Hollywood Drama Unfolds: Lawsuit Exposes Alleged Smear Campaign
A recent lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court has shaken the Hollywood community, with director Justin Baldoni and nine other plaintiffs accusing the New York Times of libel and false light invasion of privacy. The lawsuit stems from a December 2022 article titled “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” which painted Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath as sexual harassers.
A Text Exchange Gone Wrong
The controversy began when actress Blake Lively exchanged texts with Baldoni, blaming her assistant for not providing updated script pages. However, 18 months later, the same interaction was depicted in a New York Times report in a far more sinister light, alleging that Baldoni repeatedly entered Lively’s makeup trailer uninvited while she was undressed.
Discrepancies and Accusations
The lawsuit claims that the Times relied on “cherry-picked” and altered communications, stripped of necessary context, to mislead readers. The 87-page complaint also accuses the Times of promissory fraud and breach of implied-in-fact contract. According to the lawsuit, Lively embarked on a “strategic and manipulative” smear campaign, using false sexual harassment allegations to assert control over the production.
Ryan Reynolds’ Alleged Involvement
The lawsuit alleges that Lively’s husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, berated Baldoni in an aggressive manner during a meeting at their Tribeca penthouse, accusing him of “fat shaming” his wife. Reynolds also allegedly pressured Baldoni’s WME agent to drop the director during the “Deadpool and Wolverine” premiere in July.
A Pattern of Deception?
The lawsuit suggests that Lively’s publicist, who previously worked for Harvey Weinstein, seeded stories about Baldoni sexually harassing people on set before the movie even came out. This raises questions about the credibility of the allegations and the motivations behind them.
The Truth Will Come to Light
As the lawsuit moves forward, it’s likely that all parties involved will have their texts, emails, and other communications made public during discovery. This could shed light on the true nature of the allegations and the motivations behind them. One thing is certain: the drama surrounding “It Ends With Us” has only just begun.
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