Tried to Take Control

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An It Ends With Us crew member wants to ensure this tale doesn’t end without her side of the story.

In the middle of the continuing conflict between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, Talia Spencer – a storyboard artist involved in the project – expressed her views on the situation, suggesting that Blake attempted to assert control over the film’s creative direction.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d express it this way: During my recent interview with 60 Minutes Australia on April 13th, I shared that Justin stands out among the directors I’ve collaborated with for his exceptional kindness and respect. However, it seems to me that perhaps Blake may have sensed his kindness as a sign of weakness, trying to exploit it and seize power.

As for your query about whether I perceived Blake trying to assert control over the movie, my response would be, “Yes, it certainly seemed that way to me.

Talia added, ‘It seems like a significant departure from Justin’s initial concept for the movie.’

TopMob News has reached out to reps for Blake for comment but has not yet heard back.

From Talia’s point of view, her opinion arises in the context of a heated conflict that’s been escalating significantly between Blake and Justin, along with an expanding group of supporters, which includes Blake’s spouse, Ryan Reynolds.

From Blake’s perspective, an actress previously associated with the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” has alleged that Justin and his business partner Jamey Heath have engaged in sexual harassment, fostered a toxic work environment, and retaliated against her following her initial complaint by launching a defamatory campaign.

Justin refutes all accusations and, in his own court documents, asserts that Blake sought more creative authority over “It Ends With Us” than was fitting for her position as a producer, which he finds inappropriate.

In his numerous accusations, Justin suggested that Blake utilized her strong friendship with Taylor Swift to instigate modifications within the film, such as subtly warning through a studio executive that she might reconsider contacting Taylor Swift for the use of ‘My Tears Ricochet’ in the trailer if her requests were not granted. This was evident in court documents that Justin had referenced and which were publicly available online.

TopMob News previously reached out to reps for Taylor for comment but did not hear back.

The actress from “Jane the Virgin” has stated that there are actually two different versions of the movie; it was Blake’s personal edit that ended up as the release for the film adaptation based on Colleen Hoover’s work.

In simpler terms, according to Justin’s statement, it seemed less like a legitimate professional demand and more like an attempt at blackmail. He suggested that the individual was threatening to halt the promotion of the movie in order to gain creative control over it.

The case against Blake, set for trial in March 2026, involves severe accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation, as stated by his legal team to TopMob News on February 3. They have vowed to bring the defendants to justice, and they are optimistic that once all the relevant evidence is presented, Ms. Lively will emerge victorious.

For a complete timeline of the ongoing legal battle, as well as its many iterations, keep reading.

Four months after the movie adaption of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us” hit theaters, I, Blake Lively, filed a complaint with California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against my costar Justin Baldoni and his associates on Dec 20th, as reported by The New York Times.

In the complaint obtained by TopMob News, Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios (Wayfarer), its CEO Jamey Heath, cofounder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel, RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace and Street Relations Inc. were named as defendants.

I accused Baldoni and Wayfarer associates of retaliating against me after I voiced concerns about alleged misconduct on set. I claimed that both Baldoni and Heath, along with other cast and crew members, subjected me to invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior.

I further stated that this campaign against me resulted in significant harm to my personal and professional life. The charges listed in the complaint include sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to investigate, prevent and/or remedy harassment; aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation; breach of contract; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligence; false light invasion of privacy and interference with prospective economic advantage.

The following day, The New York Times published an exposé detailing a counterattack smear strategy, which Baldoni and his allies supposedly employed against Lively – referencing her CRD complaint. In their article, the publication highlighted messages from Baldoni, his publicist Abel, and crisis communications expert Nathan that were incorporated in her complaint. The readers were also provided access to the court documents on The New York Times‘s website. Lively expressed to the outlet, “I hope my legal action peels back the layers of these underhanded retaliatory strategies aimed at harming those who speak out about misconduct, and safeguards others who might be targeted in similar situations.

Following Lively’s accusations, Bryan Freedman—attorney for Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives—vehemently disputed her claims. He stated on the New York Times website that it was disgraceful for Lively and her team to make such grave and absolutely false allegations against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives. This was just another desperate attempt to improve her tarnished reputation, which stemmed from her own comments and actions during the film’s campaign; interviews and media activities that were publicly observed in real-time and unedited, allowing for public opinion to be formed. These claims are entirely false, excessively sensational, and intentionally designed to cause harm and perpetuate a negative narrative in the media.

Freedman also justified Wayfarer’s hiring of a crisis manager, explaining that this was done before the movie’s promotional campaign. Later, he clarified that despite the allegations, Wayfarer’s representatives didn’t take any proactive measures nor retaliated; they only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure accurate and fair reporting and monitored social activity. What is notably absent from the selectively presented correspondence is the lack of evidence showing that there were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; just internal planning and private communication to strategize, which is standard practice for public relations professionals.

After the publication of an article by The New York Times on December 21, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) severed ties with Baldoni. Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME’s parent company Endeavor, confirmed this to the outlet. However, it was later alleged in Baldoni’s lawsuit against The New York Times that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband and also represented by WME, played a role in the agency’s decision to part ways with Baldoni. This claim was disputed by WME, who stated that Reynolds did not pressure Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere, nor did he or Lively ever apply any pressure for Baldoni to be dropped as a client.

Following Lively’s CRD filing and a New York Times article, several well-known personalities expressed their support for her allegations against Baldoni. Among them was the author of “It Ends With Us,” Hoover, who posted on Instagram Stories on December 21, praising Lively and linking to The New York Times.

Actress Jenny Slate, who played the sister of Baldoni’s character Ryle, also expressed her support for Lively. In a statement to Today on December 23, she said, “As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I stand with her as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation.” She added that Lively is a leader, loyal friend, and emotional support for many.

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 love of God, read this.”

Furthermore, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn wrote that they stand with her in solidarity.

Liz Plank recently shared that she is no longer co-hosting “The Man Enough Podcast” with Baldoni and Heath. She expressed her gratitude towards her listeners for their support over the past four years, stating how much she will miss them. Although she did not specify a reason for her departure, it followed closely after Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer.

In her message to fans, Plank emphasized her continued commitment to the values they built together and expressed hope that everyone deserves better. She also mentioned plans to share more about this situation as she processes everything that has transpired. In the meantime, Plank vowed to continue supporting those who speak out against injustice and hold accountable those who stand in their way.

In a lawsuit filed in New York on Christmas Eve, 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 secretly conspiring for months to attack her professionally. The lawsuit claims they breached contracts, induced contractual breaches, stole clients, and orchestrated a smear campaign against Baldoni’s film co-star, all while concealing their actions from Jones.

Abel, who worked at Jonesworks until last summer according to her LinkedIn profile, is accused of falsely blaming Jones for the smear campaign once her own misconduct was exposed, and of defaming and attacking her in the industry.

Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer clients of Jonesworks, are alleged to have violated their contractual obligations with Jonesworks, rejected attempts to settle privately, and refused arbitration to resolve this dispute.

TopMob News has reached out to the defendants for comment.

In a statement given to Variety on December 23, 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 subpoenaed regarding this matter. He also stated his intention to sue 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.”

That very day, Lively initiated a legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, his company TAG, and Abel in New York. Court documents acquired by TopMob News reveal that she is accusing the defendants of sexual harassment, retaliation, failing to address harassment, aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation, breach of contract, intentionally inflicting emotional distress, negligently causing emotional distress, and invading her privacy through false light.

The accusations outlined in the lawsuit echo those made in the CRD complaint she filed earlier that month. In response to this lawsuit, Baldoni and his associates have countered with a legal action against The New York Times—which does not include Lively as a defendant. Her lawyers responded to TopMob by stating that “the contents of this lawsuit do not alter the claims in her CRD and federal complaints.”

“The premise that Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a deception, based on the idea that ‘litigation was never her ultimate goal,’ is false,” they further explained. “As evidenced by the federal complaint filed by Lively today, this perspective on the lawsuit against Wayfarer is incorrect.

In their legal action against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team have made it clear that they still intend to pursue more legal actions. According to court documents, there are other parties involved who have acted wrongly, and they want to emphasize that this is not the only lawsuit they plan to file. During a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman confirmed that they indeed intend to sue Lively as well.

The news about Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended there. For one, social media users have suggested that Reynolds may have joked about Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has yet to comment on these speculations; however, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman shared his thoughts. During an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, posted to YouTube on Jan 7, Freedman said, “If your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make fun of Justin Baldoni. You don’t make light of the situation. Instead, you take it seriously, file complaints, and follow due process. What you shouldn’t do is make fun of the person and turn it into a joke.

In a statement to TopMob News on January 7th, Ms. Lively’s lawyers clarified that the ongoing federal litigation against Wayfarer Entertainment is based on substantial accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation. This isn’t just a disagreement or he-said-she-said scenario; it’s about illegal astroturfing by Wayfarer and their associates against Ms. Lively, who was merely defending herself and others on set. Since the lawsuit was filed, there have been further attacks directed at Ms. Lively.

While the legal process unfolds, her lawyers emphasize that sexual harassment and retaliation are unacceptable in any workplace or industry. A common strategy to downplay such misconduct allegations is to blame the victim or suggest they were responsible for it, misunderstood the situation, or lied. Another tactic is to swap the roles of victim and offender. The lawyers caution that these approaches serve to minimize serious misconduct claims by normalizing and trivializing them.

They also point out that media statements are not a defense against Ms. Lively’s accusations and reiterate their commitment to proving her 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 plaintiffs have accused all defendants of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of good faith, interfering with contractual relations, and causing economic harm.

In the lawsuit, they deny Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a smear campaign against her. Instead, they accuse her of taking control over It Ends With Us and working with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to damage the plaintiffs’ reputation in the media after receiving criticism for promoting the film. (Lively states she followed Sony’s marketing plan.)

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the defendants colluded with The New York Times to publish a sensational, yet untrue news report. Despite this allegation, the media outlet maintains its report’s accuracy. As part of a statement given to TopMob, Freedman suggested that either Blake Lively was deceived by her team or she deliberately misrepresented the truth.

Lively’s legal team has termed his lawsuit as “a fresh installment in the script of an abuser,” stating to TopMob News, “This scenario repeats itself frequently: A woman presents substantial proof of sexual harassment and reprisal, and the abuser tries to shift the blame onto the victim. This tactic is often referred to as DARVO, which stands for Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.

Beyond her initial accusations, she also alleged that he reacted by counterattacking. In other words, she claimed that Baldoni is attempting to divert attention away from the fact that Lively took over creative control and estranged the cast from Mr. Baldoni.

It was further stated that the proof will make clear that both the cast members and others had unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Moreover, it will be revealed that Sony tasked Ms. Lively to supervise their version of the film, which later became a hit after distribution by Sony.

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

In simpler terms, their defense against sexual harassment accusations was to blame the victim, stating that she invited it or was somehow at fault. Their explanation for the incident also focused on what she was wearing. The lawyers argued that this approach is a desperate attempt to shift blame from the abuser, and it won’t work because it doesn’t refute the evidence in Ms. Lively’s complaint. In essence, while the victim is concerned with the abuse, the abuser is focused on attacking the victim.

In a statement, Baldoni’s lawyer shared previously unseen footage from the set of “It Ends With Us“, stating that the actor’s behavior in the clip contradicts Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him.

According to Baldoni’s lawyers, the particular scene was intended to depict the two characters developing feelings for each other and yearning to be near one another. It is evident that both actors were acting appropriately within the context of the scene, and their behavior reflected mutual regard and professionalism.

In contrast, Lively’s lawyers argue that the video fully supports the account given in her lawsuit by Ms. Lively, as it was all spontaneously acted out by Mr. Baldoni without any prior discussion or agreement.

The video depicts Ms. Lively pulling back and persistently requesting that the characters converse, as reported to TopMob News in a statement. This situation is likely to resonate with any woman who has experienced unwanted physical contact in the workplace, given her apparent unease.

 

In simpler terms, they wrote a letter to the judge handling their case, asking for Freedman, who leads Baldoni’s legal team, to be subjected to a gag order during the court proceedings to prevent any inappropriate behavior.

As a die-hard fan, I stumbled upon a seven-minute voice recording supposedly sent by Baldoni to Lively amidst the filming of “It Ends With Us.” In this recording, it seems Baldoni subtly referenced the pivotal rooftop scene that Lively herself had reworked. The conversation around these alterations is hinted at in the recording, with a mention of a meeting between Baldoni, Reynolds, and none other than our beloved Taylor Swift, who happened to be their friend.

He mentioned to Lively that it’s not just because they’re among the world’s most imaginative individuals, but also because we all need friends like them. Together, they are an extraordinary trio, he added.

In the recording, it appears that Baldoni also seemed to express an apology to the actress for not warmly receiving her script, stating, “I made a mistake. A key aspect of my character is that I acknowledge and apologize when I fall short.

Approximately a month following the submission of Lively’s legal action against Baldoni, the court scheduled a hearing on March 9, 2026.

According to TopMob News’ report on acquired documents, Baldoni’s legal team has updated their counterclaim against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane in the U.S. District Court, now also involving The New York Times.

In the revised paperwork, Baldoni alleged that Lively and her associates conspired for several months, spreading untruths to The New York Times.

In a different case, not related to the $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, it was claimed that the newspaper manipulated and selectively presented communications, removing essential context, and purposely combined them in a way that was intended to deceive.

I, as a dedicated follower, would like to share that Baldoni has established a platform hosting details about his legal dispute with Lively. This includes the amended complaint submitted on January 31 by my team, along with a chronology of crucial events. The timeline document reportedly contains screenshots of text messages supposedly exchanged between Lively, Reynolds, and myself.

The site’s debut occurred a month following when Freedman mentioned that they intended to disclose all text messages exchanged between the two parties.

In a January 2nd interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s lawyer expressed that they desire transparency and want all relevant documents to be accessible. They believe people should form their own opinions using tangible evidence, such as receipts.

Lawyers for Lively submitted a revised lawsuit asserting that two additional female crew members from the movie “It End” felt uneasy due to Baldoni’s conduct during filming.

TopMob News acquired a complaint stating that Miss Lively wasn’t the only one voicing concerns about Mr. Baldoni. The incidents involving Miss Lively and others, which began in May 2023, were recorded as they happened. Crucially, unlike the storyline the Defendants have concocted, Mr. Baldoni admitted to the complaints in writing at the time. He was aware that women besides Miss Lively also felt uneasy about his conduct and had lodged similar complaints.

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

In a conversation with TopMob, Freedman asserted that the accusation was packed with “insubstantial rumors” and suggested that unknown individuals are no longer inclined to surface or endorse her allegations in public.

Following Baldoni’s allegations against Sloane of spreading “harmful tales” that depicted him as a “sexual offender” and coordinating a “defamation campaign” at Lively’s behest, Sloane submitted a motion to dismiss the court case.

According to documents obtained by TopMob News, Sloane’s legal representative argued that there was no valid reason for the charges against her, claiming instead that she had been unfairly involved in the lawsuit as part of a diversionary tactic meant to obscure Lively’s allegations.

Nick Shapiro, who previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the CIA, was enlisted 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 team member from Willkie Farr & Gallagher on February 28th.

From 2013 to 2015, Shapiro served for the CIA under the Obama administration. Later, he moved on to become the vice president of global security and communications at Visa, followed by the global head of crisis management at Airbnb. After spending three years with the rental company, he established his own consulting firm, 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.

TopMob News has reportedly obtained documents showing that The New York Times, currently involved in a $250 million lawsuit with Baldoni, has requested to be removed from a separate $400 million lawsuit also involving Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane. In simpler terms, The New York Times wants out of the larger lawsuit, while still battling Baldoni in a smaller one.

In their filing, the newspaper contended that Baldoni’s team was spinning a “single-perspective narrative that has grabbed many headlines,” but stressed that “The Times” should not be part of this legal 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 (the stage where evidence is gathered) as requested by the newspaper, as reported by TopMob News based on the obtained documents.

The court’s decision to momentarily halt the exchange of information and documents between parties, as per the newspaper’s request filed on February 28, was affirmed, as the judge reviews that particular motion.

According to the document dated March 4, Liman stated that The New York Times has presented “solid evidence” and a compelling argument suggesting that their motion to dismiss may very well be upheld.

Additionally, the judge stated that he doesn’t think Baldoni’s group would be “unjustly disadvantaged during the court’s deliberation on the outstanding motion” with a temporary halt (stay).

As a committed follower, I’d like to express in my own words: In an interview with TopMob News, I expressed on behalf of the New York Times, “We are grateful for today’s court decision, which acknowledges the significant First Amendment principles at play. The court has prevented Mr. Baldoni from overwhelming The Times with discovery demands in a lawsuit that should not have been initiated against us.

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2025-04-16 02:19