Blake Lively Accuses Justin Baldoni of Creating ‘Media Circus’
UPDATE: Blake Lively’s legal team has just accused Justin Baldoni of orchestrating a media frenzy following her deposition on July 31, 2023. In a motion filed on Monday, Lively’s lawyers claim Baldoni and his associates leaked confidential details to tabloids, aiming to spin a misleading narrative surrounding the deposition.
The motion alleges that Baldoni’s team immediately shared information with the media, particularly targeting outlets like TMZ and Daily Mail. Lively’s representatives assert that this tactic was intended to portray the deposition as a sensational “face-to-face showdown” between the two, creating what they call a “media circus.”
According to reports, Baldoni was present during Lively’s deposition at her lawyer’s office in New York City. Lively arrived accompanied by her older sister Robyn Lively, husband Ryan Reynolds, and a team of eight lawyers, contradicting claims that only Baldoni and his attorney, Bryan Freedman, were present.
Lively’s legal documents clarify that multiple individuals, including Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel, were in attendance, alongside eight attorneys representing the Wayfarer and Wallace parties. This detailed presence challenges the narrative pushed by Baldoni’s camp, which suggested Lively required an extensive entourage for protection.
The tension escalated further when Lively’s representatives accused Baldoni’s lawyer of attempting to turn the legal proceedings into a spectacle, even proposing to sell tickets for a televised deposition at Madison Square Garden. “This is a serious matter of sexual harassment and retaliation, and it deserves to be treated as such,” her representative said in a statement.
Lively, 37, is suing Baldoni, 41, for alleged sexual harassment during the filming of their movie, It Ends With Us. She also claims that Baldoni’s publicists orchestrated a smear campaign against her, although the claims against PR specialist Jed Wallace were dismissed last month. In a counteraction, Baldoni has denied all allegations and countersued Lively and Reynolds for defamation and extortion, but a judge dismissed his $400 million lawsuit in June.
As this legal battle continues to unfold, all eyes are on the courtroom developments and the strategies employed by both sides. The implications of this case extend beyond the individuals involved, raising questions about media ethics and the treatment of serious allegations in the public eye.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops.
