NY Times Strikes Back: Dismisses Justin Baldoni’s $250M Defamation Lawsuit!

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The New York Times is standing firm and countering Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit with legal action of their own. This development comes as part of an ongoing story that began towards the end of last year, when actress Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni due to allegations of inappropriate behavior on set.

Regarding the lawsuit worth $250 million that Baldoni filed against The New York Times, the newspaper has countered by asking for the lawsuit to be dropped entirely, arguing that there is not enough proof that they acted with ill intent. This dispute originated from an article published on December 21, 2024 titled “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” which detailed Lively’s accusations and was written by journalists Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire, and Julie Tate. As a result, we have witnessed a heated public exchange in the Hollywood industry with countless words written daily about the actions and strategies of the involved parties.

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The NYTimes Thinks Baldoni’s Lawsuit Is A Bunch Of Baloney (Basically, We’re Paraphrasing)

As a movie enthusiast, I recently discovered that a legal document filed against me, made public on Friday, was obtained by TheWrap. This filing states that the defamation claim against me is deemed legally insufficient for two reasons: first, the contested statement falls under the protection of opinion; second, the Wayfarer Parties have only made conclusory allegations regarding any supposed actual malice on my part towards The Times.

Though the Wayfarer Groups may persist in attempting to sue Lively in the court of public sentiment, their legal arguments against The Times are not valid here in a court of law. I recommend that the initial filing be discarded.

Apart from the events surrounding Lively’s case on Friday, another significant legal development took place earlier in the day. Judge Lewis Liman had dismissed several demands from Lively’s legal team in their subpoena issued on February 12, 2025, for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios’ phone records dating back to 2022. The judge deemed the requests as too broad, invasive, and disproportionate to the requirements of the case. Baldoni’s team celebrated this decision, criticizing Lively’s tactics in her lawsuit, claiming it as a victory and evidence of her malicious intentions.

Baldoni’s legal team issued a statement about the issue to TheWrap, stating that “The Court halted Ms. Lively’s excessive attempt to breach our clients’ privacy. This is a significant victory.” Attorney Bryan Freedman further characterized the subpoena as a “desperate search for evidence aimed at reviving their discredited claims, well after they had already damaged our clients’ reputations in the New York Times.

It’s noteworthy that I myself have represented another client in the past who accused Baldoni of screenplay theft. Frankly, this tale isn’t simple or straightforward in any way, which is probably why it has captured so much attention from Hollywood and the media alike. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone turned this intriguing narrative into a screenplay and brought it to life on the big screen soon. Let’s call it “Echoes of Injustice: Blake and Justin’s Battle” for now.

TheWrap

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2025-03-02 05:34