NYT reportedly knew about Blake Lively’s harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni days before its filing
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Blake Lively's explosive harassment claims against actor Justin Baldoni may not have been as secretive as previously thought.
The New York Times had prepared an article on the issue five days before the claims were made public, suggesting that the media outlet was tipped off ahead of time, as reported by Radar Online.
Blake Lively's harassment allegations against Justin Baldoni leaked early to The New York Times?
The URL for a composite image of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, created for the article 'We can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine' has the date December 16, 2024 embedded on it.
That could mean The New York Times knew about Blake Lively’s complaint ahead of time, and had a story ready to go when she officially filed it with the California Civil Rights Department on December 20. The piece hit the press a day later, on December 21.
This raises the possibility that Lively's legal team and the Times were in communication before the lawsuit's release. If so, it could weaken her claims that Baldoni was behind a smear campaign.
The timing of this report could play into Baldoni’s ongoing legal fight, where he has accused the newspaper of skewing the narrative to his disadvantage.
Baldoni, who is now suing The New York Times for $250 million over the article that he claims is "rife with inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and omissions", argues that the article relied too heavily on Lively's version of events and ignored key evidence that contradicted her claims.
The surprising clue came from TikTok user goojiepooj, who noticed something odd about the URL for the composite image. It reads “2024-12-16-lively-topper", and if you dig deeper, you'll see more photos dated between December 18 and December 20.
In addition, Baldoni has filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of orchestrating a media smear campaign against him. This came after Lively’s harassment allegations, which were amplified by The New York Times article.
Lively and Baldoni’s legal teams are gearing up for more public clashes, with both sides accusing each other of trying to control the narrative through the media. Baldoni’s lawyer has even pushed back against Lively’s request for a protective order, calling it "grossly unfair" to silence him.
Justin Baldoni loses three major jobs and millions amid legal feud with Blake Lively
What started as quiet rumors about tension between 'It Ends With Us' co-stars Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively has now exploded into a full-on legal battle. And sources say the fallout is hitting Baldoni hard, both personally and professionally.
Industry insiders reveal that since the lawsuits were filed over the past two months, Baldoni has watched several lucrative opportunities slip away. According to The Hollywood Reporter, sources close to the actor say he’s "lost three jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars" since Lively’s lawsuit went public in late December.
This setback couldn’t have come at a worse time, with Baldoni at a crucial point in his career.
One of the big projects now hanging by a thread is Baldoni’s highly anticipated 'Pac-Man' movie. This film, which has been in the works since 2022, was supposed to be a major career milestone for him. Back in August, when rumors about his fallout with Lively started making headlines, Baldoni reportedly texted his PR team, suggesting that announcing his role as director of 'Pac-Man' would help him "move toward the future".
Now, sources say the 'Pac-Man' movie, along with at least two other projects, is stuck in limbo. There’s still a chance the 'Pac-Man' film could happen, but insiders are saying that nearly every company working with Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, is now “having a conversation” about whether they want to continue partnering with him.
This is likely to prove a huge setback for Baldoni's career.
