Justin Baldoni Files $250 Million Lawsuit against The New York Times
Actor Justin Baldoni has filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the newspaper of defamation. The lawsuit stems from The Times’ coverage of an alleged “smear campaign” launched by Baldoni against his co-star, Blake Lively, in their film “It Ends with Us”. Lively had previously filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and more. Lively also claimed that Baldoni orchestrated a “social manipulation” campaign to ruin her career and reputation.
Allegations of Defamation and Misrepresentation
The New York Times published a story on December 21 titled “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.” The article included private emails and text messages that purportedly revealed a “playbook for waging a largely undetectable smear campaign in the digital era” against Lively, who is 37 years old and married to actor Ryan Reynolds. However, Baldoni and other plaintiffs, including Hollywood public relations experts, argue that the Times deliberately omitted crucial parts of the text exchanges and other information that contradicted Lively’s version of events. They claim that the newspaper defamed them by leaving out important context that disputes many of Lively’s claims.
Baldoni’s Lawsuit Exposes the Truth
In the 87-page lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court by attorney Bryan Freedman, Baldoni and the other plaintiffs assert that the Times’ article was designed to mislead readers. The lawsuit claims that the article falsely asserted that the plaintiffs orchestrated a retaliatory public relations campaign against Lively for speaking out about sexual harassment. According to the lawsuit, this premise is categorically false and easily disproven. The suit also alleges that the Times relied heavily on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative while disregarding evidence that contradicted her claims and revealed her true motives.
Accusations of Manipulated Texts and Omissions
Bryan Freedman, the attorney representing Baldoni and the other plaintiffs, has accused The New York Times of cowering to the demands of powerful Hollywood elites and disregarding journalistic practices and ethics. Freedman contends that the newspaper used doctored and manipulated texts and intentionally omitted texts that would have challenged their chosen public relations narrative. However, The Times stands by its reporting, stating that the story was meticulously and responsibly researched, based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including text messages and emails.
The Times’ Response and Baldoni’s Allegations
Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha stated that the newspaper plans to vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit. Ha emphasized that The Times published the plaintiffs’ full statement in response to the allegations and that the report was published within the given deadline for Baldoni’s representatives to respond. However, the lawsuit claims that the Times never intended for the plaintiffs to respond and only included their statement to give the appearance of journalistic ethics and fairness.
Impact on Baldoni’s Career
The Times’ article reportedly led to talent agency William Morris Endeavor dropping Baldoni as a client. The repercussions of the article and the subsequent lawsuit could have significant implications for Baldoni’s career.
In Conclusion
Justin Baldoni’s $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times highlights allegations of defamation and misrepresentation. Baldoni and other plaintiffs claim that the newspaper deliberately omitted crucial information and manipulated texts to support a false narrative about a “smear campaign” against Blake Lively. The Times stands by its reporting and plans to vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit. The outcome of the lawsuit could have far-reaching consequences for both Baldoni and The New York Times.
