Justin BaldoniThe former agency of WME insists on it Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively it had nothing to do with the actor and director dropping out.
The talent agency dropped Baldoni, 40, as a client last month just one day after Lively, 37, filed a complaint with the California Department of Civil Rights, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and a hostile workplace on the set of their film, It ends with us. On Tuesday, December 31, Baldoni sued for $250 million vs New York Times — which covers Lively’s Dec. 21 complaint — alleging, in part, that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent into leaving him on Deadpool and Wolverine premiered last year in an attempt to “destroy Baldoni’s career and personal life.”
On Wednesday, Jan. 1, WME said The Hollywood Reporter“There is an allegation in Baldoni’s filing that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent in Deadpool and Wolverine premiere. This is not true. Baldoni’s former representative was not on Deadpool and Wolverine premiere, nor was there any pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time to drop Baldoni as a client.
Baldoni judges New York Times for defamation and false light, invasion of privacy, among other things.
Getty Images (2) Justin Baldoni is denying allegations made by his ‘Breaking Up’ co-star Blake Lively in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, December 31. Baldoni, 40, is suing The New York Times for $250 million for defamation and misrepresentation for a minor invasion of privacy for an article published in December (…)
The case received from Us Weeklyclaims that Lively “systematically excluded (him) from the marketing of his own film.”
Baldoni also claims this Lively tried to ban him at the film’s premiere last summer.
“Further undermining Baldoni’s role, Lively initially refused to allow him to attend the film’s premiere,” the lawsuit says. “Only after considerable pressure did she reluctantly agree to allow Baldoni and the Wayfarer team to attend, but on humiliating terms. The Wayfarer crew and their families, including Baldoni and (producer Jamie) Heath, were separated from the main cast, deprived of the exclusive after-party and forced to organize their own event at additional expense.”
The suit further details Lively’s alleged effort to kick out Baldoni and his family at the film’s premiere.
“Baldoni’s red carpet appearance was interrupted, and his family and friends were confined to a makeshift holding area in the basement before being escorted to a separate theater after Lively’s departure,” the suit continues. “Not only did Lively steal the movie, but she also robbed Baldoni and his team of any real opportunity to celebrate their hard work.”
lively filed his own suit against Baldoni in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, us can confirm. In addition to Baldoni, the actress is also suing publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abelalong with Wayfarer Studios.
UPDATE on 12/31/21 11:30 p.m. ET: Justin Baldoni was one of 10 plaintiffs who filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times following reports about actor Blake Lively after she sued him for sexual harassment. The plaintiffs in the case, which also include publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, as well as It Ends With Us (…)
The suit alleges sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and lost wages. The allegations parallel those made in Lively’s complaint filed with the California Department of Civil Rights 11 days ago.
“Nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about the claims presented in Ms. Lively’s California Division of Civil Rights complaint, nor her federal complaint filed earlier today,” Lively’s attorney responded to Baldoni’s lawsuit in a statement to us. “This case rests on the patently false premise that Ms. Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer et al was a ruse based on a choice ‘not to sue Baldoni, Wayfarer’ and that ‘the lawsuit was never her end goal’. As evidenced by the federal complaint filed by Ms. Lively earlier today, that frame of reference for the Wayfarer lawsuit is incorrect. While we will not argue this matter in the press, we encourage people to read Ms. Lively’s full complaint. We look forward to addressing each of Wayfarer’s allegations in court.”
