Actor and director Justin Baldoni has launched a lawsuit seeking $400 million in damages from Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.
According to Fox News, He asserts they committed civil extortion and defamation after Lively accused him of sexual harassment.
This complicated legal battle stems from prior allegations made by Lively relating to the duo's involvement in the film "It Ends With Us."
Lively alleged that Baldoni conducted a smear campaign to tarnish her reputation following the film's premiere. In response, Baldoni's lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, includes demands for a jury trial, insisting on his innocence and that of his co-defendants—Wayfarer Studios and Jamey Heath.
Baldoni alleges that there is no evidence supporting Lively’s claims and says her actions are an attempt to divert attention from her own mistakes by blaming him.
According to Bryan Freedman, Baldoni's lawyer, the defense has numerous texts, emails, and documents that demonstrate the innocence of the accused parties. The legal team's position is reinforced by court documents stating, "Plaintiffs now have no choice but to fight back armed only with the truth — and the mountain of concrete evidence disproving Lively’s allegations."
Baldoni's commitment to anti-domestic violence themes in his films was underscored in a poignant passage from the court filing.
"Heartbreakingly, a film that Baldoni envisioned years ago would honor the survivors of domestic violence by telling their story with the lofty goal of making a positive impact in the world, has now been overshadowed beyond recognition solely as a result of Lively’s actions and cruelty."
Baldoni claims that Lively and Reynolds prepared a statement at the heart of the controversy, using it as a form of extortion aimed at compelling him and Wayfarer Studios to take undue responsibility.
Lively convened an all-hands meeting early last year to discuss the situation surrounding allegations against Baldoni and Heath. It was during this time that Lively and her team allegedly tried to force Baldoni to endorse their prepared statement, setting the stage for her lawsuit against him.
Blake Lively's representative provided a starkly contrasting view, describing the suit as a typical case of DARVO—Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim, and Offender—commonly utilized in abuse cases.
"This latest lawsuit from Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its associates is another chapter in the abuser playbook. 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 camp asserts her stance with evidence that purports to affirm allegations of harassment and manipulative behavior.
The legal struggle touches not only the parties involved but also the broader conversations around celebrity, accountability, and harassment in Hollywood. Both parties are holding firm, Baldoni with his significant compensation claim, and Lively with her assertions endorsed by her representation.
The lawsuit's outcome could influence public perception of both Lively and Baldoni, as well as offer insights into the handling of allegations in Hollywood's inner circles.
