Justin Baldoni filed a whopping $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times for their reporting on Blake Lively's sexual harassment complaint, and the alleged smear campaign aimed at ruining her reputation.
Baldoni accused the Times of skewed reporting, and alleges that Reynolds and Lively had a confrontation with him at their New York penthous where they "aggressively berated" him.
"Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, had aggressively berated Baldoni during a meeting at their penthouse in New York, accusing him of 'fat shaming' Lively," reads his lawsuit. "Baldoni, in an effort to avoid further confrontation with Lively and Reynolds and rebuild rapport with his co-star, continued to bend to her will."
Baldoni further claimed that the couple's "inappropriate and humiliating berating" of him was "delivered, perhaps intentionally, as other celebrity friends were coming in and out of their penthouse."
The lawsuit also claims that Baldoni's inquiry about Lively's weight was "prompted by Baldoni’s reasonable inquiry into crucial information needed to ensure safety and avoid injury in a scene." The "physically demanding scene" would see Baldoni's character of Ryle lift Lively's Lily, which would potentially be difficult, as the entertainer "suffers from back issues and has multiple bulging discs."
As the lawsuit claims, even after Baldoni's "repeated apologies" for any misunderstanding, Lively "refused to perform the lift scene, even though it had already been rehearsed with a stunt double."
Lively originally alleged that Baldoni's remarks about her weight and age happened after the early 2023 birth of her and Reynolds' fourth child, Olin. Many have rallied behind Lively, including her It Ends With Us costar Jenny Slate, the book's author Colleen Hoover, Amber Heard, Lively's brother, Bart Johnson, and more.
In her lawsuit, the actress accused Baldoni of causing her and her family "severe emotional distress," alleging that a "smear campaign" had been launched against her around the It Ends With Us release.
