Blake Lively on Justin Baldoni’s Lawsuit: “Another Chapter in the Abuser Handbook”

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Blake Lively‘s lawyers have issued a reaction to Justin Baldoni’s recent lawsuit, describing it as another tactic from an abuser’s playbook.

In this scenario, an old tale unfolds: A woman bravely presents solid proof of sexual misconduct and retaliation, only for the perpetrator to try and shift blame onto the victim. This tactic is known among experts as DARVO: Deny the allegations, Attack the accuser, and Reverse the roles of Victim and Offender. This was the statement from Lively’s legal team.

Lively is represented by Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.

The reaction came several hours following Baldoni’s filing of a lawsuit in a New York federal court against Lively, Reynolds, and two publicists, accusing them of extortion, defamation, and contract-related issues stemming from the production and distribution of It Ends With Us.

In my gaming world, I’d say: “I watched a movie that Baldoni directed and starred in alongside Lively. They were both producers of the film, which could have been a massive hit but unfortunately, it’s now embroiled in a series of legal battles. The trouble started when Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and alleged he retaliated against her for speaking out about misconduct on set. She initially filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department towards the end of last year, and more recently, a formal lawsuit was filed against him in a New York federal court.

Baldoni, along with his movie studio Wayfarer (which is also part of the lawsuit), its CEO Jamey Heath, as well as their public relations representatives Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, have filed a lawsuit. They allege a smear campaign against them and deny any claims of sexual harassment. The group is demanding a compensation of at least $400 million. Notably, Wayfarer is financed by billionaire Steve Sarowitz.

Bryan Freedman, the outspoken Los Angeles lawyer representing Justin Baldoni’s side, stated that a lawsuit filed on Thursday is founded on an immense volume of authentic evidence exposing Blake Lively and her team’s underhanded strategy to harm Justin Baldoni, his group, and their associated companies by spreading misleading, unverified, fresh, and manipulated data to the media.

He stated, “Given our readiness to disclose every single message, email, video recording, and any other relevant documents exchanged instantaneously among us, it’s evident that her case is unwinnable. She may deeply regret this.” (This version maintains the original’s tone while using simpler language.)

In her statement, Lively mentions Baldoni, Wayfarer, Jennifer Abel (Baldoni’s publicist), and Melissa Nathan, a seasoned crisis PR executive. Notably, Nathan was recruited by Baldoni during the film’s debut, a time when most of the cast stood by Lively instead of their director, choosing not to be pictured with him on red carpets or join him at press events because she refused to pose for photos with him or attend these events together.

According to Baldoni’s account, he and Wayfarer were forced into a situation where they had to agree on a set of conditions if Lively was to return to the set after the SAG-AFTRA strike ended. This list included stopping certain behaviors like showing up at her trailer unexpectedly, as well as Baldoni refraining from discussing his porn addiction publicly. Additionally, it’s said that there was an off-script kissing scene where Baldoni reportedly kissed Lively’s neck without the script indicating this action.

The document was finalized in the early days of November 2023. Before manufacturing resumed after the actors’ strike, which occurred in early January 2024, a conference was arranged at Lively and Reynolds’ apartment in New York City. Baldoni has claimed that tensions rose when Reynolds accused him of making derogatory comments about Lively’s weight, as she had given birth to her fourth child, a son, in early 2023, just prior to the filming commencement.

In a surprising turn of events, Lively, following the end of the industry disputes, declined to resume filming unless Wayfarer consented to her firm ‘Safeguards for Resuming Production’ (the ‘Production Safeguards’), implying there had been wrongdoings during filming (which, as evidence will show, was untrue). Baldoni’s lawsuit filed on Thursday claims that both Lively and he were taken aback when she utilized this document, signed under perceived pressure, to assert authority over the Film.

Lawyers for Lively responded, “They’re attempting to redirect focus onto Ms. Lively by spreading untruths about her taking creative control and driving the cast away from Mr. Baldoni. However, evidence will prove that the cast and others had their own unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Moreover, it was Sony who asked Ms. Lively to supervise their portion of the film, which they subsequently chose for distribution and achieved significant success.

Sony ultimately chose Lively’s version of the movie and publicly backed her following the disagreement with Baldoni.

According to Baldoni’s lawsuit, it is claimed that Lively asserted control over the film from the beginning, even requesting high-end footwear for her costume.

In response to the sexual harassment accusations against him, Baldoni’s lawyers argued that Lively wanted it and was at fault. They justified this incident by pointing out what she wore. Essentially, while the victim is concerned with the abuse, the abuser focuses on the victim. This tactic of blaming the woman is desperate, does not contradict the evidence in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and will ultimately fall short.

Moving forward, I’d like to share a point that was made: “As a supporter, it’s been noted that Wayfarer has chosen to leverage the resources of its billionaire co-founder for various purposes, such as issuing public statements, initiating groundless lawsuits, and even hinting at legal action. The intention appears to be overwhelming public perception, making it difficult to discern that these actions are essentially reprisals against sexual harassment accusations.

On the same day as Lively’s lawsuit was filed in federal court last month, Baldoni took action by filing a lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing them of secretly collaborating with Lively’s PR team to promote an “unsubstantiated and self-beneficial story” while overlooking evidence that contradicted her assertions.

More to come.

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2025-01-17 04:55