Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni lawsuit: messages expose alleged lies, threats and intimate secrets
FOX News18 hrs
Lively-Baldoni Legal Battle Escalates Over 'It Ends With Us'
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Above: Isabela Ferrer and Blake Lively onstage during the "It Ends With Us" UK Gala Screening at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on Aug. 8, 2024, in London, England. Image copyright: Jeff Spicer/Stringer/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
The Facts
Court hearings for the dueling lawsuits over the film "It Ends With Us" began Monday, with Federal Judge Lewis J. Liman warning lawyers for co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni — who are on opposing sides of the lawsuits — to limit public commentary.
The legal dispute began last December when Lively filed a sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni, followed by Baldoni filing a $400M defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, and a separate $250M lawsuit against The New York Times.
Baldoni launched a website on Saturday containing an amended version of his lawsuit, including texts, emails, and a 168-page chronology of events to counter Lively's allegations.
The Spin
Narrative A
Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims are not as straightforward as Baldoni's team suggests. As her lawyers have stated, Baldoni's response to her allegations, including the launch of a website to sway public opinion, represents a retaliatory attempt to discredit her. This move by Baldoni, coming just before a pre-trial conference where a gag order was on the table, suggests an intent to influence the case outside the courtroom.
Narrative B
Blake Lively, perhaps manipulated by her insecure husband Ryan Reynolds, seems to have used her fame, fortune, and connections to wage war against Justin Baldoni because he wouldn't let her control his film, the book for which he purchased the rights to years before it was a household name. The use of sexual harassment allegations is strategic, possibly to salvage her image after backlash, making it an insult to real victims.
