Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against her costar and director, Justin Baldoni, along with publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, and Wayfarer Studios. The lawsuit alleges sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and lost wages. Lively previously filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department after facing a retaliatory campaign from Wayfarer Studios for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns. The lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of New York, where the relevant activities took place.
Baldoni responded to Lively’s legal action by filing a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times for its reporting on her sexual harassment accusations. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges libel and false light invasion of privacy, claiming that The New York Times misrepresented communications and omitted context to mislead readers. The article in question, “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” was published on December 21 and alleged that Lively faced months of sexual harassment from Baldoni. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Baldoni, Nathan, Abel, and It Ends With Us producers James Heath and Steve Saraowitz.
Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, accused Blake Lively and her team of orchestrating a “vicious smear campaign” against his client, leading The New York Times to publish a one-sided story. He criticized the publication for using manipulated texts and omitting crucial information to fit a specific narrative. Freedman claimed that Lively used false sexual harassment allegations to control production and counter criticism of her public image. He vowed to fight back against the allegations and defend Baldoni’s reputation. Baldoni has denied all of Lively’s accusations and suggested that she filed the lawsuit to improve her negative reputation and change the narrative surrounding the movie’s production.
The legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni highlights the complex dynamics in Hollywood and the power struggles that can occur behind the scenes. Both parties have taken legal action to defend their reputation and assert their version of events. The lawsuits raise questions about journalistic ethics and the validity of reporting in the entertainment industry. It remains to be seen how the legal proceedings will unfold and what impact they will have on the individuals involved and the wider industry. The public will have to wait and see how the story continues to develop and whether it will shine a light on important issues such as sexual harassment, workplace safety, and the use of PR tactics in Hollywood.
