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Blake Lively’s attorneys have vehemently rejected claims that her accusations of sexual harassment against Justin Baldoni are just “creative differences” in a legal battle that has caught the attention of Hollywood. As things stand, Baldoni’s team is getting ready to take more legal action in this complicated dispute over the movie “It Ends With Us.”
Lively’s legal representatives from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher released a statement on Monday highlighting the seriousness of her allegations. It’s called “serious claims of sexual harassment and retaliation, backed by concrete facts.” People have been trying to downplay the conflict by calling it a disagreement between creative professionals, but this comment directly contradicts that.
Lively told California’s Civil Rights Department about the dispute on December 20. During and after the film’s production, this complaint outlined allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation. These claims were made even stronger by the New York Times, which wrote about what Lively’s team has called a coordinated effort to hurt her reputation.
The damage was done quickly. WME, the well-known talent firm that worked with Baldoni and Lively, broke up with Baldoni on December 21. Many legal actions have been taken in response to this situation, including Baldoni’s $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times, which questions how the newspaper reports events.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has gone public and shared his story on several news shows, such as NewsNation’s “Cuomo.” Freedman has said that he will show the “receipts”—text messages and paperwork—that he claims will clear his client’s name. On NewsNation, he said, “We’re going to put them out for the public to see, and you’re starting to see a complete turnaround in this story.”
According to Lively’s legal team, these comments in the media are an attempt to distract attention from the serious allegations. They said, “A classic tactic to distract from allegations of this type of misconduct is to ‘blame the victim’ by suggesting that they invited the conduct, misunderstood intentions, or even lied.” They think the case will end “in federal court, where the rule of law determines who prevails, not hyperbole and threats.”
In a strong response to Baldoni’s lawsuit, the New York Times said it would “vigorously defend” itself against the claims. The newspaper also disagrees with Baldoni’s claim that he wasn’t given enough time to reply to the original article, showing the dates and times of their conversations.
The legal fight between the two sides could last a long time. The controversy has led to broader conversations about how people should act at work in the entertainment industry. This is especially important because the movie at the heart of the dispute, “It Ends With Us,” is about domestic violence and is based on a book by Colleen Hoover that came out in 2016.
Stephanie Jones, the former head of Baldoni’s PR company, has filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, his Wayfarer Studios, and associated publicists for defamation and breach of contract, further complicating the legal situation.
Both Lively’s and Baldoni’s teams have said that more legal actions are coming as these cases progress. Baldoni’s team is planning a lawsuit against Lively in response to her accusations.
