New York Times Seeks Dismissal of Justin Baldoni’s Defamation Lawsuit Amid Ongoing Legal Battle with Blake Lively

The New York Times is asking a federal judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by Justin Baldoni. The lawsuit is related to an article the newspaper published, which included claims from Blake Lively about Baldoni’s alleged misconduct on the set of “It Ends With Us.”

Baldoni claims the Times worked with Lively and her PR team to release the article, titled “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.” The article detailed Lively’s complaint, in which she accused Baldoni of mistreating her and later trying to damage her reputation when she spoke out.

In its court filing, the Times argues that it was simply reporting on the dispute between Baldoni and Lively. The newspaper states that Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, and his PR team are “trying to drag The Times into their larger feud with Lively.” It also says that the lawsuit “tells a one-sided tale” and that the Times should not be involved in this legal fight.

Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokesperson for the Times, said, “As our motion shows, this case should never have been brought against The New York Times. Blake Lively raised serious concerns about the way she was treated on the set and after the movie’s release. We did exactly what news organizations should do: we informed the public of the complaint she filed with the California Civil Rights Department. Mr. Baldoni’s misbegotten campaign against The Times – questioning our ethics, attempting to discredit our reporting, filing a baseless lawsuit – will not silence us.”

Baldoni’s team has not responded to the Times’ motion. However, a spokesperson for Lively supported the newspaper, calling Baldoni’s lawsuit a “shameless PR document that has no business in a court of law.”

Lively’s statement also referenced her complaint against Baldoni, saying, “For years, Baldoni urged men to listen to and believe women. But when a woman spoke out about his behavior, he and his billionaire backer Steve Sorowitz used a ‘social media combat plan’ to scorch earth and try to ‘bury’ and ‘destroy’ her, along with the media who reports on it. These bullying tactics will not survive in court, and everyone should see their meritless claims for what they are.”

Baldoni’s team has updated its complaint, arguing that metadata from the Times’ website shows the newspaper had access to Lively’s civil rights complaint 11 days before publishing the article. His initial lawsuit, asking for $250 million in damages, was filed the same day Lively sued Baldoni and his team. Wayfarer later countersued and later added the Times as a defendant.

In a related case, a judge recently made a mixed ruling on Lively’s request for Baldoni’s phone records. She had asked for call and text logs between Baldoni, his PR team, and Wayfarer employees from December 1, 2022, to the present. However, Judge Lewis Liman ruled that some of the requests were too broad and “overly intrusive.” He noted that even though Lively’s team did not ask for the content of the messages, the records could still reveal sensitive information.

“It Ends With Us,” a film about a florist who falls into an abusive relationship, was a major success, making over $350 million at the box office last year. However, the legal battle between its stars has overshadowed the film’s achievements.

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