A week after allegations emerged that actor Justin Baldoni had launched a smear campaign against his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has revealed that the actor is preparing a countersuit in response.
Freedman, who had earlier called Lively’s complaint "false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt," has now told Deadline that countersuit is in the works. "I am not going to speak to when or how many lawsuits we are filing, but when we file our first lawsuit, it is going to shock everyone who has been manipulated into believing a demonstrably false narrative. It will be supported by real evidence and tell the true story. In over 30 years of practising, I have never seen this level of unethical behaviour intentionally fuelled through media manipulation."
The countersuit will reportedly name Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane for orchestrating a smear campaign against Baldoni. Speaking to Deadline, Sloane claims that the allegations are fabricated. "It’s clear that Mr Baldoni and his Wayfarer Associates are suggesting that I originated press stories about HR complaints on set, which is false. Please read Ms. Lively’s complaint and the complaint filed by Jonesworks LLC and Stephanie Jones, which provides the details of the campaign against my client."
According to reports, the countersuit will be filed after New Year's Day.
Lively vs Baldoni
In the 80-page lawsuit filed by Lively, the actress claimed that she did not feel safe working on set, adding that she was asked to do a full nude shot during the childbirth scene, which was not discussed prior to the shooting. Baldoni claimed that it was “unrealistic” to give birth in a hospital gown.
Since the release of It Ends With Us in August, the once-loved Lively has turned evil in the eyes of netizens. Old videos of the actress started to emerge, where she was seen acting rudely during interviews and making snarky comments in various situations.
ALSO READ | Blake Lively gets support from podcaster Elizabeth Day, columnist Nicholas Kristof against Justin Baldoni
During the promotion of the movie – based on a book by Colleen Hoover, which details sexual harassment and domestic abuse – Baldoni, director and lead star of the film, was raising awareness on the trauma that women experience in relationships, while Lively was promoting her newly launched haircare line.
It is alleged that Baldoni and his team orchestrated this PR strategy to badmouth Lively in the fear that she might expose what happened on set.
