Blake Lively accuses Justin Baldoni of using Hailey Bieber's post to inspire alleged smear against her
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Blake Lively, 37, has filed a legal complaint alleging that her 'It Ends with Us' co-star Justin Baldoni, 40, conspired with his PR team to organize a smear campaign against her.
Court documents obtained on December 21 have revealed text exchanges between Baldoni and his crisis management team referencing a social media post about Hailey Bieber titled "Hailey Bieber's history of bullying many women."
According to a report, Baldoni allegedly suggested creating similar narratives about Lively to tarnish her reputation.
Blake Lively alleges retaliation by Justin Baldoni in new lawsuit
In a complaint obtained by People. on December 21, an exchange dated August 4 reveals Baldoni sharing a screenshot of an X (formerly Twitter) post titled "Hailey Bieber's history of bullying many women."
In the texts, Baldoni purportedly wrote, “This is what we would need,” prompting PR executive Jennifer Abel to agree, stating that platforms like Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram should be targeted.
"Yes, I literally just spoke to Melissa about this on the break regarding what we discussed last night for social and digital. Focus on Reddit, TikTok, [Instagram]," Baldoni added.
Abel also allegedly expressed desire to plant stories about Lively being "horrible to work with," which her colleague Melissa Nathan reportedly supported.
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has called the claims “false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.”
According to the complaint, later that same day, Abel messaged Nathan, saying, "I'm having reckless thoughts of wanting to plant pieces this week about how horrible Blake is to work with… Just to get ahead of it." Nathan reportedly agreed, replying, "Same" and mentioning that a journalist friend of hers was "ready when we are."
In a complaint filed in California, Lively claimed that Baldoni's actions "behind closed doors" left her grappling with "grief, fear, trauma, and severe anxiety," marking the initial step toward a potential discrimination lawsuit. Lively also stated that the emotional toll has been profound, impacting not just her but her entire family, including her husband and their four children.
Blake Lively’s legal filing reveals production held meeting over Justin Baldoni’s behavior
The legal filing outlines a tense dynamic on the 'It Ends with Us' set where Lively reportedly requested boundaries, including prohibiting unscripted intimate scenes and personal physical contact. Despite an initial agreement, Lively claims Baldoni and others retaliated with a campaign to damage her public image.
Sony Pictures and Wayfarer Studios, co-founded by Baldoni, are also named in the lawsuit. The complaint highlights additional allegations of Baldoni’s team attempting to align Lively with accusations of workplace difficulties involving other celebrities such as Anna Kendrick, Leighton Meester and Ben Affleck.
In a statement provided to The New York Times for its December 21 report, Lively expressed, "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted."
Justin Baldoni's lawyer responds to Blake Lively's complaint
Freedman, the lawyer representing Baldoni, responded to Lively's recent complaint, claiming it was an attempt to "fix her negative reputation."
In a statement released on Saturday, December 21, Freedman defended the actions of Wayfarer Studios, asserting that the studio representatives did not engage in any proactive measures nor retaliate. Instead, they simply responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure "balanced and factual reporting" and closely monitored social media activity.
Freedman further clarified that the selective presentation of correspondence did not show evidence of any proactive actions taken by the studio. He emphasized that the only measures taken were internal scenario planning and private correspondence aimed at strategizing, which he noted is standard practice for public relations professionals.
