Movies

Blake Lively Honored by Time Amid Legal Battle with Justin Baldoni

BBG News

Amidst the legal disputes with Justin Baldoni and gossip about a supposed rift with fellow actress Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively was fortunate enough to hear some positive news.

Despite being surrounded by a whirlwind of controversy over several months, Lively, aged 37, has recently received a highly esteemed accolade.

The actor known for playing Gossip Girl was recognized as one of Time’s Most Influential People for 2025 in the Titans category alongside notable figures such as tennis icon Serena Williams, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, and podcast sensation Joe Rogan.

Sherrilyn Ifill, former head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, paid a heartfelt compliment to her within the magazine, following Lively and her spouse Ryan Reynolds’ generous $1 million contribution to the organization in 2019.

In her endorsement, Ifill praised Lively as a dedicated philanthropist and a sincere individual, expressing her belief that he is determined to progress our nation.

I can’t help but sing the praises of the Café Society actress, whose unwavering dedication to being a well-informed and meticulously prepared citizen is truly inspiring. It’s clear she puts her heart and soul into every role, and it shows in everything she does!

In simpler terms, Ifill stated that he doesn’t recognize Blake Lively as a celebrity who shines on the red carpet or at events like the Met Gala. He has never watched Gossip Girl. However, the Blake Lively he is familiar with is a philanthropist and someone deeply invested in understanding and solving complex issues within our country. In 2019, she and her husband Ryan Reynolds made a donation to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

During my tenure as president and legal advisor of the organization from 2012 to 2022, I started receiving some phone calls, as our efforts combating voter suppression and police brutality were gaining nationwide recognition.

She observed: “I’m often intrigued by the kind of research well-known individuals conduct before making a cold call to provide their support. Those I’ve managed to maintain a connection with are the ones who, similar to Blake, truly took the time to prepare their research.

In his writing, Ifill praised her for showing immediate interest and dedicated efforts to grasp the factors influencing this nation’s development. I recall an initial discussion where she voiced her discontent over the fact that significant portions of our country’s history were not included in the education she received as a student.

Lively’s dedication to bridging the gaps and striving to be the best-informed and well-prepared citizen is what I admire most about her. Blake is a sincere individual, she’s bold, and she’s determined to advance our country, not just for her children but also for mine.

Vibrant is now part of the Titan category, joining luminaries like Lorne Michaels, creator of Saturday Night Live, and Simone Biles, an Olympic gymnast, on this prestigious list.

At the event, Ted Sarandos (Netflix CEO), Miuccia Prada (fashion designer), Jonathan Greenblatt (CEO of Anti-Defamation League), and Alex Karp (Palantir CEO) were all seated together.

60 Minutes Australia reported that Lively faced allegations on Sunday about attempting to take over the production of “It Ends With Us” from Justin Baldoni, as claimed by storyboard artist Talia Spencer.

During a discussion focusing on the contentious court case between Lively and Baldoni (aged 41), Spencer passionately voiced his support for the director. This was in response to Lively’s claims that he had subjected her to sexual harassment and initiated a vindictive smear campaign against her, which she made public in December.

Regarding her previous supervisor, Spencer characterized Baldoni as “one of only a handful of directors I’ve encountered who were both considerate and respectful.” However, it’s important to note that Baldoni has refuted Lively’s accusations and counter-suited her for defamation.

She mused that perhaps Blake sensed his kindness, mistakenly perceived it as vulnerability, and attempted to exploit this and gain control.

As a die-hard admirer, I can confidently say that when asked point-blank if Lively aimed to take command over the movie, Spencer’s response was an affirmative “Yes, I believe she did.

Regarding if Lively managed to achieve that creative control over the movie, a member of The It Ends With Us team expressed their viewpoint that there seemed to be a significant deviation from Justin’s initial plan for the film.

As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but remember that Baldoni seemed genuinely invested in the ‘vision’ of our movie, not driven by the pursuit of fame.

She added that she finds it extremely difficult to accept the accusations against him, given his declared purpose for the film in his mission statement and his honest claim of making this film to support young women.

‘I just find it hard to believe the allegations, to be honest,’ she reiterated. 

Regarding any encounters she had with Baldoni, Spencer firmly stated that she never felt uneasy or awkward.

She shared that she found it easier to be with Justin compared to many film directors, based on her personal encounters.

Since 2019, Spencer has worked in the art departments of 10 TV shows and movies. 

We have attempted to contact the representatives of both Lively and Baldoni, but have yet to receive a response from either party. (Daily Mail’s outreach to their representatives has been unanswered.)

Earlier, Baldoni informed People that Lively had a hand in every aspect and held sway over this entire production.

In an interview prior to her filing a lawsuit, he commended that whatever she touched or focused her thoughts upon, she improved it significantly.

In January, Lively’s legal team vigorously claimed that Baldoni was employing tactics from the “abuser playbook” in his $400 million lawsuit against her and her husband Ryan Reynolds. This allegation suggests that Baldoni is using strategies often employed by abusers in legal disputes.

In the beginning of this year, I found myself embroiled in a defamation lawsuit brought forth by Baldoni and his representatives. They allege that I, alongside someone else, concocted a malicious plan to sabotage their careers and tarnish their reputation by fabricating accusations of sexual harassment – claims which they assert are untrue.

As a devoted admirer, I’d like to share an intriguing revelation from a recent report by DailyMail.com. The documents obtained suggest that Lively and Reynolds, leveraging their stardom, are alleged to have manipulated the production of the film “It Ends With Us,” a project I was also involved in, as I co-starred and directed it.

Following Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni for alleged sexual harassment and the creation of an unhealthy work atmosphere during the movie’s production, a defamation case was subsequently filed. However, Baldoni firmly maintains his innocence regarding these accusations.

In reaction to Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit, Lively’s legal team delivered a passionate statement to DailyMail.com, stating: “Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their allies’ latest lawsuit is just one more step in the manipulative tactics often employed by abusers.

I can’t help but notice this familiar pattern: A woman bravely steps forward with solid proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, only for the perpetrator to try and flip the script on the victim. This tactic is often referred to by experts as DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender. It’s a chilling dance that all too many victims have had to endure.

As an ardent admirer, I can’t help but express my concern about recent actions taken by Wayfarer Studios, a company co-founded by Baldoni. It seems that in response to sexual harassment allegations, they’ve chosen an unusual path. Instead of addressing the claims head-on, they’ve resorted to utilizing their billionaire co-founder’s resources to flood the media with statements, file baseless lawsuits, and issue threats of legal action. This tactic appears to me as a strategy aimed at drowning out public comprehension, making it harder for us to discern if their actions are indeed retaliation against these serious accusations.

Lawyers for Lively stated: ‘They are attempting to change the focus of the story by wrongly accusing her of taking creative control and pushing away the cast from Mr. Baldoni. The proof will demonstrate that the cast, as well as others, had their own unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer.’

The evidence will likewise demonstrate that Sony requested Ms. Lively to manage Sony’s portion of the movie, which they subsequently chose for distribution and became very successful.

‘They went on to say: ‘Their reaction to sexual harassment accusations was to blame her, suggesting that she wanted it and it was her fault. They also implied that this incident happened because of what she was wearing.’

Essentially, here’s what was concluded: ‘To summarize, while the victim is preoccupied with the mistreatment, the perpetrator concentrates on the victim. The approach of discrediting the woman is a last-ditch effort, it does not disprove the allegations in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and it will ultimately fall short.’

In Baldoni’s legal case, he claimed that Lively intervened in the production process, even though it was alleged that he hadn’t read the book until the filming had already progressed significantly.

As a lifestyle expert, I might say it this way: On the unforgettable night of the movie premiere on August 6, 2024, an unexpected turn of events unfolded for me and my family. When we graced the red carpet, it was alleged that a demand from Lively ensured my exclusion, leading to our unexpected relocation to the basement.

The security team, seemingly concerned about an escape attempt, guided Baldoni’s group down to the building’s basement.

At that location, they found themselves penned into an improvised detention zone, enclosed by rows of concession stand supplies, and equipped with just some foldable tables and seating set up in a square formation.

Beyond starting the filming without previously reading the book, the lawsuit alleges that she initially resisted the idea of reading it entirely.

Despite the grim themes in the book, it’s said that Lively didn’t seem to fully appreciate the gravity of the story during its promotion, going as far as naming a drink after the abusive male protagonist.

The filing indicates that this incident demonstrates the insensitivity which ignited an organic reaction towards the actress last summer.)

Initially, accusations of sexual misconduct against Lively were mentioned in a December article from The New York Times. The texts exchanged between his publicists, now asserted to have been selectively used and devoid of context, supposedly suggested that Lively was orchestrating a ‘smear campaign’ against the actress, which they now deny.

Instead, the actor claims it was Lively herself who masterminded a series of unfavorable publicity, asserting that she collaborated with her personal publicist Leslie Sloane and The New York Times for several months prior to the publication of an article.

I’m utterly devoted to the news surrounding my beloved Baldoni, who’s taken legal action against a certain media outlet for a whopping $250 million. In his lawsuit, he claims the story was based on nothing more than Lively’s self-serving account of events.

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2025-04-16 17:08

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