Blake Lively's Surprising Revelations About Working with Paul Feig Revealed!

Blake Lively is sharing her simple truth about working with Paul Feig.

Despite being engrossed in her legal dispute with “It Ends With Us” director Justin Baldoni, she momentarily stepped away from the drama to attend the premiere of “Another Simple Favor” at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival on March 7.

Within the cinema, the 37-year-old enthusiastically discussed working with Paul on the follow-up to A Simple Favor.

Speaking on stage, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Blake expressed his deep affection for this character, saying it’s likely his all-time favorite role he’s had the privilege to portray. He added that when Paul invited them to return, his excitement knew no bounds.

She shared that she was quite anxious during the initial attempt as they weren’t certain whether they were creating a drama or a comedy. They sought advice from Paul, who simply responded with a yes. However, his response didn’t exactly address their query, yet everything turned out just fine in the end.

Excitingly enough, it turns out that Paul has planned another delightful twist for the sequel, featuring none other than Anna Kendrick and Henry Golding. You’ll be able to catch this on Amazon Prime Video from May 1st. I, for one, can hardly wait!

She reminisced, “‘Alright, no jitters, I’ve got this now,’ she thought to herself. But just as filming was about to commence, he suggested a surprise twist, which unfortunately I can’t disclose here, as we wouldn’t want to spoil it.

However, the former Gossip Girl star followed through with her director’s unforeseen concept, a notion she humorously referred to as “self-inflicted torment,” when it was displayed on the cinema screen.

Blake pointed out that it significantly intensified the situation. Watching it unfold in this theater with everyone here was quite unsettling for him.

Lately, Blake has been engaged in an ongoing dispute with director Justin following her filing of a lawsuit in December, claiming he retaliated against her after she spoke out about his alleged sexual harassment incidents during the production of the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book.

Beyond refuting the accusations, Justin additionally initiated a lawsuit in response to Blake and her spouse Ryan Reynolds, alleging that they orchestrated a malicious campaign against him. This couple, who are parents to James (9 years), Inez (8 years), Betty (5 years), and Olin (2 years old), are the targets of this accusation.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, I must share an intriguing update: Although Blake has been somewhat absent from the public eye amidst her ongoing affairs, she recently reappeared on the red carpet at the SNL 50 event in New York, accompanied by Ryan. During the Feb. 16 show, the charismatic Deadpool actor seemed to inject a touch of humor into the legal drama by making a witty remark. When queried about how things were going, Ryan playfully retorted, “Great. Why? What have you heard?

For more on the couple’s legal battle against Justin, read on.

Four months following the theater release of Colleen Hoover’s book adaptation “It Ends With Us,” I, Blake Lively, submitted a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against my costar 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 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.

In the complaint, I alleged that Baldoni and Wayfarer associates “launched a calculated press and digital campaign in retaliation” for my expressing concerns about alleged misconduct on set. I stated that myself and other cast and crew members were subjected to invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior by Baldoni and Heath.

I further claimed that this alleged campaign against me caused “significant harm” to both my personal and professional life.

The charges listed in the complaint include sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to investigate, prevent, and/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 a report detailing accusations of a counterattack smear operation orchestrated by Baldoni and his colleagues against Lively, referring to her CRD complaint. In their article, they shared messages sent from Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist) – all mentioned in her complaint. The newspaper’s website provided access to the court documents as well. Lively expressed her hope that this legal action would shed light on these underhanded retaliatory strategies used against those who expose misconduct, and offer protection for others potentially targeted in similar situations.

Following the disclosure of Lively’s complaint, Bryan Freedman, attorney for Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their representatives, strongly criticized Lively’s allegations. In a statement on The New York Times website, he stated, “It is regrettable that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such grave and entirely unfounded accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives, as another desperate attempt to improve her tarnished reputation, which stemmed from her own remarks and actions during the film’s campaign; interviews and press activities that were publicly available and unedited, enabling the internet to form its own views and opinions. These claims are entirely false, excessive, deliberately sensational, and intended to harm and perpetuate a narrative in the media.”

Freedman also justified Wayfarer’s hiring of a crisis manager, explaining that this was done before the movie’s promotional campaign. Later, he added, “The representatives of Wayfarer Studios took no proactive measures nor retaliated, only responding to incoming media inquiries to ensure accurate and factual reporting and monitoring social activity. What is notably absent from the selectively presented correspondence is evidence that there were no proactive measures taken with the media or otherwise; just internal strategic planning and private communication, which is standard practice for public relations professionals.

After an article published by The New York Times on December 21, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) terminated their relationship with Baldoni. Ari Emanuel, CEO of the agency’s parent company Endeavor, confirmed this to the outlet. However, it’s important to note that WME denies any involvement from Ryan Reynolds in their decision to part ways with Baldoni, a claim later made by Baldoni in his lawsuit against The New York Times. In his statement to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1, WME clarified that there was no pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time for them to drop Baldoni as a client. Moreover, Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere where this alleged incident took place.

After Lively’s CRD filing and an article in The New York Times, various notable figures voiced their support for her allegations against Baldoni. For instance, author Hoover expressed her backing on Instagram Stories, saying, “Blake Lively, you have always been honest, kind, supportive, and patient since the day we met.” She continued, “Thank you for being exactly who you are. Never change. Never wilt.”

Similarly, Jenny Slate, who portrayed Baldoni’s character Ryle’s sister, also expressed her solidarity with Lively. In a statement to Today on December 23, she stated, “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.” Slate went on to say, “Blake is a leader, loyal friend, and trusted source of emotional support for 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—shared a link to The New York Times article on his social media, writing, “For the love of God, read this.” Lastly, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn expressed their solidarity with her as well.

Liz Plank recently announced her departure from “The Man Enough Podcast,” which she co-hosted with Baldoni and Heath, on December 23. In a message to her followers on Instagram, she expressed gratitude for the trust placed in her by listeners and for the community they built together over the past four years. Although Plank did not specify her reasons for leaving, her decision came shortly after Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer.

Plank emphasized that she remains dedicated to the values they fostered together as a community and thanked everyone for their support. She also mentioned that she will share more updates soon as she works through recent events and continues to stand with those who call out injustice and hold accountable those who obstruct progress.

Previously employed publicist of Baldoni, Stephanie Jones, along with her agency Jonesworks LLC, have taken legal action against Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel, and crisis communications specialist Nathan in New York on December 24th. The lawsuit states that Abel and Nathan orchestrated a secret plan for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and her agency, breach contracts, induce contractual breaches, and steal clients and business opportunities.

Behind Jones’ back, they coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to execute a smear campaign against one of Baldoni’s film co-stars, using the ensuing crisis as an opportunity to create a rift between Jones and Baldoni, and falsely blame Jones for the campaign when she had no involvement in it.

According to Abel’s LinkedIn profile, she worked at Jonesworks until last summer. The lawsuit claims that Abel and Nathan have been falsely accusing Jones in the industry now that their own misconduct is being exposed.

Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer clients of Jonesworks, allegedly breached their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refused Jones’ attempts to settle this dispute privately through arbitration.

TopMob News reached out to the defendants for comment.

In a statement given to Variety on December 23rd, Lively’s legal team revealed they acquired 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 clarified that none of his clients were served a subpoena regarding this matter. He also expressed his intention to sue Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s legal team.

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 for an article about a supposed retaliatory smear campaign the plaintiffs conducted against Lively, following her voicing concerns about misconduct on set.

The plaintiffs claim that the report was false and based solely on Lively’s complaint to the CRD. They further deny the accusations, alleging that messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context.

The lawsuit claims that The New York Times “relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative,” while ignoring evidence contradicting her claims and exposing her true motives. It also alleges that it was Lively, not the plaintiffs, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign, which she has since denied.

In response, The New York Times has stated it plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.” The newspaper claims its story was thoroughly and responsibly reported, based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails quoted accurately in the article.

That very 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 show that she’s charging the defendants with sexual harassment, retaliation, not addressing harassment, aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation, breach of contract, causing emotional distress intentionally or negligently, false light invasion of privacy, and other related charges. These allegations were initially detailed in the CRD complaint she filed earlier in the month. In response to this lawsuit, Baldoni and his associates counter-sued _The New York Times_ (who are not named as defendants in her suit), but Lively’s lawyers clarified to TopMob that “the contents of this lawsuit don’t alter anything about the claims” in her CRD and federal complaints. They added, “This lawsuit is based on the misleading assumption that Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a deception, and that ‘litigation was never her ultimate goal.’ However, as demonstrated by the federal complaint filed by Lively today, this perspective on the Wayfarer lawsuit is incorrect.

In their lawsuit against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team have made it clear that they have not finished their legal actions. As the court documents indicate, there are more parties involved in this matter, and they are prepared for additional lawsuits, with Lively seemingly a potential target.

As a lifestyle expert, I can’t help but notice the ongoing conversation surrounding Baldoni and Lively. For instance, some social media users have suggested that Reynolds may have joked about Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

Now, Reynolds hasn’t openly addressed these speculations, but Baldoni’s legal representative, Freedman, has shared his thoughts on the matter. In a recent interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, posted to YouTube on January 7, Freedman stated:

“In my opinion, if your wife experiences sexual harassment, you don’t poke fun at Justin Baldoni. You don’t make light of the situation. Instead, you prioritize action. File HR complaints, raise the issue, and follow due process. What you definitely don’t do is make a mockery of it and turn it into a joke.

In a statement made on January 7, Ms. Lively’s legal team explained that her lawsuit against the Southern District of New York concerns severe accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation, substantiated by solid evidence. This is not a petty dispute born from creative disagreements or hearsay; rather, it’s an unlawful campaign of astroturfing (orchestrated attacks) against Ms. Lively, who was merely defending herself and others on a film set, as stated in her lawsuit. Since she filed the lawsuit, there have been more instances of these attacks against her.

As they proceed with the legal process, her lawyers encourage everyone to bear in mind that sexual harassment and retaliation are unacceptable in all workplaces and industries. A common strategy to divert attention from such misconduct allegations is to vilify the victim by implying that they welcomed or instigated the behavior, or were mistaken about the intentions. Another tactic is to reverse the roles of the offender and the victim. Such tactics serve to normalize and trivialize serious misconduct claims. They also emphasized that media statements are not a defense against her allegations and reiterated their commitment to pursue her claims in court.

On January 16th, Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, publicist Abel, crisis communication specialist Nathan, and It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit in New York against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane (Lively’s publicist), and Sloane’s firm Vision PR. The plaintiffs accuse all defendants of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of good faith, intentional and negligent interference with business relationships, and damaging their reputation by portraying them negatively in the media. Specifically, the suit denies Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a smear campaign against her, stating that she seized control of It Ends With Us and used Reynolds, Sloane, and others to tarnish the plaintiffs’ reputation after facing criticism for promoting the film. (Lively stated in her filings that she promoted the movie according to Sony’s marketing plan.)

In the court case, it’s claimed that the defendants colluded with The New York Times to publish a sensational yet untrue news story. The media outlet maintains its report is accurate.

In response to TopMob, Freedman stated, “Either Blake Lively was deceived by her team or she intentionally lied about the truth.

In a statement to TopMob News, Lively’s legal team labeled his lawsuit as “just another tactic in an abuser’s playbook.” Essentially, they explained that this scenario is familiar: A woman presents evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the accused tries to counter-attack the accuser. This strategy, according to experts, is often referred to as DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.

She additionally stated that Baldoni retaliated against her accusations by turning the tables, suggesting that Lively usurped creative control and alienated the cast from him.)

It was further explained, “The proof will make clear that both the cast and others had unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Moreover, it will be demonstrated that Sony assigned Ms. Lively to supervise their portion of the film, which they later chose for distribution and achieved considerable success.

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

In response to sexual harassment accusations against them, they shifted blame towards the victim, claiming she encouraged it or it was her fault. Moreover, their explanation for the incident involved criticizing what the victim wore. To summarize, while the victim is dealing with the abuse, the abuser targets the victim. This strategy of blaming the woman is a desperate attempt to avoid accountability, as it does not discredit the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint and will ultimately fail.

Baldoni’s attorney shared exclusive backstage clips from the making of “It Ends With Us“, stating that the actor’s behavior in the footage contradicts Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him.

In a released statement, I, as Baldoni’s representative, expressed that the particular moment was skillfully crafted to depict the blossoming love between the two characters, a desire for emotional connection that resonates deeply. It is crucial to note that both actors are delivering their performances authentically, adhering to the requirements of the scene while maintaining a strong sense of mutual respect and professionalism throughout.

Nevertheless, Lively’s legal representatives argue that the video aligns precisely with what Ms. Livel claimed in her lawsuit, asserting that every instance depicted was spontaneously created by Mr. Baldoni without any prior consultation or approval.

The video depicts Miss Lively pulling back and persistently requesting that the characters converse instead, as stated to TopMob News. Any female worker who has experienced unwanted physical contact can relate to Miss Lively’s unease.

In simpler terms, they wrote to the judge managing their case asking him to silence Freedman, who leads Baldoni’s legal team, during the trial to prevent any inappropriate behavior.

A seven-minute audio message that supposedly came from Baldoni was made public, which seems to have been sent to Lively while they were working on It Ends With Us. In this recording, the director appears to discuss the movie’s rooftop scene, a version of which Lively had rewritten. He also mentions a meeting he supposedly had with Reynolds and their acquaintance Taylor Swift regarding these changes.

He shared with Lively, “It’s fantastic to have friends as inventive as them, who just happen to be among the most creative individuals worldwide. The trio of you is simply astounding!

In the recording, it appears Baldoni additionally expressed 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 four weeks following the submission of Lively’s legal action against Baldoni, a court hearing was scheduled for March 9, 2026.

According to reports from TopMob News, Baldoni’s legal team has updated their countersuit filed against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane in the U.S. District Court on January 16th. This amendment now also involves The New York Times.

In the revised paperwork, Baldoni alleged that Lively and her associates were involved in a secret agreement for several months, spreading misinformation to The New York Times.

As a devoted follower, I’d rephrase it this way: In a separate matter from the $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, I found myself in a position where I had to accuse them of selectively choosing and manipulating communications, removing crucial context, and then skillfully editing these exchanges to mislead.

As an over-the-moon fanatic, I’m excitedly sharing that Baldoni has crafted a digital haven brimming with details about his lawsuit against Lively. His legal team submitted the first amended complaint on January 31, and this website also unveils a chronology of significant events. The timeline includes, among other intriguing tidbits, purportedly leaked screenshots of text conversations between Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni.

The website was unveiled a month following when Freedman announced that they intended to publish every single text message exchanged between the two parties.

In a January interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s lawyer expressed their desire for transparency: “We wish for all relevant documents to be accessible. We believe decisions should be made based on tangible evidence, such as receipts.

legal representatives for Lively submitted a revised lawsuit, alleging that two other female crew members from the film “It End” expressed discomfort due to Baldoni’s on-set conduct.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it like this: “I can confirm that I wasn’t the only one voicing concerns about Mr. Baldoni, as reported by TopMob News. The experiences shared by myself and others, dating back to May 2023, were meticulously recorded at the time they unfolded. Crucially, contrary to the rosy picture Defendants have painted, Mr. Baldoni was made aware in writing of these complaints about his behavior. He understood that there were other women, apart from myself, who felt uneasy with his actions.

In the revised lawsuit, the two potential witnesses mentioned by Lively were not explicitly identified because of the potentially harmful environment filled with threats, harassment, and intimidation allegedly instigated by the defendants’ reprisal efforts.

In an interview with TopMob, Freedman asserted that the accusation was full of “flimsy second-hand information” and suggested that the anonymous individuals initially involved are no longer prepared to step forward or back up her allegations in public.

Following Baldoni’s claims that Sloane spread “harmful rumors” and was running a “defamatory campaign” on Lively’s behalf, portraying him as a sexual offender, Sloane requested to be dismissed from the ongoing lawsuit.

According to documents acquired by TopMob News, Sloane’s legal representative argued that there was no legitimate ground for the charges brought against their client and claimed she was unfairly drawn into the lawsuit as part of a strategy to divert attention away from Lively’s allegations, using her as a smokescreen.

Nick Shapiro, previously Deputy Chief of Staff at the CIA, was recently hired by Lively to provide counsel on the legal communication strategy for the ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in the Southern District of New York. This was confirmed by a member of her litigation team from Willkie Farr & Gallagher to Variety on February 28th.

Shapiro, who served for the CIA from 2013 to 2015 during the Obama administration, subsequently held positions as Vice President of Global Security and Communications at Visa, and then as Airbnb’s Global Head of Crisis Management. After spending three years with the rental company, he established his own consulting firm, 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.

TopMob News has reportedly obtained documents showing that The New York Times, currently involved in a $250 million lawsuit with Baldoni, has filed a motion to be released from a separate $400 million lawsuit that additionally involves Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane. In simpler terms, The New York Times wants out of the second, larger lawsuit while still dealing with the first one.

The newspaper contends in its submission that Baldoni’s team is narrating a one-sided story that has attracted numerous news headlines. However, it asserts that The Times should not be involved in this conflict.

After The New York Times requested dismissal, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman agreed and put a hold on the discovery process, as reported by TopMob News based on acquired documents.

The court granted the filing’s request for a temporary pause on information/document exchanges between parties, after reviewing the newspaper’s motion dated February 28th.

In a document dated March 4, Liman expressed that The New York Times (NYT) has provided “solid reasons” and demonstrated a “strong argument” suggesting that their motion to dismiss could be granted based on its merits.

Additionally, the judge mentioned that he doesn’t think Baldoni’s legal team would be unduly disadvantaged if proceedings were temporarily halted while the court considers the outstanding motion.

In an interview with TopMob News, a representative from the New York Times stated their gratitude for today’s court decision, as it upholds the significant First Amendment rights involved. The court has now prevented Mr. Baldoni from imposing discovery requests on The Times in a lawsuit that was inappropriately filed against them.

2025-03-08 06:19

Blake Lively’s Surprising Revelations About Working with Paul Feig Revealed!

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