Actor and director Justin Baldoni has responded to Blake Lively‘s legal actions by filing a lawsuit against her and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
This comes after the actress filed a legal complaint in December, accusing Justin of sexual harassment and claiming he tried to “destroy” her reputation. In response, Justin is suing for $400 million (£326 million) in damages, citing civil extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy, according to Deadline.
Representatives for the couple and their publicist — who is also named in the case — have not yet commented on Justin’s lawsuit. In a recent development in their escalating legal dispute, the It Ends With Us actor’s lawyers have claimed that Blake and her team attempted to “destroy” him with deceitful tactics.
Justin Baldoni‘s attorney, Bryan Freedman, stated that Blake and her team had spread “grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new and doctored information to the media.” He also accused them of trying to “bulldoze reputations and livelihoods for heinously selfish reasons.”
The conflict originated during the production of It Ends With Us, a film adapted from Colleen Hoover’s novel about domestic abuse. Released in August, the film was a commercial success, grossing over $350 million (£280 million) globally.
However, tensions between the co-stars became evident during the press tour, as they were not seen together on the red carpet at the New York premiere and Justin skipped the London premiere entirely.
Four months after the film’s release, Blake filed her legal complaint, alleging sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour, as well as a “hostile work environment” on set.
In her complaint, she also accused Justin and his studio head of attempting to ruin her reputation online. Baldoni’s legal team has strongly denied these allegations, calling them “categorically false.” They also stated that they hired a crisis management team after the actress allegedly threatened to sabotage the film unless her demands were met.
Justin Baldoni’s legal team has now filed a 179-page complaint, asserting that he is not to blame and that the ongoing legal battle is “not a case about celebrities sniping at each other in the press.” They added, “When plaintiffs have their day in court, the jury will recognize that even the most powerful celebrity cannot bend the truth to her will.”
