Paul Feig has a simple take on working with Blake Lively.
The director, who recently collaborated with Blake on their upcoming film “Another Simple Favor” – a follow-up to 2018’s “A Simple Favor” – publicly expressed his backing for the actress during her current legal dispute with Justin Baldoni.
In a conversation with Esquire, they mentioned that Blake is fantastic at working together. It becomes quite aggravating for him, he added, when he encounters inaccurate perceptions about the filmmaking process.
Previously starring on “Gossip Girl”, she initiated a lawsuit against Justin in December, claiming sexual misconduct during their filming of the romantic drama “It Ends With Us”. He subsequently filed a counterclaim against her and her husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging that she interfered excessively in the production process beyond what was stipulated in her contract. Both parties have refuted the accusations made by the actress from “Jane the Virgin”.
Nonetheless, Paul, aged 62, maintained that his collaboration with Blake, who is 37 years old, was quite ordinary.
Or
Paul, at 62 years old, declared that working alongside Blake, 37, was nothing extraordinary.
Or
Paul (age 62) said that his time spent with Blake (age 37) during their work wasn’t anything out of the usual.
These sentences convey the same meaning as your original statement but are rephrased for a more natural and easy-to-read flow.
In my line of work as a lifestyle expert, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with numerous stars. The notion that a star simply appears and we hand them a script without any prior engagement – I challenge you to find a movie star who operates in such a manner. When internet enthusiasts voice their opinions passionately, it often feels like they might be missing some crucial details. After all, understanding the intricacies of the entertainment industry isn’t always as straightforward as it may seem from the outside.
Paul added, “I love working with Blake—she’s just the best.”
Furthermore, it seems that the appreciation is reciprocated, as Blake herself has voiced her admiration for the director, stating she felt “extremely thrilled” upon being invited to reprise her role in the follow-up to A Simple Favor.
At the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival premiere in March, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, she expressed that on the initial project, she was quite anxious since the team wasn’t certain if they were creating a drama or a comedy. She then revealed that when they asked Paul about it, he simply responded ‘Yes’, which didn’t directly answer their question, but ultimately things worked out well.
For a timeline of the legal battle between Blake and Justin, keep reading.
Four months following the theater release of the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us,” Blake Lively submitted a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against her costar Justin Baldoni and his associates on December 20, as reported by The New York Times.
The complaint, obtained by TopMob News, names Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, its CEO Jamey Heath, its cofounder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel, her company RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, her company The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace and his company Street Relations Inc. as defendants.
In the complaint, Lively alleges that Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates retaliated against her with a complex press and digital strategy after she expressed concerns about alleged misconduct on set. According to her, she and other cast and crew members experienced intrusive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior by Baldoni and Heath.
The actress claims that this alleged campaign against her caused significant harm to both her personal and professional life. The accusations listed in the complaint include sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to address 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 exposé was released by The New York Times, detailing a suspected counterattack smear operation carried out by Baldoni and his allies against Lively. This was substantiated by references to her CRD complaint. In their article, the publication shared messages exchanged between Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), Nathan (crisis communications specialist), and others, which were included in her complaint. The court documents could also be accessed on The New York Times‘s website by readers.
“I hope that my legal action serves to unveil these underhanded retaliatory tactics aimed at damaging those who speak out against misconduct,” Lively told the outlet, “and safeguard others who might face similar targeting.
—Reporting by Sara Ouerfelli
Following Lively’s criticism, Bryan Freedman – legal representative for Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their associates – firmly denied her allegations. In a statement on the New York Times website, he criticized Lively and her team for making grave and absolutely false accusations against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives. This, he claimed, was another desperate attempt to improve Lively’s negative reputation that she earned during the film campaign; a reputation that was evident in unedited interviews and press activities, which allowed the public to form their own opinions. Freedman further stated that these claims were baseless, excessive, salacious, and intended to cause harm by rekindling old media stories.
Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s hiring of a crisis manager, stating that this was done before the movie’s marketing campaign. He later explained that Wayfarer’s representatives didn’t take any proactive measures nor retaliated, but only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure accurate and fair reporting. Additionally, he pointed out that what is missing from selectively shared correspondence is evidence of no proactive measures taken with the media; instead, it shows internal planning strategies, which is standard practice among public relations professionals.
Following the publication of an article by The New York Times on December 21, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) ended their relationship with Baldoni. Ari Emanuel, CEO of the agency’s parent company Endeavor, confirmed this to the outlet. However, it was later denied by WME that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband and also a client of WME, played any role in the decision to part ways with Baldoni. This claim was made by Baldoni in his subsequent lawsuit against The New York Times (more on that below). In response, WME stated to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1 that Baldoni’s allegation about Reynolds pressuring Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere is false. They also added that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere, and neither Reynolds nor Lively ever applied any pressure to drop Baldoni as a client at any time.
After Lively’s CRD filing and a New York Times article, several well-known individuals voiced their support for her allegations against Baldoni. For instance, the author of “It Ends With Us,” Hoover, expressed her backing via Instagram Stories linked to The New York Times.
Jenny Slate, who played Ryle’s sister in the series, also publicly showed her solidarity with Lively. In a statement on December 23, she said, “As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I express my support for her as she confronts those accused of damaging her reputation.” Slate went on to acknowledge Lively’s leadership qualities, loyalty, and emotional support to many friends like herself. She added that the revelations about the alleged attack on Lively were “terribly dark, disturbing, and utterly threatening,” expressing admiration for Lively’s bravery and reiterating her stance with Lively.
Brandon Sklenar, a love interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom, shared the complaint published in The New York Times on his social media and linked to the outlet, writing, “Please 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 her decision to step down from co-hosting The Man Enough Podcast, a role she held with Baldoni and Heath. In an Instagram post on Dec 23rd, she expressed gratitude to the listeners for their trust, camaraderie, and support throughout the show’s journey. She also emphasized her commitment to upholding the values they had built together.
Although Plank did not disclose the reason behind her departure, it followed closely after Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates. In her message, she reaffirmed her dedication to the principles they had established and promised further updates as she navigated the situation. She also vowed to continue standing with those who challenge injustice and hold accountable those who obstruct progress.
Stephanie Jones, a former publicist of Baldoni, and her agency Jonesworks LLC filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel, crisis communications specialist Nathan, and others in New York on December 24. The lawsuit claims that defendants Abel and Nathan secretly conspired for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and her agency, breach contracts, and steal clients and business prospects. They allegedly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch a smear campaign against one of Baldoni’s film co-stars, which they used as an opportunity to create tension between Jones and Baldoni, and wrongly blame Jones for the campaign when she had no involvement in it.
Abel, who worked at Jonesworks until last summer according to her LinkedIn profile, is accused of falsely pointing fingers at Jones now that their own misconduct is being exposed, and defaming and attacking her in the industry. Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer clients of Jonesworks, are alleged to have breached their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refused to settle the dispute privately through arbitration.
TopMob News reached out to the defendants for comment.
In a statement made to Variety on December 23rd, Lively’s legal team revealed they obtained the texts mentioned in The New York Times article through a subpoena issued to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents both Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and their associates at Wayfarer, further explained that none of his clients were served a subpoena regarding this matter, and he plans 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.”
On that particular 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. As per court documents acquired by TopMob News, she is accusing the defendants of various offenses such as sexual harassment, retaliation, negligence in handling harassment, aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and false light invasion of privacy.
The accusations against the defendants were initially outlined in the CRD complaint that Lively submitted earlier that month. In response to this lawsuit that Baldoni and his allies filed against The New York Times (which does not include Lively as a defendant), her lawyers stated to TopMob that “the lawsuit doesn’t alter any aspect of the claims in her CRD and federal complaints.”
“This lawsuit is founded on the baseless assumption that Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a deceitful strategy aimed at avoiding legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, and that ‘litigation was never her ultimate goal,'” they added. “As evident from the federal complaint filed by Lively today, this perspective on the Wayfarer lawsuit is incorrect.
In their legal action against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team have indicated that they are far from finished. According to court documents, there are more individuals involved in questionable activities, and it is clear that this won’t be the only lawsuit they file. During a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman confirmed their intent to take legal action against Lively as well.
The conversation surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended yet. For example, internet users have suggested that Reynolds may have teased Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.
Reynolds has not spoken publicly about these rumors; however, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman shared his thoughts on the matter. During an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, which was uploaded to YouTube on Jan 7, Freedman stated:
“In my opinion, if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make light of Justin Baldoni’s situation. You don’t joke about it. Instead, you take it seriously, file HR complaints, raise the issue, and follow a legal process. What you definitely shouldn’t do is mock the person and turn it into a jest.
As an ardent fan, I can’t help but express my deep concern about the ongoing ordeal Ms. Lively is facing. Her legal battle against Wayfarer, as stated in the Southern District of New York, isn’t just a squabble over creative differences; it’s about substantial claims of sexual harassment and retaliation, substantiated by hard facts.
What’s happening isn’t a simple ‘he said, she said’ situation. As her complaint alleges, Wayfarer and their associates are accused of engaging in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against Ms. Lively for merely standing up for herself and others on a film set. Their response to the lawsuit has been more attacks against her since she filed it.
While we navigate this legal journey, I implore everyone to remember that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in every workplace and industry. A common tactic to divert attention from such misconduct is to ‘blame the victim’ by implying they welcomed or invited the behavior, misunderstood intentions, or even lied. Another strategy is to reverse the roles of victim and offender, suggesting that the offender is actually the victim.
Her lawyers have made it clear that these tactics normalize and trivialize serious allegations. They also emphasized that media statements are not a defense against her claims, and they will vigorously pursue her case in court.
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, Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s firm Vision PR.
The complaint, obtained by TopMob News, alleges that all defendants are guilty of civil extortion, defamation, and false light invasion of privacy. Lively and Reynolds, in particular, 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 accusations of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign against her. They also claim that she seized control of It Ends With Us and collaborated with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to damage the reputation of the plaintiffs in the press after receiving criticism for promoting the film. (Lively stated in her filings that she promoted the movie according to Sony’s marketing plan.)
In the lawsuit, plaintiffs claim that defendants collaborated with The New York Times to release a sensational news story, which was not only inaccurate but also damaging. However, the outlet maintains its stance on the report’s accuracy.
In response to TopMob, Freedman stated, “Blake Lively appears to have been either deceived by her team or deliberately lied about the truth.
Lively’s legal team referred to his lawsuit as “an additional tactic in the script of an abuser,” stating to TopMob News, “This scenario repeats itself: A woman presents solid proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the offender tries to shift blame onto the victim. This is often referred to by experts as DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.
Additionally, she claimed he reacted by counter-accusing after she levied charges against him, asserting that Baldoni aims to change the storyline to suggest that Lively took creative control and estranged the cast from Mr. Baldoni. (This version attempts to simplify the original sentence while maintaining the same meaning.)
It was further explained that there were personal difficulties reported by the cast and others concerning Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Additionally, it was revealed that Sony requested Ms. Lively to supervise their portion of the film, which subsequently became popular and was successfully distributed.
Her team went on to slam Baldoni’s reaction to her allegations of harassment.
In response to accusations of sexual harassment, they blamed her for wanting it and deemed her responsible. Their explanation for the incident was that she was dressed provocatively. To summarize, while the victim concentrates on the mistreatment, the perpetrator focuses on the victim. This tactic of blaming the woman is a last resort, does not counteract the evidence in Ms. Lively’s claim, and will ultimately fall short.
Baldoni’s attorney shared previously unseen footage from the set of ‘It Ends With Us’, stating that the actor’s behavior in the video contradicts Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him.
According to Baldoni’s lawyers, the specific moment was crafted to portray the two characters developing feelings for each other and yearning for closeness. It’s important to note that both actors were acting appropriately and professionally during this romantic scene.
Nevertheless, Lively’s legal representatives argue that the video aligns perfectly with Lively’s account in her lawsuit, suggesting that every second of the incident was spontaneously acted out by Baldoni without any prior conversation or approval.
The video depicts Ms. Lively pulling back frequently and urging the characters to simply converse, as reported to TopMob News in a statement. Any female worker who has experienced unwanted physical contact can empathize with Ms. Lively’s unease.
In simpler terms, they wrote a note to the judge managing their case, asking him to silence Freedman, who leads Baldoni’s lawyers, during the court process due to concerns about inappropriate behavior.
A seven-minute audio message, reportedly sent by Baldoni to Lively during the filming of “It Ends With Us“, was made public online. In this recording, it seems that the director mentioned the rooftop scene in the movie which Lively rewrote, and how these alterations were supposedly discussed with Reynolds and their friend Taylor Swift, during an alleged meeting.
He said to Lively, “It’s great to have friends who are as creatively gifted as they are. The trio of you is simply incredible and hard to believe!
As a lifestyle connoisseur, I’d like to share an instance where I, too, would extend an apology for falling short of expectations. Much like Victor Rasuk did in the recording, he seemed to acknowledge his mistake in handling an actress’s script with less enthusiasm than deserved. In such situations, it’s essential to be honest and admit when we miss the mark. So, I strive to own up to my mistakes, just as Victor said, “I messed up. A key aspect of my character is that I will acknowledge my errors and offer an apology.
Approximately a month following Lively’s submission of the legal complaint against Baldoni, a court hearing was scheduled for March 9, 2026.
Baldoni’s legal team has updated their January 16th counterargument in the U.S. District Court against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane, also adding The New York Times, as reported by TopMob News based on the reviewed documents.
In the revised paperwork, Baldoni alleged that Lively and her group conspired for several months, disseminating untruths to the New York Times.
As a passionate devotee, I can’t help but express my indignation over an accusation leveled against the New York Times. In a matter distinct from the $250 million lawsuit they face, it’s claimed that they selectively picked and manipulated communications, stripping them of crucial context, and then intentionally edited these selections to deceive. Quite frankly, this is unacceptable for such a reputable institution.
Baldoni established a site detailing his legal dispute with Lively, featuring the initial amended complaint submitted on January 31 by Baldoni’s legal team, along with a “chronology of significant occurrences.” This chronology reportedly includes images said to be text conversations between Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni.
The website was unveiled a month following Freedman’s announcement that they intended to publish all text messages exchanged between the two parties.
In a January 2nd interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s legal representative stated that they desire transparency and want all relevant documents to be made available to the public. Their intention is for individuals to form their own opinions using the provided evidence or proof (receipts).
Legal representatives for Lively submitted a revised lawsuit statement, alleging that two additional female crew members from the production of “It Ends Here” expressed discomfort due to Baldoni’s on-set conduct.
TopMob News obtained a complaint stating that Ms. Lively wasn’t the only one voicing concerns about Mr. Baldoni. The complaint, dating back to May 2023, detailed experiences similar to Ms. Lively’s and other individuals. Crucially, unlike the storyline the Defendants have fabricated, Mr. Baldoni admitted these complaints in writing at the time, acknowledging that there were other women who felt uneasy about his behavior due to similar issues.
In the revised lawsuit, the two potential witnesses were not mentioned specifically, as Lively had indicated they would be, because of the potentially harmful environment filled with threats, harassment, and intimidation that appears to have been instigated by the defendants’ reprisal efforts.
Speaking to TopMob, Freedman claimed the accusation was full of vague rumors that lack evidence and suggested that the unknown individuals who supposedly back her allegations are now unwilling to step forward or endorse her claims in public.
Following Baldoni’s claims that Sloane spread “harmful tales” depicting him as a “sexual aggressor” and coordinating a “defamatory scheme” at Lively’s behest, Sloane submitted a motion to withdraw from the legal case.
According to documents obtained by TopMob News, Sloane’s lawyer asserted that there was no solid ground for the allegations against their client, and instead, she was unwarrantedly pulled into the lawsuit as a tactic to divert attention away from Lively’s accusations, using her as a smokescreen.
Nick Shapiro, who previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the CIA, was 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 information was shared with Variety by a member of her litigation team from Willkie Farr & Gallagher on February 28th.
Previously employed by the CIA during the Obama administration from 2013 to 2015, Shapiro subsequently held positions as Visa’s vice president of worldwide security and communications, followed by Airbnb’s global leader in crisis management. After spending three years at the rental company, he established his own consulting business, named 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.
TopMob News reports that The New York Times, currently involved in a $250 million lawsuit with Baldoni, has requested to be released from a separate $400 million lawsuit involving Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane by filing a motion to dismiss itself from the latter lawsuit.
As a diehard fan, I’d passionately rephrase it like this: I firmly believe that Baldoni’s team is spinning a one-sided narrative that’s been making waves, but let me make it clear, I wholeheartedly stand with The Times in stating they have no place entangled in this dispute.
In response to a motion from The New York Times for dismissal, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman has approved their request to postpone the discovery process, as reported by TopMob News based on obtained documents.
The request for a temporary halt on exchanging information or documents between parties was approved by the judge after reviewing the newspaper’s motion dated February 28th.
In a recent document dated March 4th, I, as an ardent follower, couldn’t help but notice Liman’s assertion that The New York Times has presented “solid evidence” and a “convincing argument” that their motion to dismiss could be granted based on its merits.
Additionally, the judge expressed his view that Baldoni’s legal team won’t suffer an unfair disadvantage if the court chooses to delay its decision on the ongoing motion while it is being considered.
In response to TopMob News, a representative from the NYT stated their appreciation for the court’s decision today, which acknowledges the significant First Amendment principles involved. The court has prevented Mr. Baldoni from overwhelming The Times with discovery demands in a lawsuit that shouldn’t have been filed against them in the first place.
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2025-05-02 22:50