Blake Lively filed a civil rights complaint against her It End With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, over the weekend, which is just the beginning of the feuding duo’s reversal of fate. The 37-year-old Hollywood diva has accused the Jane the Virgin star of sexual harassment during filming. Furthermore, her legal filing alleges that Baldoni’s crisis firm, The Agency Group (TAG PR), resorted to the controversial PR tactic known as astroturfing to orchestrate a retaliatory smear campaign to tarnish her reputation.
The alleged coordinated social media effort to portray Lively as a “difficult” and “controlling” on-sent presence hasn’t slipped the public’s attention, as a flurry of internet commentary took up arms against the actress for various reasons during the film’s promotions. “Tone deaf” allegations against Blake especially took centre stage in the fiery rhetoric against the Gossip Girl star. Her questionable remarks in older interviews and the reminder of her and Ryan Reynolds’ highly contentious plantation wedding resurfaced simultaneously, fuelling the critical fire against her.
Even though there was some sound explanation to the criticism faced by Lively, she’s completely turned the months-old debate on its head, as the winds of change are now targetting Baldoni more than ever despite the internet being on his side initially.
Justin Baldoni’s career has already taken a hit after Blake Lively’s first filing
Support from the film industry has poured in for Lively, while Baldoni is facing the consequent wrath of the disturbing allegations levelled against him. Although Lively’s complaint isn’t a full-fledged lawsuit yet since such filings usually precede it, Justin has already met with the incendiary aftermath as his Voices of Solidarity Award from Vital Voices, a title for being an “ally to women,” has been rescinded.
Despite the actor’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, firing back at the heavy accusations, he’s been dropped by the talent agency WME, which also reps the Simple Favor actress and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. Moreover, Baldoni’s podcast co-hosts and non-profits have also shunned him. With things looking increasingly bad for the man who was once heavily portrayed as a feminist ally off-camera, Stephanie Jones, the founder of Justin’s former PR company, has hit him with his first formal lawsuit. Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios and publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel have also been dragged into the consequence of Lively’s allegations as Jones is coming after them for defamation, breach of contract and more.
Legal expert says Blake Lively could walk away with $10m
The Gossip Girl celeb’s precursor legal move has already set off a chain reaction. An expert recently weighed in on the scandal slipping out of Baldoni’s control and how things are only going to get worse for the 40-year-old actor from here on.
Attorney Camron Dowlatshahi, partner at MSD Lawyers, also feels strongly that Lively may end up waking away with millions of dollars in the end as Baldoni’s career will continue to take one hit after the other. “It’s absolutely reputation-related. She has, between her and her husband, all the money in the world,” the legal expert shared with The US Sun. Taking into account how this is not a “money issue” for Lively, the lawyer pressed that “this was her needing to change the narrative, and already it has.”
Johnny Depp-Amber Heard case deja vu
He believes that the positive effects on her reputation will continue following. Drawing parallels with the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard case, he explained that as there were “so many emotions, and there’s money on both sides… they’re willing to really litigate it to the fullest.” The same can be expected of the Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni legal war. “In terms of settlement, I mean, obviously you’re looking in the seven figures into the eight figures potentially.”
Also predicting how this was “just the start,” the attorney predicted “there’s more text messages to be had,” especially since Lively’s initial filing itself was backed by text chains allegedly exchanged between Baldoni’s publicist and crisis management expert.
Highlighting Lively’s legal team’s “skilled lawyering” on that part, Dowlatshahi said, “Blake Lively’s attorneys came up with a very targeted strategy of subpoenaing records through a kind of not very commonly used statute, is likely how they went about it.”
Dire chances of Justin Baldoni’s career revival
Serious consequences of the actress’ complaint have already impacted Baldoni’s career. Addressing how quickly WME dropped him, the expert noted, “They did so because obviously Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are huge clients and they have to take care of their bigger clients, but the allegations are very serious and the evidence is strong.”
As for what is required of Justin Baldoni to “essentially revive his career,” which is “looking like it’s dead,” the Jane the Virgin vet will have to come up with a strong, targetted campaign… with legal defences to back it up.”
In addition to It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover being on Lively’s side, even the film’s distributor, Sony, empowered the support flowing in her direction. “We have previously expressed our support for Blake in connection with her work on and for the film. We fully and firmly reiterate that support today,” a Sony Pictures Entertainment spokesperson told Variety. “Further, we strongly condemn any reputational attacks on her. Any such attacks have no place in our business or in a civil society.”
