Justin Baldoni’s Attorney Plans To Sue Blake Lively After ‘NYT’ Lawsuit

Justin Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman “absolute” plans to sue Blake Lively on behalf of his client.

Freedman was questioned by NBC News in an interview on Thursday, January 2 who intended to sue Lively, 37, on behalf of the It Ends With Us a director. Freedman responded, “Absolutely … yes.”

“We plan to release every single text message between the two of them,” Freedman told the outlet. “We want the truth to be out there. We want the documents to be out there. We want people to make their decision based on receipts.”

He comes after Baldoni, 40, filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times on Tuesday, December 31. The actor and director are suing for libel and false light invasion of privacy following The New York Times’ reported on Lively’s costar after she sued him for sexual harassment.

Baldoni was one of 10 plaintiffs in the lawsuitwhich also includes publishers Melissa Nathan a Jennifer Abel as well as It Ends With Us producers James Heath a Steve Saraowitzwhich started legal proceedings against the media.

The same day to sue Baldoni The New York Times, Lively filed a lawsuit officially against Baldoni, Nathan and Abel, along with Wayfarer Studios in the Southern District of New York.

The lawsuit alleged sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and loss of wages. The allegations match those made in Lively’s complaint filed with the California Department of Civil Rights last week.

He spoke animatedly about her legal actions by statement on Saturday, December 21 i Us Weekly.

“I hope my legal action will help pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about wrongdoing and help protect others who may be targeted,” he said.

A New York Times a spokesman said Us Weekly in a statement on Tuesday, December 31 that the outlet plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.”

“The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead,” the statement read. “Our story was told carefully and responsibly. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails we quote accurately and extensively in the article. Those text messages and emails were also the core of a discrimination claim filed in California by Blake Lively against Justin Baldoni and his associates. “

The statement continued, “In order to address certain inaccuracies in the lawsuit, while seeking comment from Mr. Baldoni and others who would be mentioned in the article, The Times shared the information we intended to publish, including references to specific text messages and documents, ask them to point out any inaccuracies, provide additional context and speak to our team. He chose Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer and the other subjects did not have any conversations with The Times or address any of the specific text messages or documents and instead sent a joint response email, published in full . (Also, they sent their response to The Times at 11:16 pm ET December 20th, not at 2:16 am ET December 21st as the complaint states.)”

In response to Baldoni filing the lawsuit, Lively’s attorney said Us on Tuesday, December 31 that the lawsuit was based on a “clearly false premise.”

“Nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about the allegations presented in Ms. Lively in California, or her federal complaint, which was filed earlier today,” the statement read. “This lawsuit is based on the patently false premise that Ms. Lively v. Wayfarer and others shame based on the choice “not to file a lawsuit against Baldoni, Wayfarer,” and that “litigation was never the ultimate goal.” As demonstrated by the federal complaint filed by Ms. Lively earlier today, that frame of reference for the Wayfarer lawsuit is false. Although we will not litigate this issue in the press, we encourage people to read Ms complaint. Lively as a whole. We look forward to addressing each of Wayfarer’s claims in court.”

Freedman shared a statement with Us Weeklypromise to “pull down” The New York Times for his “vicious smear campaign.”

“In this vicious smear campaign fully orchestrated by Blake Lively and her team, the New York Times woven into the wishes and whims of two powerful ‘untouchable’ Hollywood elites, disregarding journalistic practices and ethics that once befitted the revered publication by using manipulated and manipulated texts and deliberately omitting texts that’ n disagree with the PR narrative they chose,” he said through a statement to Us on Tuesday, December 31. “In doing so, they pre-determined the outcome of their story, and aided and abetted their own destructive public relations smear campaign designed to revive Lively’s self-indulgent sweeping public image and counter the organic basis of criticism among the community. public online. The irony is rich.”

He continued: “Make no mistake though, as we all unite to take it down The NY Times by no longer allowing them to deceive the public, we will continue this campaign of authenticity by also suing those individuals who have abused their power to try to destroy the lives of my clients. While their side embraces partial truths, we embrace the full truth – and we have all the communications to back it up. The public will decide for themselves as they did when this started.”