In a dramatic turn of events, actor Justin Baldoni has filed a $400 million lawsuit against actress Blake Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds. This legal action follows Lively's earlier complaint alleging sexual harassment and a "hostile work environment" on the set of the film "It Ends With Us." Baldoni's lawsuit accuses Lively and her team of a "duplicitous attempt to destroy" him, alleging civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy.
The conflict originated during the production of "It Ends With Us," a film adapted from Colleen Hoover's novel about domestic abuse. Released in August 2022, the film achieved significant success at the box office, grossing over $350 million globally. However, tensions escalated when Lively filed her complaint in December 2022, accusing Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer, of sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviors. Baldoni's legal team has categorically denied these allegations, describing them as "categorically false."
Baldoni's lawsuit further claims that Lively and her team disseminated "grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new and doctored information to the media," according to Bryan Freedman. The lawsuit argues that this dissemination was part of an effort to tarnish Baldoni's reputation. Additionally, Baldoni's crisis management team was allegedly hired after Lively threatened to derail the film unless her demands were met.
The legal battle has drawn attention from both fans and industry insiders. Lively's legal team responded to Baldoni's lawsuit by labeling it "another chapter in the abuser playbook," stating that his strategy of attacking Lively is a desperate move that does not refute the evidence in her complaint.
"The strategy of attacking the woman is desperate, it does not refute the evidence in Ms Lively's complaint, and it will fail."
"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." – Lively's legal team
Baldoni's team remains firm in their defense, confident that the court will see through what they describe as manipulative tactics by Lively.
"When plaintiffs have their day in court, the jury will recognise that even the most powerful celebrity cannot bend the truth to her will," – Baldoni's legal team
The tense atmosphere surrounding this dispute was evident during the film's premiere. The two actors were notably absent from each other's company on the red carpet in New York, and Baldoni did not attend the London premiere altogether.
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