Justin Baldoniis now suingBlake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane and Sloane’s PR firm Vision PR, Inc. over the heated situation behind the scenes ofIt Ends With Us.
Attorneys for the actor-director, 40, filed a $400 million lawsuit in the Southern District of New York on Thursday, Jan. 16 on behalf of Baldoni, producer Jamey Heath, publicist Jennifer Abel and crisis publicistMelissa Nathan, claiming Lively, 37, took measures to gain control of the hit movie.
He’s suing on claims of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contractual relations, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage.
Reps for Lively, Reynolds and Sloane did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively.James Devaney/GC Images; Ian West/PA Images via Getty
James Devaney/GC Images; Ian West/PA Images via Getty
“Let’s not forget, Ms. Lively and her team attempted to bulldoze reputations and livelihoods for heinously selfish reasons through their own dangerous manipulation of the media before even taking any actual legal action. We know the truth, and now the public does too,” the statement continues. “Justin and his team have nothing to hide, documents do not lie.”
Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman previously indicated that they intended to sue during a Jan. 2 interview with NBC News, adding at the time, “We want the truth to be out there. We want the documents to be out there. We want people to make their determination based on receipts.”
Blake Lively; Justin Baldoni.Katie Jones/Beauty Inc via Getty; Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty
Katie Jones/Beauty Inc via Getty; Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty
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Lively’s allegations in her Dec. 20 complaint said Baldoni’s alleged behavior while makingIt Ends With Usand during its promotion caused her “grief, fear, trauma and extreme anxiety.”
Baldoni’s new lawsuit comes after hesuedThe New York TimesDec. 31 for libel in response to its article “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.” The suit alleges the newspaper used “‘cherry-picked’ and altered communications stripped of necessary context and deliberately spliced to mislead" in its article about Lively’s complaint.
The New York Timesdefended its article as “meticulously and responsibly reported.” Lively said within that story: “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.”
source: people.com
