Blake Lively’s publicist asserted in a legal filing on Thursday that stating the entire cast of It Ends With Us disliked director Justin Baldoni does not constitute defamation.
Leslie Sloane, who represents both Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, is named in Baldoni’s lawsuit, accused of spreading the damaging and false claim that Baldoni was a sexual predator. The suit alleges this was done to divert attention from Lively’s conduct on set.
Baldoni’s lawsuit cites text messages between Sloane and a reporter on August 8, in which the reporter requested comment regarding an alleged “power struggle” between Lively and Baldoni. The reporter noted that Lively had been described as “difficult” on set.
According to the messages, Sloane dismissed the idea that Lively was the issue and cautioned the reporter against trusting Baldoni’s associates: “They are panicking as the whole cast hates him,” Sloane wrote.
In a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Sloane’s legal team contended that stating the cast “hates” Baldoni is a subjective opinion and, therefore, cannot form the basis of a defamation claim.
Additionally, they argued the claim was factually accurate, citing Baldoni’s own acknowledgment. In his complaint, Baldoni alleged that Lively had persuaded the cast to “shun” him by unfollowing his social media accounts.
The reported conflict between Lively and Baldoni on August 9, alleging that Baldoni had been “borderline abusive” toward certain women on set. Baldoni, in turn, claims that Sloane “planted false and defamatory information about Baldoni to distract from Lively’s numerous missteps.”
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni (Photo: John Russo)
Sloane’s attorneys, in their motion to dismiss, maintain that she merely responded to a story that had already been instigated by Baldoni’s team.
Baldoni’s lawsuit also references a message from a Baldoni publicist in December, which states: “now she’s saying Blake was sexually assaulted.” Baldoni’s legal team argues this serves as evidence that Sloane was escalating a false narrative against him.
However, Sloane’s attorneys counter that the reporter was referring to Lively’s civil rights complaint rather than anything Sloane had personally stated.
Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and others in December, accusing him of retaliating against her for reporting sexual harassment by orchestrating a covert “smear campaign” against her in the media and online. Baldoni, in turn, countersued, alleging that Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane conspired to destroy his career.
In the motion to dismiss, Sloane’s legal team contends that Baldoni “repeatedly crossed professional boundaries” and engaged in “bizarre and abusive practices” on set.
“Justin Baldoni has spent years profiting off the feminist and #MeToo movements, peddling books, podcasts, TED Talks, and more using slogans about believing survivors, ending victim blaming, and promoting informed consent,” Sloane’s attorneys argue.
“His conduct in this dispute is therefore sheer hypocrisy, beginning with his egregious sexual harassment of multiple employees, and continuing with his ongoing campaign to discredit and blame his victims and punish anyone who speaks out against him.”
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