Hollywood showdown: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, and NYT caught in legal crossfire

Hollywood actor and director Justin Baldoni has filed a $250 million (Dh 917.5 million) lawsuit against The New York Times, claiming the publication’s reporting on Blake Lively’s harassment allegations was biased and part of a smear campaign orchestrated by Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.

Baldoni, who directed, produced, and co-starred in It Ends With Us, alleges that the paper ignored evidence contradicting Lively’s claims and painted him as a villain without justification.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, accuses The New York Times of relying on Lively’s “self-serving narrative” and disregarding documents that could have provided a fuller context.

The paper has defended its reporting as “meticulously and responsibly conducted,” supported by thousands of pages of documents, including emails and text messages. A spokesperson for the Times stated they would “vigorously defend” against the claims.

Hours before Baldoni’s lawsuit, Blake Lively filed a federal complaint in New York, accusing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and producer Jamey Heath of harassment and orchestrating a campaign to damage her reputation. Lively’s suit alleges inappropriate comments about her body and those of other women on set, as well as Baldoni and Heath pressuring her to disclose intimate details about her personal life.

The suit also claims Baldoni and his team coordinated negative media coverage and planted false narratives online as retaliation for her speaking out.

According to Lively, she and Reynolds had confronted Baldoni and Heath about their behavior during production. In response, she claims Baldoni executed a “carefully crafted and resourced” plan to discredit her.

Baldoni’s countersuit expands on the escalating tensions between him and Lively, alleging that she attempted to ban him and his Wayfarer Studios team from the It Ends With Us premiere. He claims Lively only relented after significant pressure but imposed conditions that included segregating him from the main cast, barring him from the after-party, and forcing his team to organise their own celebration at additional expense.

The lawsuit describes how Baldoni and his family were confined to a basement holding area during the premiere, with his red carpet time reportedly cut short. Baldoni’s suit states, “Not only had Lively stolen the film, but she also robbed Baldoni and his team of any genuine opportunity to celebrate their hard work.”

Baldoni’s legal filings also accuse Ryan Reynolds of playing an active role in sabotaging his career.

According to Baldoni, Reynolds engaged in aggressive behavior, including “fat-shaming” Lively, and influenced their shared talent agency, WME, to drop Baldoni as a client shortly after Lively filed her harassment lawsuit.

The controversy has overshadowed It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, which debuted to strong box office numbers but has since been mired in scandal.

Baldoni, who rose to fame in Jane the Virgin and directed Five Feet Apart, has seen significant professional fallout, including his dismissal by WME.

Both lawsuits highlight the starkly contrasting narratives presented by Lively and Baldoni, with each side accusing the other of orchestrating campaigns to discredit and humiliate.

The case has sparked widespread discussion about workplace behavior, power dynamics, and retaliation in Hollywood, with many closely watching how the legal battle unfolds.

As of now, The New York Times has not indicated any plans to settle Baldoni’s libel claims, while Lively’s legal team has reiterated that her harassment allegations remain central to her federal complaint.