This weekend, Justin Baldoni's team began fighting back against Blake Lively and her entourage. A few days before Christmas, Blake filed a complaint against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment during the filming of It Ends With Us. Additionally, Blake's team made explosive accusations, insinuating that Baldoni was waging a social manipulation campaign aimed at tarnishing his online reputation. Blake supports his story with email and message exchanges between Baldoni's publicist and his crisis manager. For his part, Baldoni's team took to the Daily Mail to announce the next steps in this battle – saying he will counterattack by suing Blake, and that, all in all, Blake is just pissed that his smear campaign against Baldoni failed and backfired last summer. After the Mail published this exclusive, People magazine also obtained information from Baldoni's team:
According to Justin Baldoni's lawyer, the actor's impending lawsuit against Blake Lively won't just expose the “truth” — it will also expose “those who believe they are untouchable.”
“This is not a response or a counterattack — it is a deliberate quest for truth,” attorney Bryan Freedman tells PEOPLE of Baldoni's upcoming suit, which follows to Lively's explosive complaint accusing Baldoni, 40, of sexual harassment on set It Ends With Us and a retaliatory smear campaign.
Freedman, a veteran Hollywood lawyer, also points out that Baldoni's filing aims to “expose” the lies in Lively's complaint — specifically a series of private messages that allegedly show Baldoni interacting with communications director Jennifer Abel and the expert. in crisis management Melissa Nathan, as they planned what Lively, 37, alleges was a smear campaign orchestrated to “destroy” her reputation.
“This complaint will expose and expose the false and destructive narrative that was intentionally orchestrated by a trusted media outlet that relied on malicious sources and neglected a rigorous verification process to confirm the validity of these text messages,” states Freedman to PEOPLE. “There is an undeniable collection of authentic evidence, including timelines and communications, that has not been altered or distorted without context, contrary to the article [du New York Times] published on Saturday December 21, 2024,” he continues in the written press release.
The article Freedman is referring to — titled “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine” — revealed Lively's complaint the day after it was filed in California.
“In more than 30 years of legal practice, I have never witnessed such unfair behavior, fueled by those who abuse their power and manipulate the truth,” adds Freedman. “This is not an isolated case; It’s a recurring pattern in Hollywood and mainstream media where careers and reputations are destroyed to maintain control. Established media have long used their platforms to distort the truth, exploit vulnerabilities and destroy lives without accountability,” the lawyer continues. “These lawsuits will confront this system head-on, ensuring that no individual or entity, no matter how influential, can continue to perpetuate this cycle of fear and destruction.”
“The truth will not only surface — it will dismantle the illusions held by those who believe they are untouchable,” Freedman concludes.
A representative for Lively did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Sunday, December 29.
[Source : People]
For what it's worth, I find it strange and notable that there is so much focus on the “social manipulation” aspect of Blake's complaint and not the sexual harassment aspect. Blake's case against Baldoni for sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior seems simpler to handle, and from what I've seen, she has documents to support it, including numerous high-level meetings with the studio . The social manipulation aspect of his complaint seems trickier than his camp wants to admit. As someone who reads mainstream media and gossip publications like Page Six on a daily basis, I remember curious, anti-Baldoni stories “planted” in various media outlets before IEWU's release. Now, does Baldoni really have evidence that Blake's team was out to harm him this summer, or is it just innuendo? I don't know.
Photos provided by Backgrid, Cover Images.
Good to know
- The movie It Ends With Us is adapted from the bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover, which tackles themes of complex relationships.
- Justin Baldoni is also known for his role in the television series Jane the Virginwhich earned him wide recognition.
- Allegations of sexual harassment in the film industry have often been at the center of controversy in recent years, prompting discussions about responsibility and ethics.
