Justin Baldoni’s countersuit against Blake Lively has seemingly come to an end.
According to court records, the actor and director of It Ends With Us failed to file an appeal by the deadline in his $400 million lawsuit against his co-star, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times. This means the case, which involved claims of defamation and extortion, is now officially closed.
Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE this! So, after that judge, Lewis J. Liman, threw out Anthony Baldoni’s lawsuit back in June, he and his studio, Wayfarer, totally dropped the ball. They didn’t even bother fixing up their complaint when they were supposed to, and the deadline passed! And it gets worse – the court asked them why they shouldn’t just finalize everything and officially close the case by October 17th, and they… just didn’t respond! Can you believe it? It’s like they just gave up! I’ve been following this SO closely and I just can’t understand what they were thinking!
Even after the judge’s decision on October 31st, Baldoni can still appeal. This will happen after the court decides whether Lively will be reimbursed for her legal costs, according to reports.
Although the legal battle involving Baldoni has concluded, his conflict with Lively is still ongoing. Lively is suing her former coworker, claiming he sexually harassed her during the filming of a 2024 romantic movie and then tried to damage her reputation by hiring a public relations firm to spread negative information. Baldoni denies these accusations, and the case is scheduled to go to trial in March 2026.
In October, the New York Times also sued Baldoni, seeking financial penalties to cover the costs of his response to their initial lawsuit. This countersuit stemmed from an article the Times published about his dispute with Lively, but Baldoni plans to defend himself in court.
Regardless of the outcome, we won’t back down to those trying to influence us, even when things look hopeless,” Bryan Freedman, his lawyer, said in a statement to People magazine. “We remain steadfast because we are committed to finding the truth, even when facing powerful opposition.
For a closer look at the It Ends With Us saga, keep reading…
Four months after the movie version of Colleen Hoover’s book It Ends With Us came out, Blake Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) on December 20th, according to The New York Times. The complaint alleges misconduct by her co-star Justin Baldoni and several people associated with his production company, Wayfarer Studios.
The complaint, obtained by TopMob News, names Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, its CEO Jamey Heath, cofounder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel and her company RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan and her company The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace and his company Street Relations Inc. as defendants.
Lively claims that Baldoni and those connected to Wayfarer launched a deliberate campaign to discredit her after she raised concerns about what she describes as invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior by Baldoni and Heath on set. She states that both she and other members of the cast and crew experienced this behavior.
The actress asserts that this alleged campaign caused significant personal and professional damage. The complaint details accusations of sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to address harassment, aiding and abetting harassment, breach of contract, intentional emotional distress, negligence, invasion of privacy, and interference with her future career opportunities.
The following day, The New York Times published a story detailing a campaign allegedly orchestrated by Baldoni and his team to discredit Lively, referencing the complaint she filed with the CRD. The article included messages from Baldoni, his publicist Abel, and crisis communications specialist Nathan, all of which were part of Lively’s complaint. Readers could access the full court documents directly on The New York Times website. Lively told the publication, “I hope my lawsuit exposes these harmful retaliatory tactics and protects others who might be targeted for speaking out about wrongdoing.”
Following Blake Lively’s public complaint, Bryan Freedman, the lawyer representing Antonio Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, strongly refuted her claims. In a statement to The New York Times, Freedman called Lively’s accusations “shameful” and “categorically false,” characterizing them as a desperate attempt to repair her own reputation after making controversial remarks during the film’s promotion. He argued that Lively’s statements were based on publicly available, unedited interviews and press appearances that sparked online discussion. Freedman insisted the claims were intentionally exaggerated and meant to damage Baldoni and Wayfarer’s reputations.
Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s decision to hire a crisis manager, explaining that this happened before the film’s marketing campaign began. He further stated that Wayfarer only responded to media inquiries and monitored social media, ensuring accurate reporting. He emphasized that the released correspondence only showed internal planning and strategy – standard practice for public relations professionals – and didn’t prove any proactive or retaliatory actions were taken.
Following the publication of a New York Times article on December 21st, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) ended its relationship with director Justin Baldoni, as confirmed by Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME’s parent company, Endeavor.
WME refuted claims that Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively’s husband, was responsible for the decision, despite Baldoni alleging pressure from Reynolds in a lawsuit against The New York Times.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1st, WME stated that Baldoni’s claim of Reynolds pressuring his agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere is false. WME confirmed that Baldoni’s former representative wasn’t even at the premiere and that neither Reynolds nor Lively ever pressured the agency to drop Baldoni as a client.
Following Blake Lively’s legal complaint and a report in The New York Times, several well-known figures publicly voiced their support. Colleen Hoover, author of It Ends With Us, posted on Instagram thanking Lively for her honesty, kindness, and patience, and encouraged others to read The New York Times article. Jenny Slate, who played a sister to Lively’s character, stated she stood with Lively, praising her as a leader, loyal friend, and source of support. Slate described the revealed attack on Lively as “terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening” and commended her bravery. Brandon Sklenar, a co-star, shared a link to the complaint on The New York Times website, urging people to read it. Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars – America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn – also expressed their solidarity with her.
On December 23rd, Liz Plank announced she was leaving The Man Enough Podcast, which she co-hosted with Justin Baldoni and Heath. In an Instagram post, she thanked listeners for their trust and support, saying she would miss the community they had built together over the past four years. While Plank didn’t explain her reasons for leaving, her departure came shortly after Blake Lively publicly accused Baldoni and others at Wayfarer of inappropriate behavior. Plank expressed her continued commitment to the values the podcast represented and stated that ‘we all deserve better.’ She also indicated she would share more information later and would continue to support those who speak out against injustice and hold people accountable.
Stephanie Jones, a former publicist for actor Baldoni, and her firm Jonesworks LLC, have filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, and current publicists Abel and Nathan. The suit, filed in New York on December 24th, claims Abel and Nathan secretly worked together for months to damage Jones and Jonesworks’ reputation, break contracts, and steal clients. According to the lawsuit, they coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch a negative media campaign against Baldoni’s co-star, then falsely blamed Jones for the campaign when she was unaware of it. Abel previously worked at Jonesworks until last summer. The lawsuit further alleges that Abel and Nathan are now attempting to deflect blame onto Jones as their own actions are revealed, and are continuing to harm her professional reputation. Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer clients of Jonesworks, are accused of violating their contractual obligations and refusing to resolve the dispute through private arbitration. TopMob News has reached out to those named in the lawsuit for comment.
According to a December 23rd report in Variety, Lively’s lawyers obtained the text messages published in The New York Times through a legal request to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and those connected to Wayfarer, stated that none of his clients were asked to provide information in this case. He also plans to sue Jones for sharing messages from Abel’s phone with Lively’s legal team.
On December 31st, Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, and Street Relations filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times. The suit claims the newspaper falsely reported on a supposed retaliatory campaign the plaintiffs conducted against an actress, identified as Lively, after she raised concerns about potential misconduct on set.
The plaintiffs allege libel, invasion of privacy, fraud, and breach of contract, arguing the Times based its article on a complaint filed by Lively and presented accusations and messages out of context. They claim the newspaper relied heavily on Lively’s account while ignoring evidence that contradicted her claims and revealed her true motivations, asserting that Lively, not them, was the one who engaged in a smear campaign.
The New York Times stated it intends to vigorously defend the lawsuit, maintaining that its reporting was meticulous, responsible, and based on a thorough review of thousands of documents, including accurately quoted text messages and emails.
That day, Lively filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Entertainment, Heath Meldrum, Sarowitz Media, the production company It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan and his company TAG, and Abel in New York.
The lawsuit, details of which were obtained by TopMob News, alleges sexual harassment, retaliation, and a failure to properly investigate and address harassment. It also includes claims of aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation, breach of contract, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy.
These allegations were initially outlined in a complaint Lively filed with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) earlier in the month.
Regarding Baldoni’s lawsuit against The New York Times (which did not name Lively as a defendant), Lively’s attorneys stated to TopMob that her claims remain unchanged. They argued that Baldoni’s lawsuit falsely claims Lively’s CRD complaint was a tactic to avoid suing him and that she never intended to pursue legal action. They emphasized that her recently filed federal complaint proves this claim is untrue.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit against The New York Times, led by Baldoni, have indicated they intend to pursue further legal action. Court documents reveal they believe others were also involved and that this won’t be their only lawsuit. In a January 2nd interview with NBC News, Baldoni and their attorney, Freedman, confirmed they definitely plan to sue Lively as well.
The controversy surrounding Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni continued to unfold online. Some social media users suggested that Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, subtly referenced Baldoni in his upcoming film, Deadpool & Wolverine, through the character Nicepool. While Reynolds hasn’t addressed these claims, Baldoni’s attorney, Freedman, did speak out. In an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show (posted on YouTube January 7th), Freedman stated that if someone’s wife experiences sexual harassment, the appropriate response isn’t to make fun of the person involved. Instead, he emphasized the importance of taking the situation seriously, filing formal complaints, and following proper legal procedures, rather than turning it into a joke.
Lively’s legal team stated that since she filed her lawsuit, she has faced increased negative attacks. They emphasized that her case, which alleges sexual harassment and retaliation, is based on solid evidence and is not a simple disagreement or a matter of differing opinions. According to the complaint, Wayfarer and those connected to it allegedly engaged in a deliberate campaign to discredit Lively after she attempted to ensure a safe environment on a film set. The lawyers claim the response to the lawsuit has been to intensify these attacks.
They stressed that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal everywhere and warned against common tactics used to deflect blame, such as accusing the victim or portraying them as the aggressor. They argued that these methods downplay serious misconduct. The lawyers also made clear that public statements won’t excuse any wrongdoing and that they intend to pursue the case fully in court.
Responding to the accusations, Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Freedman, told TopMob that it was ironic Blake Lively was claiming he used the media to his advantage, considering her team had sent heavily edited documents to the New York Times even before filing their complaint. He added that they would be releasing evidence showing a pattern of bullying and threats aimed at taking control of the film, consistent with Lively’s past behavior of using others to deliver threats and get her way. He stated they have proof to support these claims.
On January 16th, Heath Baldoni, Wayfarer, publicist Abel, crisis communication specialist Nathan, and the production company It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s firm, Vision PR.
The suit, obtained by TopMob News, alleges civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy against all defendants. Lively and Reynolds are also accused of breaching an implied agreement to act in good faith and of interfering with business contracts and potential economic benefits.
The plaintiffs deny Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign, claiming she took control of the film It Ends With Us and, with the help of Reynolds, Sloane, and others, launched a negative press campaign after facing criticism for her film marketing. Lively maintains she followed Sony’s marketing plan.
The lawsuit further alleges the defendants collaborated with The New York Times to publish a damaging and false news report, though the newspaper stands by its reporting.
Freedman, representing the plaintiffs, stated that Blake Lively was either misinformed by her team or deliberately misrepresented the truth.
Lively’s lawyers have responded to a lawsuit filed against her, calling it a typical tactic used by abusers. They claim Baldoni is attempting to portray her as the problem, alleging she took control of the project and caused issues with the cast – a strategy they identify as DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.
According to Lively’s team, the evidence will demonstrate that others also had negative experiences with Baldoni and the production company. They also state that Sony specifically asked Lively to oversee the final cut of the film, which ultimately proved successful.
Her lawyers strongly criticized Baldoni’s reaction to the harassment allegations, accusing him of blaming Lively and focusing on her actions instead of addressing the abuse. They claim his defense amounts to victim-blaming and will not disprove the evidence supporting Lively’s claims.
Attorneys for actor Justin Baldoni have released footage from the filming of It Ends With Us, arguing it proves he did not behave inappropriately, as alleged by his co-star Blake Lively. They state the scene was intended to depict a loving connection between the characters and that both actors acted professionally and respectfully.
Lively’s lawyers, however, disagree, claiming the video actually supports her account of the events. They insist that Baldoni’s actions were unscripted and taken without her prior agreement. According to Lively’s team, the footage shows her visibly uncomfortable and repeatedly asking to simply rehearse the dialogue. They believe any woman who has experienced similar harassment will recognize her distress.
The couple sent a letter to the judge asking that the lead lawyer for the other side, Freedman, be prohibited from speaking publicly about the case. They want to prevent any unfair or inappropriate actions that could affect the legal process.
A seven-minute voice memo reportedly sent by director Baldoni to actress Lively during the making of It Ends With Us surfaced online. In the memo, Baldoni seemed to discuss a rooftop scene Lively had revised and how those changes were brought to him during a meeting with Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and their friend, Taylor Swift. He praised their collaborative creativity, saying, “The three of you together, it’s unbelievable.”
Baldoni also appeared to apologize for not initially being enthusiastic about Lively’s script, admitting, “I f—ked up. I’ll admit and apologize when I fail.”
A court date of March 9, 2026, was scheduled one month after Lively officially sued Baldoni.
According to documents obtained by TopMob News, Chaz Baldoni has updated his lawsuit against Hunter Lively, her team, and her PR firm, Vision PR, to now include The New York Times. Baldoni claims Lively and her colleagues spent months working together to spread false information to the newspaper. The updated filing alleges that The New York Times selectively used and changed communications, removing important context and deliberately editing them to be misleading.
Baldoni published a website detailing his lawsuit against Lively, including the updated legal complaint and a chronological overview of key events. This overview featured what Baldoni claimed were screenshots of text conversations between Lively, Reynolds, and himself.
This website went live just a month after Baldoni’s legal team announced plans to publicly release all text messages between the parties involved.
In an interview with NBC News on January 2nd, Baldoni’s lawyer stated their goal was to present all the evidence so the public could form their own opinions based on the facts.
Lively’s lawyers have updated her lawsuit, stating that two other women who worked on the movie It Ends With Us also felt uneasy about Baldoni’s behavior on set.
The updated lawsuit, which TopMob News has seen, asserts that Lively wasn’t the only one to complain about Baldoni. It claims these experiences, including those of the other women, were recorded starting in May 2023, and that Baldoni acknowledged the complaints in writing at the time.
The lawsuit doesn’t reveal the names of these two witnesses, citing a climate of threats and harassment caused by the defendants’ response to Lively’s claims.
Baldoni’s attorney, Freedman, responded by calling the lawsuit full of unreliable hearsay and suggesting the unnamed women are no longer willing to support Lively’s accusations.
Following accusations by Baldoni that Sloane spread false and damaging rumors painting him as a “sexual predator” and ran a coordinated effort to harm his reputation, guided by Lively, Sloane requested the court to dismiss the lawsuit.
According to legal documents obtained by TopMob News, Sloane’s lawyer claims the accusations against her are baseless and that she was unfairly included in the lawsuit as a tactic to divert attention from the claims against Lively.
Lively has hired Nick Shapiro, a former Deputy Chief of Staff for the CIA, to help with the legal strategy for the sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit currently happening in New York. This information was shared with Variety on February 28th by a member of Lively’s legal team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher.
From 2013 to 2015, Shapiro worked at the CIA during the Obama administration. He later held leadership positions at Visa and Airbnb, overseeing global security, communications, and crisis management. After three years at Airbnb, he started his own consulting company, 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.
According to documents received by TopMob News, The New York Times has asked a court to dismiss them from the $400 million lawsuit, which also involves Lively, Baldoni, and the company Sloane and Sloane.
In a court filing, the newspaper claimed that Baldoni’s team was presenting a biased account that had attracted significant media attention, but insisted The Times shouldn’t be involved in the conflict. According to court documents obtained by Deadline, The New York Times‘ lawyers also pointed out that Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer initially sued them for $250 million, but that lawsuit was dropped when they were added to a larger $400 million suit.
A U.S. District judge has temporarily paused the exchange of information in a case brought against The New York Times. Judge Lewis J. Liman granted the newspaper’s request to halt discovery while he considers their motion to dismiss the case, according to documents obtained by TopMob News.
The judge stated that The New York Times presented a strong argument that their motion to dismiss is likely to be successful and that delaying discovery wouldn’t unfairly harm the opposing side.
In a statement, a New York Times spokesperson said they were pleased with the court’s decision, which acknowledges the important First Amendment principles involved and prevents what they believe is an unwarranted case from moving forward with burdensome requests for information.
Following accusations from Baldoni that Lively was using her friendship with Taylor Swift to gain more say in the film adaptation of It Ends With Us – and after Baldoni’s lawyers attempted to subpoena Swift – a spokesperson for the singer responded.
A spokesperson confirmed to TopMob News on May 9th that Taylor Swift had no involvement in the movie. They stated she wasn’t part of the casting process, didn’t contribute to the music, and never reviewed any version of the film.
Taylor Swift allowed the film to use her song, ‘My Tears Ricochet,’ explained her representative. They believe this legal request for documents isn’t about the actual case, but rather an attempt to generate publicity by using Taylor Swift’s name to attract media attention, just like many other artists who licensed music for the film.
Baldoni’s attorneys withdrew their request later that month, per Lively’s legal team.
The judge dismissed the lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, their publicist Sloane, Sloane’s company Vision PR, and The New York Times. The judge determined that Baldoni and his lawyers didn’t provide enough evidence to support claims of defamation or civil extortion.
After the lawsuit against her was dropped, Lively spoke on Instagram about how damaging these kinds of cases can be. She explained that while she was able to win, many people don’t have the money or support to defend themselves when they’re unfairly sued.
She expressed her love and thanks to everyone who supported her, both those she knew and those she didn’t. She promised to always be grateful for and fight for them.
Baldoni’s lawyer told TopMob News that Lively’s claim of winning is untrue.
The lawyer stated this case centers around false claims of sexual harassment, subsequent retaliation, and a fabricated attempt to damage Ms. Lively’s reputation. He pointed out that Ms. Lively’s legal team themselves admit the alleged smear campaign can’t be verified, because it simply didn’t occur.
Blake Lively gave a deposition at her lawyers’ office in New York. While some news outlets described it as a tense confrontation with Jason Baldoni, her legal team quickly challenged reports suggesting she required a large group of witnesses to be present.
According to Lively’s lawyer, Baldoni was present in the room with the other people she was suing, and their lawyers, too.
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2025-11-02 21:19