Justin Baldoni Shares Photos of His Family “Being Held” in Basement at ‘It Ends With Us’ Premiere
Justin Baldoni is taking some time away.
One day after the It Ends With Us director countersued Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane for $400 million, a source tells E! News that he, his wife Emily Baldoni and their two kids jetted out of Los Angeles from LAX Jan. 17.
The family’s getaway comes amid Justin’s ongoing legal battle with his It Ends With Us costar. In addition to his $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, the Wayfarer Productions founder issued a countersuit in response to Blake’s own suit Jan. 16. The Gossip Girl alum’s suit for mental pain and anguish, severe emotional distress and loss of wages also included allegations of sexual harassment that took place amid production for It Ends With Us.
Meanwhile, Justin’s suit alleges that Blake is “determined to make Baldoni the real-life villain of her story,” and her allegations of sexual harassment are “falsified stories.” Further, the Jane the Virgin alum’s suit claims that Blake intended to “destroy” his and his colleague’s lives, alleging, “she did exactly that, accusing them of foul and reprehensible sexual misconduct.”
In a statement to E! News, Justin’s lawyer Bryan Freedman claimed Blake “was either severely misled by her team or intentionally and knowingly misrepresented the truth.”
He continued, “It is clear based on our own all out willingness to provide all complete text messages, emails, video footage and other documentary evidence that was shared between the parties in real time, that this is a battle she will not win and will certainly regret.”
Blake, however, pushed back on Justin’s 179-page countersuit with a scathing statement from her team.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Sony Pictures
“This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim,” Blake’s lawyers said in a statement to E! News hours after Justin’s lawsuit was filed. “This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender.”
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants alum’s legal team called Justin’s lawsuit a “desperate” strategy.
“Their response to sexual harassment allegations: she wanted it, it’s her fault,” the statement continued. “Their justification for why this happened to her: look what she was wearing. In short, while the victim focuses on the abuse, the abuser focuses on the victim.”
Since Blake initially filed a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint against Justin with the California Civil Rights Department last month, the former actors’ legal battle continues to unfold. Keep reading for more updates on the saga.
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Dec. 20, 2024: Blake Lively Files CRD Complaint Against Justin Baldoni and His Wayfarer Associates
Four months after the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover‘s book It Ends With Us debuted in theaters, Blake Lively filed a California Civil Rights Department (CRD) complaint against her costar Justin Baldoni and his associates on Dec. 20, according to The New York Times.
In the complaint obtained by E! News, Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios (Wayfarer), its CEO Jamey Heath, its cofounder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel, her company RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, her company The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace and his company Street Relations Inc. were listed as defendants.
Lively alleged in her complaint that Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates “embarked on a sophisticated press and digital plan in retaliation” for her voicing her concerns about purported misconduct on set—with her saying she and other cast and crew members “experienced invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional and sexually inappropriate behavior” by Baldoni and Heath.
The actress added the alleged campaign against her caused “substantial harm” to her personally and professionally.
The accusations listed in the complaint include sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to investigate, prevent and/or remedy harassment; aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation; breach of contract; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligence; false light invasion of privacy and interference with prospective economic advantage.
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Dec. 21, 2024: The New York Times Publishes Report About the Alleged Smear Campaign Against Lively
The next day, The New York Times published a report about a retaliatory smear campaign Baldoni and his associates allegedly waged against Lively—citing her CRD complaint. In its article, the outlet quoted messages sent from Baldoni and his team—including publicist Abel and crisis communications specialist Nathan—that were part of her complaint. Readers could also scroll through the court documents on The New York Times‘ website.
“I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct,” Lively told the outlet, “and helps protect others who may be targeted.”
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Sony Pictures
Baldoni and Wayfarer’s Attorney Responds to Lively’s CRD Complaint
After news of Lively’s complaint broke, Bryan Freedman—the attorney for Baldoni, Wayfarer and its representatives—slammed Lively’s allegations.
“It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions,” he said in a statement on The New York Times website. “These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media.”
Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s decision to hire a crisis manager, saying this was done before the marketing campaign of the movie.
“The representatives of Wayfarer Studios still did nothing proactive nor retaliated, and only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual reporting and monitored social activity,” he later added. “What is pointedly missing from the cherry-picked correspondence is the evidence that there were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; just internal scenario planning and private correspondence to strategize which is standard operating procedure with public relations professionals.”
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Baldoni Is Dropped by Talent Agency
Talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) dropped Baldoni after The New York Times’ article was published on Dec. 21, Ari Emanuel, CEO of the agency’s parent company Endeavor, confirmed to the outlet.
However, WME denied that Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds was to blame for the agency’s parting of ways with Baldoni, which the It Ends With Us director later allege in his lawsuit filed against The New York Times (more on that below).
“In Baldoni’s filing there is a claim that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere. This is not true,” WME—which also represents Reynolds and Lively—said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter Jan. 1. “Baldoni’s former representative was not at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere nor was there any pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time to drop Baldoni as a client.”
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It Ends With Us Cast Members and More Stars React to Lively’s Allegations Against Baldoni
In the days following Lively’s CRD filing and The New York Times article, several famous figures shared their reactions to her allegations against Baldoni—including It Ends With Us author Hoover.
“@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met,” she wrote on Instagram Stories Dec. 21, linking out to The New York Times. “Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
Jenny Slate, who played the sister of Baldoni’s character Ryle, also noted she stood with Lively.
“As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation,” Slate said in a Dec. 23 statement to Today. “Blake is a leader, loyal friend and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her.”
“What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening,” she added. “I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.”
In addition, Brandon Sklenar—a love interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom—shared a screenshot of the complaint published to The New York Times‘ website and linked out to the outlet writing, “For the love of God read this.”
Plus, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel and Amber Tamblyn wrote they “stand with her in solidarity.”
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Dec. 23, 2024: Baldoni and Heath’s cohost on The Man Enough Podcast Liz Plank Leaves Show
Liz Plank also announced her departure from The Man Enough Podcast, which she cohosted with Baldoni and Heath, on Dec. 23.
“I’m writing to you today to let you know that I have had my representatives inform Wayfarer that I will no longer be co-hosting The Man Enough podcast,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “Thank you for trusting me with your hearts and stories, for holding space for mine, and for making this show what it was. I will miss you, the listeners, so much. I love what this community created together with every fiber of my being, and that’s because of you.”
While Plank did not give a reason for her exit from the podcast, it came days after Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates.
“As this chapter closed for me, I remain committed to the values we’ve built together,” the author continued in her message to her followers. “Thank you for being here, for trusting me, and for being by my side for the last four years. We all deserve better, and I know that together, we can create it.”
She added, “I will have more to share soon as I continue to process everything that has happened. In the meantime, I will continue to support everyone who calls out injustice and holds the people standing in their way accountable.”
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Dec. 24, 2024: Baldoni’s Former Publicist Sues Him, Abel, Nathan and Wayfarer
Baldoni’s former publicist Stephanie Jones and her agency Jonesworks LLC filed a lawsuit against him, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel and crisis communications specialist Nathan in New York Dec. 24.
“Defendants Abel and Nathan secretly conspired for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and Jonesworks, to breach multiple contracts and induce contractual breaches, and to steal clients and business prospects,” the lawsuit obtained by NBC New reads. “Behind Jones’s back, they secretly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to implement an aggressive media smear campaign against Baldoni’s film co-star, and then used the crisis as an opportunity to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni, and to publicly pin blame for this smear campaign on Jones—when Jones had no knowledge or involvement in it.”
Per Abel’s LinkedIn profile, she worked at Jonesworks until last summer. The lawsuit alleges Abel and Nathan “continue to point the finger falsely at Jones now that their own misconduct is coming to light,” and “defame and attack” her in the industry.
As for Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer Jonesworks clients, the suit alleges they “repudiated their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and rebuffed Jones’s efforts to settle this dispute privately in arbitration.”
E! News reached out to the defendants for comment.
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Lively’s attorneys told Variety in a Dec. 23 piece that they obtained the texts featured in The New York Times article via a subpoena to Jonesworks. Freedman—who represents Nathan and Abel in addition to Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates—added to the outlet none of his clients were subpoenaed over this topic and that he intends to sue Jones for releasing messages from Abel’s p