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How Blake Lively Triggered Justin Baldoni’s Lawsuit Before He Even Saw It Coming, Latter’s Lawyer Reveals
Blake Lively quietly filed a lawsuit months before accusing Justin Baldoni of harassment. Here's what Baldoni's lawyer has to say about the claims.
Blake Lively reportedly filed a quiet lawsuit months before going public with her sexual harassment complaint against It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni. According to the Daily Mail, the lawsuit was filed in September 2024 by Lively’s company, Vanzan, without using her name. The goal was to subpoena text messages from Baldoni’s former PR team to gather evidence without attracting attention.
The subpoena was sent to Stephanie Jones, Justin Baldoni’s ex-publicist, and her firm, Jonesworks. It asked for all communications involving Baldoni, Lively, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. Jones reportedly handed over texts between her former staffer Jennifer Abel and crisis manager Melissa Nathan.
These messages are now being used by Lively’s legal team to support claims that Baldoni, Abel, and Nathan launched a smear campaign against her. One of the texts allegedly read, “We can bury anyone.” Lively’s lawyers argue this supports their case that efforts were made to damage her reputation while promoting the film in August 2024.
Though the lawsuit was filed without naming Blake Lively directly, it was withdrawn on December 19, just days before she filed a formal complaint with the California Civil Rights Department.
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, criticized the legal move. “Ms. Lively and Mr. Reynolds’ company Vanzan had nothing to do with this case and they knew it,” he said to Page Six. “This sham lawsuit was designed to obtain subpoena power without oversight or scrutiny.”
Freedman added that there was nothing normal about the situation, stating that officers of the court have a duty to be honest and should not file fictitious lawsuits without a legal basis. He claimed the action was taken in bad faith and called it a clear abuse of process.
In response, Lively’s attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, said their actions were lawful and part of a conscientious and thorough investigation. They stated that the lawsuit helped reveal a plan to damage Lively’s reputation. According to them, the Lively parties acted on reliable information and used standard legal tools such as Doe lawsuits and civil subpoenas.
They also claimed that the lawsuit uncovered messages from the Wayfarer Parties outlining a plan to destroy Blake Lively. Lively went on to file a public complaint on December 21, 2024, followed by a formal lawsuit on December 31. Baldoni denied all allegations and filed a USD 400 million countersuit in January, which Lively and Reynolds are currently seeking to dismiss.
ALSO READ: Justin Baldoni’s Attorney Accuses Blake Lively of ‘Abusing’ Legal Process Amid It Ends With Us Feud
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