Justin Baldoni, the director and co-star of It Ends With Us, has filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the newspaper of distorting the facts in a December 21 exposé that featured allegations from actress Blake Lively.
The lawsuit, submitted to the Los Angeles Superior Court, claims libel and invasion of privacy, arguing that the article selectively used communications and presented a misleading narrative.
The NYT report suggested Baldoni exhibited inappropriate behavior on set, including making uninvited visits to Lively’s makeup trailer. Baldoni denies these allegations and offers alternative interpretations of text messages mentioned in the article. One key exchange, which was reportedly taken out of context, showed Lively inviting Baldoni to collaborate on lines during her breaks.
Additionally, Lively’s legal team recently filed a federal complaint against Baldoni, accusing him of workplace retaliation following her harassment claims. However, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, argues that Lively manipulated the situation to gain control over the production and denies any misconduct.
Baldoni’s lawsuit also criticizes the rushed timeline for comment requests, with the Times reaching out late on a Friday evening and demanding responses within just 14 hours. A representative from The New York Times defended the article, asserting that their reporting was accurate and thorough.
