Justin Baldoni slammed for 'blatant' smear campaign of Blake Lively
Fox News national correspondent Griff Jenkins discusses documents detailing a smear campaign against actress Blake Lively created by 'It Ends with Us' co-star Justin Baldoni on 'Mediabuzz'.
Justin Baldoni plans to "expose" what his lawyer calls a "false" narrative created by Blake Lively's legal complaint against the actor.
The actor's impending lawsuit will share the "truth" after Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment leading up to filming the Colleen Hoover-adapted movie, "It Ends With Us."
"This is not a response or countersuit – it’s a deliberate pursuit of truth," Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, told People magazine.
Justin Baldoni plans to sue Blake Lively over the "false and destructive narrative" painted by her sexual harassment allegations. (David Buchan/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images/Lia Toby/Getty Images)
"This lawsuit will uncover and expose the false and destructive narrative that was intentionally engineered by a trusted media publication who relied upon nefarious sources and neglected a thorough fact-checking process to confirm the validity of these texts," Baldoni's lawyer said.
"There is an insurmountable collection of authentic evidence, including timelines and communications, which have not been doctored or spliced without context, unlike the altered ['New York Times'] story that ran on Saturday, December 21st 2024," the statement continued.
Fox News Digital reached out to Freedman for additional comment.
"This lawsuit will uncover and expose the false and destructive narrative that was intentionally engineered by a trusted media publication who relied upon nefarious sources and neglected a thorough fact-checking process to confirm the validity of these texts."
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Lively detailed allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, intentional affliction of emotional distress, negligence and more in a complaint filed Dec. 20 with the California Civil Rights department.
The actress reportedly convened an "all hands" meeting on Jan. 4, 2024 regarding the alleged behavior of Baldoni and film producer Jamey Heath in which her husband, Ryan Reynolds, attended.
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively starred together in "It Ends With Us." (Getty Images)
"Ms. Lively was forced to address concerns about Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath's misconduct with them directly, and began doing so months before filming began," the complaint, obtained by Fox News Digital, read. "The concerns she raised were not only for herself, but for the other female cast and crew, some of whom had also spoken up."
Some of the alleged behavior discussed included no more showing nude videos or images of women to Lively, no more mention of Baldoni’s or Heath's previous "pornography addiction," no more discussions about personal experiences with sex, no more descriptions of their own genitalia, no more adding sex scenes outside what was in the original script, no more discussions about Blake’s weight or deceased father, and more.
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Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment along with other claims. ( Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
At the time, all parties agreed that the outlined conduct would cease. Despite the agreement, Lively claims in the complaint that Baldoni executed and participated in a "social manipulation" campaign to "destroy" her career and reputation.
"I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted," Lively told The New York Times in a statement.
Baldoni's lawyer denied the allegations to the outlet, saying: "These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media."
Justin Baldoni has denied the allegations against him. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
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Fox News Digital's Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
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