In a heated legal battle, Justin Baldoni’s attorney has fired back at Blake Lively’s dramatic accusations, branding them as “absurd.” Baldoni, who is embroiled in a monumental $400 million lawsuit against Lively and Ryan Reynolds, has found himself at the center of escalating tensions. The attorney, Bryan Freedman, lambasted Lively’s claims that Baldoni employs an “abuser playbook” to bolster his legal case.
Freedman expressed outrage over Lively’s allegations, stating, “It is astonishing that Ms. Lively believes she can tarnish Mr. Baldoni’s reputation while simultaneously denying him the right to defend himself.” He emphasized that Baldoni has chosen to refrain from publicly addressing any supposed misdeeds committed by Lively during the production of “It Ends With Us.”
Baldoni’s legal team is committed to challenging Lively’s narrative, with Freedman pledging to “stand strong against her influence, privilege, and blatant fabrications.” He also took issue with Lively for perpetuating “disgustingly false sexual allegations” against Baldoni, despite the director’s claims of having produced over 200 pages of concrete evidence refuting her accusations.
The lawsuit, which has attracted considerable media attention, lays bare the conflicts that arose during the film’s production. According to Baldoni, Lively sought to leverage her connections with Reynolds and pop star Taylor Swift to pressure him into accepting significant script changes. “The message was crystal clear,” the lawsuit states, reiterating that Baldoni wasn’t merely facing Lively alone but also her high-profile allies.
Freedman argued that Baldoni’ve consistently addressed Lively’s concerns constructively, maintaining professionalism throughout the turbulence. He asserted that the “Jane the Virgin” star never retaliated against her disputes, highlighting Lively’s attempts to manipulate the production process beyond her contractual rights.
In her response, Lively’s legal representatives characterized Baldoni’s lawsuit as a textbook example of victim blaming. Their statement articulated, “This is a familiar narrative: A woman bravely speaks out against harassment, and the perpetrator seeks to flip the story, painting himself as the victim.”
As the legal tug-of-war intensifies, Baldoni’s team insists they will “fight harder for the voiceless” within the domestic violence community, who they assert are being overshadowed by Lively’s media campaign.
The backdrop to this controversy traces back to December when Lively filed a complaint alleging sexual harassment against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, which led to her formal lawsuit. Soon after, Baldoni filed a libel suit against the New York Times concerning their coverage of these allegations, maintaining that both sides deny any wrongdoing.
While the saga continues, both Lively and Baldoni remain steadfast in their stances, leaving fans and followers keenly watching as this legal duel unfolds.
