Main Point
Justin Baldoni's Dispute with Blake Lively Breakdown: Baldoni's Legal Representative Expresses Intentions for a Retaliatory Lawsuit
A legal representative for "It Ends With Us" director and actor Justin Baldoni announced on Friday that his client will file a countersuit against co-star Blake Lively, with new text messages between the two actors set to be revealed for public scrutiny.
Chronology
January 3, 2025: Entertainment lawyer Bryan Freedman revealed to NBC's "Today" that he intends to file a lawsuit against Lively following her allegations of inappropriate behavior by Baldoni on the set of their 2024 film, without disclosing specific details of the countersuit.
December 31, 2024: Baldoni initiated a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times due to their coverage of Lively's accusations, accusing the outlet of giving in to powerful individuals in Hollywood.
December 31, 2024: Lively initiated a lawsuit in a New York federal court against Baldoni, his publicist, Wayfarer Studios, and other parties, accusing them of retaliation for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety issues.
December 24, 2024: Baldoni's former publicist sued him for alleged conspiracy to discredit her and poach her clients.
December 24, 2024: Vital Voices, a nonprofit that empowers women, rescinded an award presented to Baldoni due to his backing of women's stories and co-hosting of the podcast "Man Enough."
December 21, 2024: Reports suggested that Baldoni had been dropped by his talent agency.
December 20, 2024: Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni of invasion of privacy, pressuring her to lose weight, and organizing a PR campaign aimed at damaging her reputation.
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Significant Quote
"I am more than ready to release all existing text messages for public inspection, so the world can see the truth for themselves," Freedman stated on Friday.
Important Background
Baldoni and Lively collaborated on "It Ends With Us," adapted from best-selling author Colleen Hoover's novel of the same name, which was released in August 2024. Reports of tension between the two actors emerged during post-production, irrigated further by Lively's omission of Baldoni in interviews during the film's promotional tour. Doubts arose concerning creative control disputes, with sources telling TMZ that Baldoni had allegedly body-shamed Lively by inquiring about her weight and expressing concerns about lifting her during filming. No photographs of the two actors together were published while promoting the film, and as rumors of a rift grew, Baldoni hired Melissa Nathan, a crisis PR manager who had represented Johnny Depp in his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard. According to texts published by The New York Times, Nathan suggested tactics such as "full social media takedowns" through the creation of "threads of theories" and placing negative articles in the media to build a narrative around Lively's alleged unacceptable conduct. Lively alleged that the alleged smear campaign had caused "severe emotional distress" for her and her family, causing her to withdraw from hosting "Saturday Night Live" season 50's premiere.
How Were These Text Messages Revealed to the Public?
Lively's initial grievances encompassed excerpts from countless pages of text messages and emails, which were the primary focus of the Times article at the heart of Baldoni's lawsuit. These communications were predominantly between Baldoni, his publicist Jennifer Abel, and crisis management expert Melissa Nathan, and were procured through a civil subpoena, according to Lively's complaint. A lawsuit filed by Baldoni's ex-publicist Stephanie Jones, the founder of Jonesworks publicity firm, a few days later disclosed that she was the source of the text messages, which were retrieved from Abel’s work phone. In her own lawsuit against Baldoni, Jones alleged that Abel was dismissed for planning to pilfer clients from her firm and later had Abel’s company-issued phone "meticulously preserved and scrutinized in depth." Lively's team then obtained the texts through a subpoena against Jonesworks. These communications reveal discussions on coordinating a social media campaign aimed at Lively, and how Baldoni wanted Lively "to be drowned" under negative media coverage. The messages expose the trio discussing the "change in sentiment" against Lively, and reveal that Baldoni was cognizant of the malicious messaging directed towards her. Messages from Baldoni also demonstrate him supporting the P.R. team, flagging social media posts for them to utilize, and even suggesting "altering the narrative" on a favorable story about Lively and Reynolds, according to The Times. In other messages, he reiterates that the campaign must remain untraceable.
Interesting Insight
Around the time of the “It Ends With Us” release, Lively was the target of significant online backlash due to her promotion strategies, the timely launch of her haircare line, and other behaviors. In a promotional video, Lively encourages the audience to "grab your friends, wear your florals and head out to see (the movie)." Critics swiftly accused Lively of presenting the movie as a lighthearted love story, trivialized its serious portrayal of domestic abuse. Comments on the video chastised Lively—"shame on you and your PR team for turning a blind eye," one stated—but praised Baldoni for his handling of promotion. Lively was also criticized for allegedly promoting her Blake Brown hair-care line in conjunction with the film, but it was unveiled later that the two were not intended to launch simultaneously. Production delays caused by Hollywood strikes in 2023 pushed back the premiere of “It Ends With Us,” coinciding with the predestined launch date of the brand. At the same time, Lively was newly criticized for her response to an interviewer in a resurfaced 2016 clip. Lively’s lawsuits attribute the public's attacks to the orchestrated smear campaign she alleges was initiated against her.
Digression
A number of celebrities have voiced their support for Lively since she filed her initial complaint, including Hoover, Lively’s “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” co-stars, and actress Amber Heard, who claimed to be a victim of a comparable social media takedown. Hoover, who The Times reported also declined to do press with Baldoni, posted to Instagram after Lively first made her allegations to describe her as "nothing but honest, kind, supportive, and patient." America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn, who starred alongside Lively in her 2005 breakout role in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," denounced the "vengeful attempt to undermine her voice” and Heard said she has witnessed similar social media campaigns "firsthand and up close,” calling it "horrifying and destructive.” Actresses Kate Beckinsale and Abigail Breslin shared their own tales of harassment and retaliation in the wake of Lively's lawsuit, and director Paul Feig posted that Lively "did not deserve any of this smear campaign.” Lively's “It Ends with Us” co-star Brandon Sklenar shared a link to the initial New York Times story and Jenny Slate, another co-star in the film, declared her loyalty to Lively. Amy Schumer posted a story on Instagram that read, “I believe Blake.” Political influencer Candace Owens expressed her support for Baldoni after he was dispossessed of his Vital Voices award, writing that he should "have his day in court" before such drastic measures are taken.
In response to the countersuit filed by Justin Baldoni's legal representative, the new text messages between Baldoni and Blake Lively will be made available for public scrutiny. Additionally, the business implications of this ongoing dispute between Baldoni and Lively are yet to be seen, as it could potentially impact their future projects and collaborations in the entertainment industry.
