The It Ends With Us legal saga wages on.
In the midst of the ongoing courtroom dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, Marvel has asked for their involvement in the case to be dismissed. This comes after Justin alleged that Ryan Reynolds, Blake’s husband, crafted the “Nicepool” character – a spin-off of Deadpool and Wolverine – as a means to tease him.
In an April 25th letter addressed to Judge Lewis J. Liman, the company requested the court to nullify (or void) the subpoena served on Marvel by Justin’s company Wayfarer Parties and also to establish a protective order that would prevent any party or third party in this case from disclosing Marvel’s confidential documents. This information was obtained from court records by TopMob News on April 29th.
In another part of the letter, the studio asked the court to delay the due date for responding to the subpoena and related document requests until after the court has made a decision on Ryan Reynolds’ motion to dismiss the counterclaim.
In the days that followed, I, a passionate admirer, penned my own missive to Honorable Judge Liman on behalf of Justin’s legal eagles. They claimed that our conversation over the phone with Marvel’s counsel on April 7th about their objections seemed to lead nowhere.
In the April 28th letter, Baldoni’s lawyers stated (as reported by People), “Despite our sincere efforts to address Marvel’s supposed issues with confidentiality and relevance, Marvel’s legal team cut us off, choosing not to participate in that conversation.
TopMob News has reached out to reps for Blake and Justin for comment but has not heard back.
In January, Justin’s legal team sent a request for documentation to both Bob Iger, Disney’s president, and Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios’ president, regarding any materials involving the actress from “Jane the Virgin” as well as all proof related to or indicating a deliberate effort to ridicule, harass, intimidate, or bully Baldoni through the character of Nicepool. This request also included any evidence of Nicepool’s character development that was meant to mock or reflect negatively on Baldoni.
At the 2025 TIME100 Gala where she received an honor, Blake also made an unusual public statement regarding the ongoing legal proceedings.
At the April 24 gathering, she expressed, “There’s a lot I want to share regarding the past two years of my life, but this isn’t the appropriate setting for it tonight.
Lively and Baldoni’s legal battle will be addressed in court when a trial begins in March 2026.
For more on the ongoing legal battle between Lively and Baldoni, keep reading…
Four months following the cinematic release of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us”, Blake Lively submitted a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against Justin Baldoni, his associates, and their respective companies on December 20th, as reported by The New York Times.
The defendants named in the complaint obtained by TopMob News include Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, its CEO Jamey Heath, 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.
In the complaint, Lively claims that Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates engaged in a “sophisticated press and digital plan” as retaliation for her expressing concerns about on-set misconduct—with her stating that she and other cast and crew members were subjected to invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior by Baldoni and Heath.
Lively further alleges that this campaign caused “significant harm” to both her personal and professional life. The accusations 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, an article appeared in The New York Times detailing a supposed counterattack smear campaign led by Baldoni and his colleagues, which was reportedly aimed at Lively, referencing her CRD complaint. In their piece, the publication shared messages exchanged between Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), Nathan (crisis communications specialist) as per the complaint filed by Lively. The article was accompanied by court documents available on The New York Times’ website for reading convenience. Lively expressed her hope that this legal action would unveil such underhanded tactics used to harm those who speak out against misconduct, and provide protection for others potentially targeted in a similar manner.
—Reporting by Sara Ouerfelli
Following the disclosure of Lively’s grievances, attorney Bryan Freedman—who represents Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their associates—vehemently denied Lively’s allegations. He stated in a NY Times published statement that it was regrettable for Lively and her team to make grave and untrue claims against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives. This, he suggested, was another desperate move by Lively to improve her tarnished reputation stemming from her own remarks and actions during the film’s campaign; comments and press activities that were visible in real-time, uncensored, enabling the public to form their own opinions. Freedman further asserted these claims were false, excessively sensationalized, and deliberately designed to harm and perpetuate media speculation.
Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s choice to engage a crisis manager, explaining that this was done before the movie’s promotional campaign. Later, he added that Wayfarer’s representatives didn’t take any proactive or retaliatory actions, but only responded to media inquiries to ensure fair and accurate reporting and kept track of social media activity. Crucially, what is absent from the selectively presented correspondence is evidence of any active measures taken with the media or otherwise; instead, it only shows internal planning and private communication, which is a standard practice among public relations professionals.
After an article published by The New York Times on December 21, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) chose to end their association with Baldoni. This decision was confirmed by Ari Emanuel, CEO of the agency’s parent company Endeavor, to the outlet.
However, it’s important to note that WME has refuted claims made by Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, being responsible for the separation between WME and Baldoni. These allegations were later made in a lawsuit filed by Baldoni against The New York Times (more on this below).
In response to these allegations, WME stated to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1 that Baldoni’s claim of pressure from Reynolds at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere is false. They further clarified that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere and there was no pressure exerted by Reynolds or Lively to drop Baldoni as a client at any point in time.
After Lively’s CRD filing and an article in The New York Times, several notable personalities expressed their support for her accusations against Baldoni. Among them was the author of ‘It Ends With Us’, Colleen Hoover.
On Instagram Stories, December 21st, she wrote: “Blake Lively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
Actress Jenny Slate, who played Baldoni’s character Ryle’s sister, also voiced her support: “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 said in a statement to Today, dated December 23rd. “Blake is a leader, loyal friend and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her.”
She further added: “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.”
Brandon Sklenar, a love interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom, shared a screenshot of the complaint published to The New York Times’ website and linked out to the outlet 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 wrote that they “stand with her in solidarity.
Liz Plank recently shared her decision to step down from The Man Enough Podcast, which she co-hosted with Baldoni and Heath, on December 23rd. In an Instagram post, she expressed gratitude for the trust and support of listeners over the past four years, emphasizing the strong bond created within the community. Although Plank did not disclose her reasons for leaving, her departure followed Blake Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates a few days prior. In her message to followers, she reaffirmed her commitment to the shared values built during their time together and expressed hope for continued progress towards a better future. She also indicated that she would share more about her decision in the near future while continuing to support those who speak out against injustice.
Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s ex-publicist, and her agency Jonesworks LLC filed a lawsuit against him, Wayfarer, Abel (his current publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist) in New York on December 24th. According to the lawsuit obtained by NBC News, Abel and Nathan secretly conspired for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and Jonesworks. They allegedly breached contracts, induced contractual breaches, and stole clients and business prospects.
Behind Jones’ back, they coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch a smear campaign against one of Baldoni’s film co-stars. They then used this crisis as an opportunity to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni, falsely blaming Jones for the smear campaign when she had no knowledge or involvement in it.
Abel, who worked at Jonesworks until last summer according to her LinkedIn profile, is accused of continuing to falsely accuse Jones now that their own misconduct is being exposed. The lawsuit also alleges they defamed and attacked her in the industry.
Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer clients of Jonesworks, are accused of repudiating their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refusing 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 issued to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and their Wayfarer associates, further explained that none of his clients were summoned 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.
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.”
That very day, Lively initiated a legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, Nathan’s company TAG, and Abel in New York. As per court documents obtained by TopMob News, she is accusing the defendants of sexual harassment, retaliation, neglecting to investigate and stop harassment, aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation, breach of contract, intentionally causing emotional distress, negligently causing emotional distress, false light invasion of privacy.
The allegations in this 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 filed a counteraction against The New York Times. Regarding this, her attorneys stated to TopMob that “the lawsuit has no bearing on the claims made in her CRD and federal complaints.”
They further explained that the premise that Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a ploy to avoid suing Baldoni, Wayfarer, and that litigation was never her ultimate goal is false. As evidenced by the federal complaint filed by Lively today, this perspective on the lawsuit is incorrect.
In their legal action against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team have signaled that they are far from finished, as the court documents indicate there are more wrongdoers to be held accountable. Furthermore, they have made it clear that this will not be their only lawsuit. In a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman stated unequivocally that they intend to file a lawsuit against Lively as well.
The chatter surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t subsided, with many social media users suggesting that Reynolds made fun of Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.
Reynolds has yet to address these rumors, but Baldoni’s lawyer, Freedman, has spoken out about it. During an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, posted on YouTube on January 7th, Freedman expressed his viewpoint.
“In my opinion,” Freedman said, “if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make light of Justin Baldoni’s situation by creating a character like Nicepool. You treat it seriously. You take action, file complaints, and follow due process. What you shouldn’t do is trivialize the incident and turn it into a joke.
In their recent statement, Lively’s legal team clarified that the ongoing lawsuit against a company named Wayfarer is based on substantial evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation. They emphasized that this is not a petty dispute over creative differences but a case of unlawful retaliatory actions taken by Wayfarer against Lively for standing up for herself and others on set. Since the filing of the lawsuit, they allege, there have been further attacks against Lively.
In addition, her lawyers urged people to remember that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in all workplaces and industries. They warned against tactics like blaming the victim or suggesting that the offender is actually the one being wronged, as these tactics are often used to divert attention from allegations of misconduct.
The lawyers also pointed out that media statements do not serve as a defense for the accusations Lively has made and reaffirmed their commitment to proving her claims in court. They also stated that normalizing or trivializing such serious allegations is harmful and unacceptable.
On January 16th in New York, 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. The complaint, obtained by TopMob News, alleges that all defendants have engaged in civil extortion, defamation, and false light invasion of privacy. Specifically, Lively and Reynolds are accused of breaching the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, as well as intentionally interfering with contractual relations and economic advantage, and negligently interfering with prospective economic advantage.
The plaintiffs deny Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a smear campaign against her, and accuse her of seizing control over It Ends With Us and collaborating with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to damage the plaintiffs’ reputation in the media after receiving backlash for promoting the film. (Lively stated in her filings that she promoted the movie according to Sony’s marketing plan.)
In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the defendants colluded with The New York Times to publish a sensational yet false news story. The media outlet maintains its report’s accuracy.
In response to TopMob, Freedman stated, “Either Blake Lively was deceived by her team or she deliberately misrepresented the truth.
In a statement given to TopMob News, Lively’s legal team referred to his lawsuit as “an additional instance of the manipulation tactics used by perpetrators,” stating, “This scenario is all too familiar: A woman presents solid proof of sexual misconduct and reprisal, and the offender tries to shift the blame onto the victim. This behavior is commonly known as DARVO, which stands for Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.
Additionally, she claimed he responded with counter-accusations after her initial charges, arguing that Baldoni is attempting to divert attention from the fact that Lively took creative control and reportedly estranged the cast from Mr. Baldoni.
As a lifestyle expert, I’d like to share some insights based on the evidence at hand. It appears that both the cast members and others encountered challenging situations with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Furthermore, it has been revealed that Sony entrusted Ms. Lively with overseeing their portion of the film, which they then selected for distribution, leading to its widespread success.
Her team went on to slam Baldoni’s reaction to her allegations of harassment.
In simpler terms, their defense against sexual harassment accusations was that she invited it or was responsible. They pointed out her clothing as the reason for the incident, according to her lawyers. To put it briefly, while the victim concentrates on the abuse, the abuser focuses on blaming the victim. This tactic of attacking the woman is futile, it does not disprove the evidence in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and it will ultimately fail.
In a recent development, Baldoni’s lawyer disclosed unseen footage from the set of “It Ends With Us” stating that the actor’s on-set behavior contradicts Mrs. Lively’s portrayal of him.
According to Baldoni’s lawyers, the specific scene aimed at portraying the blossoming romance between the characters, as they yearned for physical closeness. It is evident that both actors were acting appropriately within the context of the scene, demonstrating respect and professionalism towards each other.
Nevertheless, Lively’s legal representatives argue that the video aligns word-for-word with Lively’s account in her lawsuit, suggesting that every scene was spontaneously staged by Baldoni without any prior conversation or agreement.
As an ardent admirer, I can’t help but express my sentiments about a video that depicts Miss Lively recoiling and persistently urging the characters to converse instead. In an official statement to TopMob News, it was stated. This scene, to a woman who has experienced workplace inappropriateness, echoes Miss Lively’s obvious discomfort.
In simpler terms, they wrote to the judge managing their case, asking for Freedman, who leads Baldoni’s lawyers, to be silenced during the court process due to concerns about inappropriate behavior.
A seven-minute audio message supposedly sent by Baldoni to Lively during the production of “It Ends With Us” was made public. In this recording, it seems that the director discussed the movie’s rooftop scene which Lively rewrote and mentioned a conversation he claimed to have had with Reynolds and their friend Taylor Swift about these alterations.
He said to Lively, “It’s great to have friends as imaginative as them, even though they are two of the world’s most creative individuals. The trio of you is simply astonishing.
In the recording, it appears Baldoni also offered an apology to the actress for not fully appreciating her script initially. He stated, “I made a mistake. Here’s something important to understand about me: I’ll acknowledge and apologize when I fall short.
Approximately one month following Lively’s submission of a formal court case against Baldoni, the scheduled court date was established for March 9, 2026.
According to reports from TopMob News, Baldoni’s legal team has updated their January 16th counterclaim against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane in the U.S. District Court, now also involving The New York Times.
In the revised paperwork, Baldoni alleges that Lively and her colleagues conspired for several months, disseminating untruths to the New York Times.
The submitted document, distinct from the $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, claimed that the newspaper manipulated and recontextualized certain communications, leaving out essential details and intentionally splitting them to deceive.
Baldoni established a site detailing his legal dispute with Lively, which includes the initial amended complaint submitted by Baldoni’s legal team on January 31st, as well as a chronology of significant events. The timeline document also reportedly contains alleged screenshots of text conversations between Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni.
The website went live a month following when Freedman mentioned that they intended to make public every text conversation between the two individuals.
In a January 2nd interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s lawyer expressed their desire for transparency: “We want all the facts to be openly available. We want the documents in question to be accessible. Our hope is that people can base their judgements on tangible evidence like receipts.
In the updated lawsuit, Lively’s legal team asserted that two additional female crew members from the production of “It Ends” had expressed discomfort due to Baldoni’s conduct on set.
TopMob News acquired a complaint stating that Ms. Lively wasn’t the only one expressing concerns about Mr. Baldoni. The events involving Ms. Lively, as well as others, were recorded from May 2023 onwards. Crucially, unlike the story spun by Defendants, Mr. Baldoni admitted to these complaints in writing at the time. He was aware that there were other women who felt uneasy and had voiced their concerns about his actions.
In the revised lawsuit, the two potential witnesses mentioned by Lively were not specifically identified because of the hazardous atmosphere of threats, harassment, and intimidation allegedly instigated by the defendants’ reprisal efforts.
Speaking with TopMob recently, I’ve expressed my concerns over allegations made against me. I maintain that they are predominantly based on unverified statements, or as I put it, “unsubstantiated hearsay.” Furthermore, I’ve noticed a striking lack of those who were initially involved in these claims choosing to step forward publicly or lend their support.
Following Baldoni’s allegations that Sloane was spreading “harmful rumors” and painting him as an “alleged sexual predator,” as well as suggesting a “defamatory campaign” led by Lively, Sloane chose to request dismissal from the ongoing lawsuit.
According to the papers obtained by TopMob News, Sloane’s legal representative argued that there was no foundation for the charges leveled against their client. Instead, they claimed she was unwillingly drawn into the lawsuit as a diversionary tactic intended to deflect attention from Lively’s allegations.
Nick Shapiro, previously Deputy Chief of Staff at the CIA, was recruited by Lively to provide guidance on the legal communication strategy for a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit ongoing in the Southern District of New York. This was confirmed by a team member from Willkie Farr & Gallagher to Variety on February 28th.
From 2013 to 2015, Shapiro served for the CIA under the Obama administration. Later on, he moved on to become Visa’s vice president of global security and communications, followed by Airbnb’s global head of crisis management. After spending three years at the rental company, he established his own consulting firm, 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.
In documents acquired by TopMob News, The New York Times, currently involved in a $250 million lawsuit with Baldoni, submitted a motion to release itself from the $400 million lawsuit that encompasses Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane – thus distancing itself from the latter legal action.
The newspaper contended in its submission that Baldoni’s team was spinning a “single perspective story that has attracted much attention,” but emphasized that “The Times” should not be involved in this conflict.
According to documents obtained by TopMob News, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman has honored The New York Times’s request for a postponement of discovery proceedings following their motion to dismiss.
The court granted a request for a temporary hold on the exchange of information and documents between the parties, following the newspaper’s motion filed on February 28th, which the judge is now reviewing.
In a document dated March 4, Liman indicated that the New York Times has provided “solid reasons” and demonstrated a high likelihood of their motion to dismiss being granted based on its merits.
Additionally, the judge expressed his view that Baldoni’s legal team should not face an unfair disadvantage during the court’s consideration of the upcoming motion, as a stay might potentially cause.
In response to TopMob News, a spokesperson for the New York Times commented on the recent ruling, stating, “We are pleased with today’s court decision, which acknowledges the significant First Amendment principles involved. The court has prevented Mr. Baldoni from imposing discovery requests on The Times in a case that lacked merit and should not have been filed.
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2025-04-29 23:24