Justin Baldoni files $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively, alleging It all ends with us Attempting to "destroy" his co-stars with false accusations of sexual misconduct.
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, accuses Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, publicist Leslie Sloan and her company Vision PR of defamation, extortion and invasion of privacy. In addition to Baldoni, the plaintiffs include his film studio Wayfarer, CEO Jamey Heath and public relations representatives Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel .
Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, said in a statement that the lawsuit "is based on extensive, untampered evidence that details Blake Lively and her "'s team sought to destroy Justin Baldoni, his team, and their respective companies by disseminating new, heavily edited, unverified content and distorting information to the media."
He continued: "Obviously, and we are fully willing to provide all the complete text messages, emails, video footage and other documentary evidence shared in real time by both parties, this is a battle she is not going to win and certainly regrets. Blake Lively Either grossly misled by her team or deliberately misrepresenting the truth, Ms. Lively will never again be allowed to continue to exploit real victims of harassment solely for the sake of personal reputation at the expense of those who have no power.”
Representatives for Lively, Reynolds and Sloan did not immediately return rolling stonesRequest for comment.
Baldoni's lawsuit comes after Lively filed a preliminary complaint with the California Department of Civil Rights late last month, kicking off the legal battle. In the filing, she accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her on set and orchestrating a smear campaign against her. Friedman denied the accusations at the time, claiming the actress' lawsuit was an attempt to "repair her negative reputation." Lively reiterated many of her allegations in a formal lawsuit filed on Dec. 31
Towards the end of December, a report appeared in " daily mail Baldoni is advised to file his own lawsuit in 2025 when the courts reopen. Friedman all but confirmed the impending action, issuing a statement people On December 30, he described his next steps as a "deliberate pursuit of the truth" rather than a "response or counterclaim."
He also said Baldoni's complaint will "expose falsehoods" in Lively's lawsuit, specifically about the messages sent between Baldoni and members of his public relations and crisis management team, Jennifer Abel and Melissa Nathan. Text message false information. Lively claims the text messages show Baldoni and his team orchestrated a smear campaign against her during a tumultuous time It all ends with us Press tour.
"This lawsuit will expose and expose the false and damaging narratives deliberately orchestrated by a trusted media publication that relied on nefarious sources and neglected a thorough fact-checking process to confirm them," Friedman said. The validity of the text.”
Friedman has previously denied claims of a smear campaign, saying the text messages merely showed Baldoni and his team were preparing a public relations strategy that was never implemented. Friedman said the "standard scenario plan" drafted by Nathan's Company was ultimately "unnecessary because viewers found Lively's conduct, interviews and marketing on the promotional tour objectionable and to the media itself." Reports responded organically.”
Before suing Lively and Reynolds, Baldoni and others also filed lawsuits against new york times for its reporting on allegations of sexual harassment and smear campaigns against Lively. The lawsuit accuses the newspaper of defamation and invasion of privacy by false reporting and seeks $250 million in damages.
In her original complaint, Lively claimed she experienced "severe emotional distress" while working on the production It all ends with usBaldoni also directed. She claims the production was so toxic that an emergency meeting was called with a list of demands for Baldoni, which included him not talking about his previous "porn addiction," sexual conquests and the cast and crew's genitals. Baldoni was also allegedly told that "BL was not allowed to add sex scenes, oral sex or on-camera climaxes beyond the scope of the script that was approved when signing the project."
Lively also accused Baldoni and lead producer Jamie Heath of walking into her dressing room uninvited while she was breastfeeding. The lawsuit alleges that Heath also showed Lively videos of his wife's naked body and entered her dressing room while she was topless and removing body makeup.
Lively's defamation campaign accusations also prompted a separate lawsuit, filed by Baldoni's former publicist Stephanie Jones, against actors Abel and Nathan (Abel previously worked at Jones' company Jonesworks, where It all ends with us roll out). They were accused of defamation and breach of contract, with Jones claiming she knew nothing about Abel and Nathan "conspired to 'bury' and 'destroy'" Lively using an "aggressive media smear campaign."
This story is developing…