the lawsuit filed against them (which does not include Lively as a defendant), Baldoni and his associates have countered by filing a lawsuit against The New York Times. However, her lawyers stated to TopMob News that this lawsuit does not alter any claims made in her CRD and federal complaints.

In their statement, they mentioned that “the premise behind the Wayfarer lawsuit—that Lively’s administrative complaint was a deception aimed at avoiding a lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer, with litigation never being her goal—is false.” They further added that the federal complaint filed by Lively today proves this point to be incorrect.

In their lawsuit against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team have made it clear that they are not finished with legal action. According to the court documents, there are more individuals involved in wrongdoing, and this is not the only lawsuit they intend to file. During a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman confirmed their plans to sue Lively as well.

The news about Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended yet. For example, some social media users have suggested that Reynolds may have teased Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has not spoken publicly on these rumors, but Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman shared his thoughts. In an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show (available on YouTube as of Jan 7), Freedman said: “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 it seriously, 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 asserts that there have been continued instances of hostile behavior towards her, rather than mere disagreements or he-said-she-said situations. They claim that Wayfarer and its associates have retaliated against Lively for standing up against inappropriate conduct on a film set through illegal astroturfing, which will be proven in court. They emphasize that sexual harassment and retaliation are unlawful across all workplaces and industries, and urge people to remember this as the case progresses. They also warn against tactics like blaming the victim or reversing the roles of offender and victim, as these strategies aim to divert attention from misconduct allegations. The lawyers add that media statements are not a defense for Lively’s claims, and they will pursue justice through the legal process.


 

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 plaintiffs claim that all defendants are guilty of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy under false light. Specifically, Lively is accused of breaching the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and she and Reynolds are also charged with intentional interference with contractual relations and economic advantage, as well as negligent interference with prospective economic advantage.

The plaintiffs deny Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign against her. Instead, they accuse Lively of taking control of It Ends With Us and working with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to damage the plaintiffs’ reputation in the press after she faced criticism for promoting the film. (Lively claims that she promoted the movie according to Sony’s marketing plan.)

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the defendants collaborated with The New York Times to release a sensational news piece that was not only untrue but also damaging. Despite this, the outlet maintains its report’s credibility. As part of a statement given to TopMob, Freedman stated that either Blake Lively was deceived by her team or she deliberately lied about the truth.

A woman presents clear evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation, only for the accused to counterattack instead of admitting wrongdoing. This is often termed as DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.

She also claimed that he responded with counterattacks after she leveled accusations towards him, asserting that Baldoni aims to change the storyline so it appears that Lively took creative control and drove the cast away from Mr. Baldoni.

It was further stated,” it proceeded, “that the cast and others had encountered unfavorable situations with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Additionally, it will be demonstrated that Sony tasked Ms. Lively to supervise their portion of the film, which they subsequently chose for distribution and went on to achieve significant success.

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

In a nutshell, their defense against sexual harassment accusations revolves around blaming the victim, implying she invited it and her clothing was to blame. However, as her legal team emphasized, this tactic is misguided. It shifts focus away from the abuse and onto the victim, and such a strategy is desperate, ineffective, and will ultimately fail since it does not disprove the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint.

In a statement, Baldoni’s attorney disclosed previously unseen footage from the set of “It Ends With Us“, asserting that the actor’s on-set behavior contradicts Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him.

According to Baldoni’s lawyers, the particular scene was intended to depict the two characters developing feelings for each other and yearning to be near one another. It’s important to note that both actors were acting appropriately within the context of the scene, demonstrating respect and professionalism towards each other.

Nevertheless, Lively’s lawyers contend that the video aligns precisely with Lively’s account in her lawsuit, asserting that each instance was spontaneously created by Baldoni without any prior conversation or approval.

In a statement provided to TopMob News, it was explained that the video depicts Ms. Lively leaning back and repeatedly requesting the characters to merely converse. Any woman who has experienced unwelcome physical contact at work may identify with Ms. Lively’s apparent unease.

 

In their ongoing case, the couple penned a note to the presiding judge, asking for Freedman, the lead attorney from Baldoni’s legal team, to be subjected to a restriction on speaking publicly. This request was made during the legal process in an attempt to prevent any unprofessional behavior.

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

He mentioned to Lively, “It’s wonderful to have friends as imaginative and innovative as them, not just because they’re among the most creative individuals globally. When the three of you are together, it’s simply incredible and hard to believe!

In the recording, it appears Baldoni also seemed to express an apology towards the actress for his less than enthusiastic response to her script. He stated, “I made a mistake. A key aspect about me is that I will acknowledge and apologize when I fall short.

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2025-01-29 22:53