Justin Baldoni recently achieved a small success in his persistent legal tussle with Blake Lively, his co-star in the movie ‘It Ends With Us’.
In a recent court decision in New York, it was determined that communications between the actress and her friend Taylor Swift are pertinent to the ongoing case. This means that Baldoni’s lawyers can review these messages as part of the discovery phase.
Yet, a restriction has been imposed on their communications, ensuring that letters exchanged by Lively and Swift remain confidential to avoid disclosure to the media.
As a diligent observer, I’ve recognized Swift as someone who might possess insights into the discourse or grievances concerning the film set atmosphere of “It Ends With Us“. This is as stated by Judge Lewis L. Liman in an order he filed on June 18, which we’ve acquired from TopMob News.
Since Lively claimed Swift was aware of concerns about the film’s work environment, among other matters, it’s reasonable to ask for messages between them about the film and this matter. This is because these messages could provide evidence to support or refute Lively’s allegations of harassment and retaliation.
Previously, Baldoni and his legal team had tried to summon Swift, whom Baldoni accused of being used by Lively to gain more control over ‘It Ends With Us’ creatively. However, after Swift’s representative stated that the singer was not involved in any casting or creative choices, Baldoni’s lawyers decided to withdraw their subpoena.
In a legal dispute, actress Lively is taking action against director Baldoni for alleged sexual harassment, claiming that he fostered an uncomfortable work atmosphere during the making of their 2024 movie. Despite Baldoni’s denial of these accusations, his counterclaim against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, was thrown out by Liman in early June. The reasoning being that Baldoni didn’t provide enough evidence to substantiate claims of defamation against the couple.
On her Instagram Stories, Lively expressed on June 9 that she has experienced, like many others, the distress of a countersuit, including the attempted humiliation intended to undermine us. Notably, the lawsuit against me was dismissed, but unfortunately, there are many who lack the means to defend themselves.
Speaking from the heart, I express my deepest admiration and gratitude to each one of you, whether our bond is known or yet to be discovered. Rest assured, this ardent fan shall forever cherish and champion your cause.
In a recent turn of events, Lively is taking legal action against Baldoni over sexual harassment claims. She alleges that during the making of their 2024 movie, Baldoni fostered an uncomfortable work environment. Despite his denial of these charges, Baldoni’s lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, was thrown out by Liman earlier in June. He explained that Baldoni did not provide sufficient evidence to prove the couple had slandered him.
On Instagram Stories, Lively expressed that she has experienced the hurt of a reprisal lawsuit, along with the artificial humiliation intended to shatter us. She posted this shortly after the dismissal of the lawsuit against her. “Though the case against me was dismissed, many others lack the means to counterattack.
She went on saying, “I am deeply thankful to those who have supported me, whether I personally know you or not. My appreciation and advocacy for you will always remain.
Simultaneously, Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, stated to TopMob News that Lively’s claim of victory is actually unfounded.
Or:
Whilst Bryan Freedman, representing Baldoni, made a statement to TopMob News, he declared Lively’s announcement of victory as baseless.
He pointed out that the issue at hand involves fabricated charges of sexual harassment and reprisal, along with an unsubstantiated smear tactic. Notably, Ms. Lively’s own team characterizes this as ‘untraceable,’ implying they can’t provide evidence for events that supposedly never transpired.
TopMob News contacted Baldoni, Swift, and Lively seeking their comments regarding the recent verdict, yet we haven’t received a response from them as of now.
For more on the legal saga between Lively and Baldoni, read on.
Four months following the theater release of the movie adaptation based on Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us”, Blake Lively reportedly submitted a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against her costar Justin Baldoni and several associates, as reported by The New York Times.
The complaint, obtained by TopMob News, named Baldoni, his production company 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.
Lively claimed in her complaint that Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates retaliated against her with a sophisticated press and digital campaign after she expressed concerns about alleged misconduct on set, stating that she and other cast and crew members were subjected to invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior by Baldoni and Heath.
The actress further stated that this alleged campaign against her caused significant harm to her personally and professionally.
The charges listed in the complaint include sexual harassment; retaliation; failing 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 released an article detailing a suspected counterattack smear operation orchestrated by Baldoni and his colleagues against Lively – backed up by her CRD complaint. In the piece, the publication shared messages from Baldoni, Abel (publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist) that were contained within her complaint. Additionally, readers had access to the court documents on The New York Times‘ website. Lively expressed to the outlet, “I hope my legal action will expose these underhanded retaliatory tactics used to harm those who speak up about misconduct, and provide protection for others who might be targeted in the future.
—Reporting by Sara Ouerfelli
Following the disclosure of Lively’s complaint, Bryan Freedman, attorney for Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their representatives, strongly refuted Lively’s claims. He stated in a New York Times article that it was regrettable for Lively and her team to make such grave and wholly untrue allegations against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives. This seemed like another desperate ploy to improve Lively’s tarnished reputation, which stemmed from her own statements and actions during the film campaign; comments and media activities that were publicly observed in real time and without editing, enabling the public to form their own opinions. Freedman argued these allegations were entirely false, excessively sensational, and intentionally crafted to cause harm and perpetuate a damaging narrative in the media.
Furthermore, Freedman defended Wayfarer’s choice to hire a crisis manager before the movie’s marketing campaign. He later clarified that Wayfarer’s representatives did not take any proactive measures nor retaliate, but only addressed incoming media inquiries to ensure accurate and fair reporting and monitored social media activity. What was notably absent from the selectively presented correspondence, according to Freedman, was proof of a lack of proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; instead, it merely revealed internal strategic discussions among public relations professionals, which is common practice in their field.
After an article by The New York Times was published on December 21, the talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) ended its association with Baldoni. This was confirmed by Ari Emanuel, CEO of the agency’s parent company Endeavor, in his interaction with the outlet.
However, it is important to clarify that Ryan Reynolds, husband of Blake Lively, was not responsible for WME’s decision to part ways with Baldoni, as later alleged by Baldoni in his lawsuit against The New York Times (more on this below).
In response to these allegations, WME, which also represents both Reynolds and Lively, stated that there was no truth to the claim that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere. They further clarified that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere, and neither Reynolds nor Lively ever exerted any pressure on Baldoni to be dropped as a client by them. This statement was made to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1.
After Lively’s CRD filing and an article in The New York Times, various notable individuals expressed their responses to her accusations against Baldoni. Among them was the author of ‘It Ends With Us’, Hoover.
On Instagram Stories on December 21st, Hoover wrote, “Blake Lively, you have always been truthful, kind, supportive and patient since our first encounter. Thank you for being exactly the person that you are. Never change. Never waver.”
Jenny Slate, who played Baldoni’s character Ryle’s sister, also expressed her support for Lively. In a statement to Today on December 23rd, she said, “As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I express my backing as she takes action against those reportedly involved in damaging her reputation.” She added, “Blake is a leader, loyal friend, and a source of emotional support for me and many others who know and appreciate her. What has been disclosed about the attack on Blake is incredibly dark, disturbing, and threatening. I commend my friend, admire her bravery, and stand by her side.”
Brandon Sklenar, a love interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom, shared a screenshot of the complaint published on The New York Times’ website and linked to the outlet, writing, “For the sake of God, read this.”
Lastly, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn declared their solidarity with her.
Liz Plank recently shared on Instagram that she is no longer co-hosting “The Man Enough Podcast”. In her post, she expressed gratitude towards the listeners for their trust, companionship, and for making the show special. She did not mention a specific reason but stated that she remains committed to the values they built together. Plank also mentioned that she will have more to share soon about the recent events, and promised to continue supporting those who speak out against injustice. This decision came shortly after Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer.
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, crisis communications specialist Nathan, and others of conspiring to harm her reputation over several months. The lawsuit claims they breached contracts, induced further contractual breaches, stole clients, and orchestrated a smear campaign against Baldoni’s film co-star, using it as an opportunity to create discord between Jones and Baldoni, and wrongly blame Jones for the campaign when she had no involvement.
Abel, who used to work at Jonesworks until last summer according to her LinkedIn profile, is accused of continuing to falsely implicate Jones now that their own misconduct is being exposed, defaming, and attacking her in the industry.
Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer Jonesworks clients, are alleged to have violated their contractual obligations with Jonesworks, refusing Jones’s attempts to resolve the dispute privately through arbitration. The news outlet TopMob News reached out to the defendants for comment.
In a statement given to Variety on December 23rd, Lively’s legal team confirmed that they obtained the texts mentioned in The New York Times article through a subpoena issued to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and Wayfarer associates, further clarified that none of his clients were served with a subpoena regarding this matter. He also stated his intention to file a lawsuit against Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s legal team.
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 lawsuit in New York against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, his company TAG, and Abel. The lawsuit accuses these defendants of sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to address harassment, assisting with harassment and retaliation, breach of contract, intentionally causing emotional distress, negligently causing emotional distress, false light invasion of privacy, and other related claims. These allegations were previously detailed in the CRD complaint Lively filed earlier that month.
In response to the lawsuit, Baldoni and his associates filed a suit against The New York Times (which does not list Lively as a defendant). In a statement to TopMob News, Lively’s attorneys clarified that this lawsuit doesn’t alter the claims made in her CRD and federal complaints. They stated that the premise of the Wayfarer lawsuit, which suggests that Lively’s administrative complaint against them was a ruse and that she had no intention to file a lawsuit against Baldoni or Wayfarer, is false. As evidence, they cited the federal complaint filed by Lively earlier that day.
In the lawsuit filed by Baldoni and his team against The New York Times, they communicated that their actions are not yet finished. According to court documents, there are other individuals who have acted unethically, and it’s important to note that this will not be their only legal action. During a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman stated that they indeed intend to file a lawsuit against Lively as well.
The conversation surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended, as some have suggested that Reynolds may have teased Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool. However, Reynolds has yet to address these rumors publicly, but Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman has shared his thoughts on the matter.
During an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show (available on YouTube as of Jan 7), Freedman stated, “If your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make fun of Justin Baldoni. You don’t make light of the situation. You take it very seriously, you file complaints through HR, and follow a legal process. What you shouldn’t do is to joke about it.
In a statement made on January 7, Ms. Lively’s legal team clarified that the ongoing federal lawsuit against Wayfarer and its associates, which alleges sexual harassment and retaliation, is not a mere disagreement or “he said/she said” scenario. Instead, they assert, the defendants have engaged in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing, and since the filing of the lawsuit, there have been additional attacks against Lively.
The legal team emphasized that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in any workplace or industry. They also warned against tactics often used to deflect such allegations, such as blaming the victim or suggesting they invited or misunderstood the conduct. These tactics serve to normalize and trivialize serious misconduct. The lawyers assured that media statements will not be a defense for their client’s claims, and they are prepared to present their case 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, obtained by TopMob News, accuses all defendants of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of good faith, interference with contractual relations, and economic advantage. Lively is specifically accused of seizing control of It Ends With Us and using it to tarnish the plaintiffs’ reputation in the press after facing criticism for her marketing of the film. The plaintiffs deny Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign against her.
In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the defendants collaborated with The New York Times to publish a sensational news report, which, unfortunately, turned out to be untrue. The media outlet has defended its report. In response to TopMob’s inquiry, Freedman stated, “Either Blake Lively was significantly deceived by her team or she deliberately misled the truth.
A woman presents clear evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the abuser tries to shift the blame onto the victim. This is known as DARVO – Deny the accusations, Attack the accuser, Reverse the roles of Victim and Offender.
Additionally, she alleged that he responded by counter-attacking after she levied accusations towards him. She claimed that Baldoni is attempting to divert attention from the fact that Lively took control of the creative aspects and reportedly estranged the cast from Mr. Baldoni.
It was further stated that the proof will reveal that both the cast members and others had unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Additionally, the evidence will demonstrate that Sony requested Ms. Lively to supervise Sony’s portion of the film, which they then distributed and achieved 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. They claim she invited it, implying it was her fault. Moreover, they justify her situation by pointing fingers at what she wore. However, as her legal team points out, this approach is desperate and does not disprove the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint. Instead, it will ultimately fall short.
In simpler terms, Baldoni’s lawyer made public additional footage taken during the making of “It Ends With Us“, stating that the actor’s behavior in the video contradicts what Miss Lively described about him.
According to Baldoni’s lawyers, the sequence under discussion was intended to portray the development of love between the two characters and their desire for intimacy. It’s important to note that both actors were acting appropriately, adhering to the requirements of the scene, and maintaining a respectful and professional demeanor throughout.
Nevertheless, Lively’s legal representatives argue that the video supports, word for word, what Ms. Lively claimed in her lawsuit. They further assert that each moment in the video was spontaneously created by Mr. Baldoni without any prior conversation or approval.
The video depicts Ms. Lively pulling back multiple times and urging the characters to simply converse, as stated to TopMob News. A situation that many women who have experienced workplace harassment may find relatable is Ms. Lively’s visible unease.
In their ongoing case, the couple wrote to the presiding judge asking for attorney Freedman, who heads Baldoni’s legal team, to be subjected to a gag order during court proceedings. This is intended to prevent any unprofessional behavior.
A seven-minute audio message supposedly sent by Baldoni to Lively during the filming of “It Ends With Us” was made public. In this recording, it seems that the director discussed the rooftop scene that Lively had rewritten and how these modifications were allegedly presented to him in a meeting with Reynolds and their friend Taylor Swift.
He said to Lively, “It’s great to have friends as remarkable and innovative as them. The trio of you is simply extraordinary, almost hard to believe!
In the recording, it appears Baldoni also seemed to express an apology to the actress for not being more supportive of her script, stating, “I made a mistake. A key aspect of my character is that I’ll own up to my mistakes and offer an apology when necessary.
Approximately one month following the submission of Lively’s formal lawsuit against Baldoni, a court hearing was scheduled for March 9, 2026.
According to reports from TopMob News, Baldoni’s legal team has updated their January 16th counter-suit filed against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane in the U.S. District Court, now also involving The New York Times.
In the revised paperwork, Baldoni claimed that Lively and her associates had been secretly working together for months, spreading untruths to The New York Times.
In a different lawsuit, it was claimed that the New York Times selectively presented certain communications, removing crucial context, and intentionally edited them in a way that was deceitful.
Baldoni set up a website detailing his legal dispute with Lively, which includes the amended complaint submitted by Baldoni’s legal team on January 31st, as well as a chronology of important events. The timeline document reportedly contains alleged screenshots of text conversations between Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni.
The website was unveiled a month following when Freedman announced that they would be making public all text messages 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 available. They believe people should form their own opinions using authentic records.
In the new court filing, Lively’s legal team asserted that two additional female crew members from the set of ‘It Ends’ had expressed discomfort due to Baldoni’s conduct on the job.
TopMob News obtained a complaint stating that it wasn’t just Ms. Lively who voiced concerns about Mr. Baldoni. Back in May of 2023, the experiences of Ms. Lively and other individuals were recorded. Crucially, contrary to the storyline Defendants have fabricated, Mr. Baldoni acknowledged these complaints in writing at the time. He was aware that women apart from Ms. Lively also felt uneasy and had spoken up about his actions.
In the revised lawsuit, the two potential witnesses who were supposedly going to testify, as mentioned by Lively, were not named because of the potentially harmful environment filled with threats, harassment, and intimidation that seemed to be instigated by the defendants’ reprisal efforts.
In an interview with TopMob, Freedman contended that the accusation was based on “flimsy secondhand information” and suggested that anonymous individuals were no longer prepared to corroborate or publicly validate her allegations.
Following Baldoni’s allegations that Sloane spread “harmful rumors” depicting him as a “sexual offender” and coordinating a “defamatory campaign” with Lively’s guidance, Sloane requested to be removed from the ongoing lawsuit by filing a motion for dismissal.
In the materials obtained by TopMob News, Sloane’s legal representative argued that there was no valid foundation for the charges leveled against their client. Instead, they claimed she was unwarrantedly drawn into the lawsuit as a tactical move to divert attention away from Lively’s allegations, suggesting it was all a smokescreen.
As an overly enthusiastic fan, I can’t help but share this exciting piece of news: Yours truly, in my relentless pursuit of justice, has enlisted Nick Shapiro, a former Deputy Chief of Staff at the CIA, to guide our legal communications strategy for the ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit unfolding in the Southern District of New York. This update was graciously bestowed upon us by a trusted member of my litigation team, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, on February 28th, as reported by Variety.
Shapiro, who served with the CIA from 2013 to 2015 during the Obama administration, subsequently took on roles as Visa’s vice president for global security and communications, followed by Airbnb’s global head of crisis management. After spending three years at the rental firm, he established his own consulting company, 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.
In response to a $400 million lawsuit involving Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane, The New York Times, currently engaged in a separate $250 million lawsuit with Baldoni, has requested the court to dismiss it from this larger legal action, as reported by TopMob News.
In the court documents, the newspaper contended that Baldoni’s team was spinning a single-perspective narrative that has attracted much attention, but it emphasized that The Times should not be involved in this disagreement.
After The New York Times asked for their case to be dismissed, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman agreed and halted the process of discovery, as reported by TopMob News based on the obtained documents.
The court granted a request for a temporary hold on the exchange of information or documents between parties, as it reviews the newspaper’s motion filed on February 28th.
In a document dated March 4, Liman indicated that The New York Times has provided “solid reasons” and “convincingly demonstrated” that their motion to dismiss could probably win on its inherent value.
The judge further stated that he doesn’t think Baldoni’s legal team would suffer an unjust disadvantage if the court chooses to delay its decision on the ongoing motion while it deliberates.
In response to TopMob News, a representative from the New York Times stated their appreciation for the court’s decision today, which upholds the vital First Amendment principles involved. The court has effectively halted Mr. Baldoni from imposing discovery demands on The Times in a lawsuit that lacked merit and should never have been filed against them.
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2025-06-19 05:18