Movies

Blake Lively Accuses Justin Baldoni of Silencing Sexual Harassment Victims Amid Legal Battle

BBG News

Blake Lively claims that Justin Baldoni is attempting to suppress those who have experienced sexual harassment during their ongoing dispute in court.

37-year-old former Gossip Girl star, whose controversial donut shop incident led to a health and safety probe, has been entangled in a legal dispute with Baldoni, aged 41, since December 2024. The dispute began when she alleged instances of sexual harassment and claimed he orchestrated a defamatory campaign against her.

In response, he filed lawsuits totaling $650 million – one for $400 million against the actress and another for $250 million in libel against the New York Times, due to their coverage of the actress’s accusations.

On Thursday this past week, Justin alleged that Blake’s recent actions were a publicity ploy aimed at damaging him and the Wayfarer group, following her motion to drop his lawsuit which was made on March 20th.

This week, Baldoni expressed that he was using his freedom of speech under the First Amendment to request the court to cleanse their names from her unfounded and damaging allegations.

In simpler terms, attorneys Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson stated to TMZ on Friday that Justin Baldoni, who is known for advocating for victims, apparently thinks that the freedom of speech for victims of sexual assault and harassment should be sacrificed in favor of allowing perpetrators to sue their accusers until they are financially ruined.

Her legal representatives clarified that Baldoni, along with attorney Bryan Freedman, aim to ‘eliminate’ a law designed to safeguard victims and discourage others from voicing similar experiences in the future.

In reply, Freedman said to DailyMail.com on Friday, “This complex statement shows that Miss Lively and her team seem agitated and are again using provocative language to divert attention from the true details.

It’s quite obvious they aim to shift the focus away from the supporting materials such as receipts, videos, and additional proof, which together conclusively demonstrate the absence of any sexual harassment.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I find it intriguing to observe how quickly Ms. Lively and her team have taken up the cause of the survivor community, passionately advocating for their hard-earned rights. It’s interesting, given that this topic seemed to be avoided entirely during the promotional campaign for the film…

Instead, she concentrated more on her hair care and liquor items, which sparked the organic criticism at that time. She doesn’t require an investigation to discover who slandered her. A simple reflection in a mirror would suffice.

Justin’s lawyer has informed TMZ that Ms. Lively and her influential Hollywood friends can’t stop them from utilizing their constitutional privilege to ask the court to dismiss their allegedly baseless and damaging accusations against them.

In the previous year, both Justin and Blake played leading roles in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us.” Notably, Justin was not only an actor but also the director of this production.

In response, Baldoni filed a defamation lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, and Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane, whom she had accused of being part of a ‘retaliation campaign.’ Meanwhile, she proceeded with filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against him.

Since then, the two stars have found themselves entangled in a long-running legal saga, with their court date set for March 9, 2026.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, I’ve just weighed in with a stinging rebuttal following Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, who moved to drop my $400 million defamation suit against them.

Just recently, the legal team of Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane submitted papers to terminate Baldoni’s perceived ‘vindictive and disorganized’ $400 million court case.

In a passionate speech, Reynolds criticized Baldoni for being sensitive, portraying himself as a supportive partner to Lively instead.

On Tuesday, April 1st, Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios’ legal team referred to Reynolds Lively as a “co-conspirator” during court proceedings, asking Judge Lewis J. Liman to reject the dismissal requests filed by both the Deadpool star and his wife.

According to People, Baldoni’s lawyers argue in court documents that Reynolds is falsely claiming the Wayfarer Parties’ revised complaint lacks grounds to hold him liable. Instead, they say, Reynolds portrays himself as just a supportive spouse in this matter, but this is not accurate.

The FAC provides numerous details to back up the accusations made by the Wayfarer Parties against him, not only due to his own actions but also because of his role as a participant in the conspiracy.

It’s additionally proposed that Reynolds won’t be entitled to reclaim legal fees from Baldoni, if there’s a slim chance he gets dismissed from the lawsuit.

Subsequently, Lively’s lawyers mentioned in their March 20th dismissal petition that if Wayfarer pursues legal action against her, it may potentially incur costs of around $100 million for Baldoni’s legal team.

On the 3rd of April, a representative from Reynolds issued a response to Baldoni’s recent court action, as reported to DailyMail.com.

The representative stated that Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios acknowledge the obvious flaws in their claim, labeling the lawsuit as unnecessary or baseless.

Additionally, they mentioned to DailyMail.com that Reynolds intends to remain supportive of his spouse, further emphasizing the accusations of harassment and retaliation that Lively has made.

In my perspective, once more, they’re asserting defamation claims without providing details such as who exactly was harmed, the specific statements at issue, and the evident proof of real damage incurred.

Contrary to Mr. Baldoni, who constructed his image as a ‘confident listener’ towards women, Ryan Reynolds genuinely embodies this trait and remains committed to standing by his wife as she bravely confronts those who not only verbally abused her but also retaliated against her.

In simple terms across all U.S. states, including New York and California, this legal action is unlikely to succeed and could even lead to the Wayfarer Parties being responsible for Ryan’s costs and lawyers’ fees due to the baseless nature of this case.

Baldoni’s response to Lively’s dismissal filing was obtained by TMZ.

Based on documents from the court, which were acquired by the media outlet on Thursday, Baldoni presented the judge with arguments for why the dismissal of his lawsuit against Gossip Girl should not be granted.

Baldoni alleged that Lively orchestrated a complex character assassination plot, the intention of which was supposedly to damage the standing and professional progression of the Wayfarer groups.

Baldoni asserted that Lively played an active role in endorsing or permitting the publication of all the supposedly defamatory remarks before they were made public.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, I’d rephrase it like this: I claimed that Lively shared a fabricated and defamatory tale about a covert PR sabotage scheme, designed as retaliation for sexual harassment allegations, with the understanding that the New York Times would publish this untruth.

This way, it maintains the original meaning but sounds more personal and conversational in tone.

He persisted in claiming that Lively acted with ill-will and accused her of intentionally sabotaging his film career.

Additionally, Freedman told TMZ, “Ms. Lively is trying to establish a harmful pattern by denying access to the courthouse for my representatives and penalizing them for exercising their constitutional right to be present during court proceedings, as guaranteed by the First Amendment.

This right safeguards not just Mr. Baldoni and those involved with Wayfarer in this specific instance, but also every American in future situations where they face baseless allegations and need redress from our legal system.

He stated, “This needs to halt right now, and we’ll persist in battling against this flagrant effort to restrict court access and undermine our country’s Constitution for the benefit of those holding power.

Lively, Reynolds and publicist Sloane filed to dismiss Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit on March 20.

According to documents from DailyMail.com, Lively’s lawyers criticized Baldoni’s lawsuit as a “malicious and disorganized” action, labeling it an “excessive misuse of the legal system that has no business being in federal court.” They requested that all charges against her be dismissed.

Wow, I can hardly believe it! It turns out that if Wayfarer continues their legal battle against Lively, they could be looking at a whopping $100 million price tag, thanks to this surprising twist in California Civil Code Section 47.1. This provision is designed to safeguard individuals like me, who have faced sexual harassment or similar claims, by potentially making the opposing party foot the bill! Incredible, isn’t it?

As a steadfast supporter recounting the stance taken by Lively’s legal team, I can say that they contend the lawsuit brought against her should not find its footing within the federal court system. This is because of the legal safeguards designed to shield individuals like her who have voiced concerns about sexual harassment or filed related legal claims.

In California’s legal framework, it’s understood that when someone shares information about claims related to sexual harassment or similar issues, this communication is protected as a privileged conversation, provided there’s no intent to harm or deceive.

47.1 specifies that people victorious in defamation lawsuits due to false accusations against them are entitled to recover their legal fees, punitive damages, and treble damages (which is three times the amount the jury awards the plaintiff). This rule applies to individuals who had a solid reason for filing a complaint about harassment or similar claims, regardless of whether the complaint was actually submitted.

According to the records, it is stated that Baldoni’s studio, known as the ‘Wayfarer Parties,’ would bear all financial responsibilities if the defamation lawsuit gets dropped.

Considering the fee-shifting clause, the records indicate that Steve Sarowitz, the co-founder of Wayfarer Studios, might unwillingly pay the $100 million he reportedly promised for legal expenses, contrary to his original plans.

As a lifestyle advisor, I’d like to share some insights: While Steve Sarowitz might follow through with his courtroom showdown over the reported $100 million, it’s important to remember that legal battles can often unfold differently than anticipated.

The statement implies that Wayfarer’s First Amendment Complaint, often abbreviated as ‘FAC’ in legal documents, lacked credibility by basing its argument against Lively on speculative assumptions and unproven theories, which can be referred to as conjecture and conspiracy hypotheses.

Lively’s lawyers described the Family and Children’s Agency (FAC) as a tool used primarily for public relations, aimed at silencing and discrediting Lively by putting an end to her allegations.

In the records, Lively’s lawyers contend that she was not deliberately misleading in her statements concerning Baldoni, a well-known personality who is held to the higher ‘actual malice’ standard.

In my professional opinion, I wholeheartedly endorse the authenticity of Lively’s assertions about Wayfarer’s Frameless Authentic Chic (FAC), as reported by reputable sources. I stand by these claims, firmly believing in their veracity.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase that sentence like this: In the documents, it was not shown that I, personally, had any reason to question the validity of her claims against me.

Furthermore, it references a supposed exchange of messages between Justin and his crisis manager Melissa Nathan, where they apparently concurred that Lively strongly felt she was justified.

The document further states that the FAC does not provide sufficient evidence to prove that Lively, along with her team, were involved in a conspiracy against Wayfarer.

It further states that the supposed cooperation between Lively and The New York Times, which led to an article about Lively’s initial complaint that eventually resulted in a lawsuit against Baldoni, was not unlawful.

They similarly claim that their documents do not assert that Ms. Lively breached any contract or economic agreement unlawfully.

This means that Wayfarer and Baldoni were let go by talent agency WME after Lively filed her complaints.

It is asserted that the papers do not provide proof that Lively actively harmed the relationship, and instead, the main accusations revolve around her husband, who supposedly labeled Baldoni as a ‘predator’ during a discussion with an executive at WME.

They also claim Wayfarer did not state any damages related to their extortion claims. 

The lawsuit ended by requesting the court to permanently dismiss all charges against Ms. Lively, refuse permission for any further modifications, and grant Ms. Lively every relief she had requested.

In January, Baldoni along with his production company, Wayfarer Studios, initiated a lawsuit for $400 million. Joining him as plaintiffs in this case were Jamey Heath, the CEO of his studio, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, and publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, as reported by NPR.

The dispute between Lively and Baldoni arose following several months of spectators assuming tension between them while promoting their movie. At the film’s premiere, they chose not to appear together, instead conducting interviews individually.

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2025-04-05 07:52

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