Justin Baldoni, director and co-star of It Ends With Us, has filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times, alleging the publication presented a distorted narrative in a December 21 exposé featuring claims from Blake Lively.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, accuses the paper of libel and invasion of privacy, asserting that the article relied on “cherry-picked” and misleading communications.
The NYT article alleged Baldoni engaged in inappropriate behavior on set, including uninvited visits to Lively’s makeup trailer. Baldoni’s lawsuit refutes these claims, offering alternate interpretations of text messages cited in the story. One key text exchange allegedly taken out of context involved Lively inviting Baldoni to collaborate on lines during her downtime.
Blake Lively’s legal team recently announced they had filed a federal complaint against Baldoni, claiming workplace retaliation following her allegations of harassment. However, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, asserts that Lively manipulated the narrative to assert control over the production and denies all allegations of misconduct.
The lawsuit also highlights what Baldoni’s team describes as a rushed timeline for response, with the Times reaching out late on a Friday night and demanding comments within 14 hours. A representative for The New York Times defended its reporting, emphasizing its accuracy and thoroughness.
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