Blake Lively’s representative, Leslie Sloane, filed a motion Thursday and requested to be dismissed from Justin Baldoni’s amended lawsuit, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
Sloane accused Baldoni and his Wayfarer productions company of dragging her and her Vision PR, Inc. company into a « smoke and mirrors exercise to distract from their own sexual harassment and systematic retaliation. »
Baldoni included Sloane and Vision PR, Inc. in his $400 million defamation lawsuit filed in January, weeks after Lively, 37, filed a federal suit against her « It Ends With Us » co-star where she accused him of sexual harassment on the set of the film.
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« Because the Amended Complaint’s scattershot allegations fail to adequately plead claims for civil extortion, defamation, and false light, Ms. Sloane and Vision PR, Inc. respectfully request that the Court dismiss the Amended Complaint with prejudice and award attorneys’ fees and costs under New York’s anti-SLAPP law, » Sloane’s motion stated.
Sloane claimed Baldoni trivialized the « dispute about sexual harassment and retaliation by trying to recharacterize it as a mere battle for creative control of the movie, ‘It Ends With Us.’ »
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« Baldoni’s allegations about the creative issues are irrelevant and tellingly sexist, » documents stated. « Because Ms. Lively—an executive producer on the film—dared to offer input on the script, wardrobe, and editing, Baldoni blasts her as ‘tyrannical’ and ‘aggressive,’ among other coded terms. »
« The Wayfarer Parties accuse Ms. Sloane and Vision PR, Inc. of extortion but do not (and cannot) identify where or how the alleged extortion occurred, or how Ms. Sloane or Vision PR, Inc. received anything of value because of that extortion, » the lawsuit stated. « They also assert claims for defamation without complying with the basic requirement of identifying or describing the statements they allege are defamatory. »
In addition to dismissing the claims with prejudice, she requested attorneys’ fees and costs.
Sloane, and representatives for Baldoni, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Lively detailed allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, intentional affliction of emotional distress, negligence and more made by Baldoni and film producer Jamey Heath in a complaint first filed with the California Civil Rights department on Dec. 20 and later in federal court on Dec. 31.
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The same day Lively filed her federal suit, Baldoni filed a $250 million suit against the New York Times for a December article about the alleged smear campaign Baldoni attempted to run against his co-star.
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Weeks later, Baldoni then named Lively and Reynolds in a separate $400 million defamation lawsuit in which he accused the Hollywood power couple of attempting to hijack « It Ends With Us » and create their own narrative.
Baldoni and Lively’s legal teams were in federal court recently, and a judge ordered that they follow New York’s Rules of Professional Conduct, which limit speaking to the press.
Neither party will be permitted to make statements to the press that have a « substantial likelihood » of prejudicing a jury. However, the legal teams will be allowed to defend their clients in the media against publicity not created by either side in the dispute.
Source link : https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/blake-lively-rep-claims-justin-baldoni-litigation-smoke-mirrors-exercise-seeks-dismissal-suit
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Publish date : 2025-02-20 21:46:00
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