Justin Baldoni’s publicist in hot water for alleged involvement in Blake Lively smear campaign
Justin Baldoni’s publicist is at the center of a legal battle. She...
Justin Baldoni to file counter-complaint against Blake Lively, promises to unveil the truth
Reports indicate that Justin Baldoni is preparing to file a counter-complaint against Blake Lively after the actress accused him of sexual harassment on the set of “It Ends With Us”. Baldoni’s legal team plans to submit the documents as soon as the courts reopen after New Year’s Day.
Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, told “Deadline” that the counter-complaint will mark a major development. “I won’t speak to when or how many lawsuits we will file, but when we file our first lawsuit, it will shock everyone who has been manipulated into believing a demonstrably false narrative,” Freedman said.
He also added that “the lawsuit will be supported by real evidence, presenting the true story. Freedman stated the scale of the alleged media manipulation, calling it the ‘worst he had seen in his 30 years of practice’.”
“It reminds me of what NBC tried to do to Megyn Kelly and Gabrielle Union, and we all know how that ended up. Standby,” Freedman remarked, hinting that the legal battle could take a similar turn.
The situation escalated when reports surfaced that Baldoni’s team would change Lively’s narrative. The complaint reportedly accuses Lively’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, of orchestrating a smear campaign against Baldoni.
Sloane responded to the claims in a statement to Deadline, calling them false. “It’s clear that Mr. Baldoni and his Wayfarer Associates are suggesting that I originated press stories about HR complaints on set, which is false,” Sloane said.
She urged the public to read both Lively’s complaint and a separate complaint filed by Jonesworks LLC and Stephanie Jones, which she claims details the campaign against her client.
Baldoni’s legal team is also preparing to challenge texts that Lively allegedly obtained through a subpoena. These texts reportedly suggest that Baldoni’s team was working to bury Lively’s reputation.
However, Baldoni’s team argues that the texts were misrepresented. The upcoming counter-complaint will reportedly allege that Lively filed her complaint to rebuild her reputation after facing negative press during the promotion of “It Ends With Us” earlier this year.
Catch all the Entertainment News, Breaking News Event and Latest News Updates on The BOL News
Download The BOL News App to get the Daily News Update & Follow us on Google News.