In a dramatic turn of events, Justin Baldoni has filed an amended version of his defamation lawsuit against actress Blake Lively, accusing her of secretly working with The New York Times.
Baldoni claims that Lively provided the newspaper with an advance look at her sexual harassment complaint, which led to a highly detailed and prepared 4,000-word article that was published shortly after.
According to Baldoni’s legal team, evidence suggests that The New York Times may have started working on the article months before it was released.
The Timeline of Events and Alleged Pre-Planning
The initial complaint alleges that the article, which exposed Lively’s claims about Baldoni’s behavior on set, was published too soon after the complaint was filed with the California Civil Rights Department on December 20, 2024.
The article, titled “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” was published the very next day, leading Baldoni’s legal team to question the timeline.
A discovery made by DailyMail.com revealed metadata within the article that suggested it had been in the works for weeks, with key dates, including a “2024-12-16” timestamp, embedded into the image source code.
Baldoni’s team claims that this could indicate the article had been prepared well in advance of Lively’s complaint.
The Alleged ‘Smear Campaign’ and the Role of Technology
Baldoni’s legal team further argues that the story’s creation was far from spontaneous, pointing to a technical feature found in the article’s source code, which included a message-embed-generator with a date of “2024-10-31.”
This evidence led Baldoni’s team to suggest that Lively and The New York Times had been planning the piece for months before it was published.
The lawsuit claims that this advance preparation undermines the legal protections typically afforded to journalistic work, such as the litigation privilege and fair reporting privilege.
A Closer Look at Lively’s Lawsuit and the Hollywood Feud
The feud between Baldoni and Lively has become increasingly complicated.
In addition to the defamation suit, Lively had filed her own sexual harassment allegations against Baldoni, accusing him of inappropriate on-set behavior, including unwanted physical advances and showing her a graphic video of his wife giving birth.
Lively’s claims gained significant media attention, especially following the release of the New York Times article, which heavily quoted her complaint.
Baldoni, however, strongly denied the allegations, filing a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times, claiming the article was misleading and did not take into account evidence that contradicted Lively’s narrative.
As a countermeasure, Baldoni also filed a countersuit against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of orchestrating a smear campaign to damage his reputation.
The Role of the Media and Further Legal Developments
As this legal battle intensifies, DailyMail.com has played a significant role in uncovering key footage from the filming of the 2024 movie It Ends with Us, which starred both Lively and Baldoni.
The footage, which shows the two actors engaging in playful banter during a dance scene, has become a point of contention.
Lively’s team argues that it reinforces her claims of harassment, while Baldoni’s legal team claims it proves his behavior was entirely professional.
As the lawsuits continue to unfold, Lively’s legal team is now pushing for restrictions on Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, including a request for a gag order against him for his comments to the media.
Baldoni’s attorney, Kevin Fritz, quickly fired back, arguing that Lively’s team cannot dictate which of their opponent’s attorneys may take a deposition.
Looking Ahead
With both lawsuits progressing, it seems that this Hollywood drama will continue to play out in the public eye.
As new evidence and legal filings emerge, the battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively shows no signs of slowing down.
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