Justin Baldoni’s Former Agency WME Responds to Pressure Allegations

WME, Justin Baldoni's former agency, asserts that Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively did not influence their decision to drop the actor and director.

Baldoni, 40, was dropped as a client last month, one day after Lively, 37, lodged a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department. She accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and fostering a hostile work environment while filming "It Ends With Us." Subsequently, Baldoni filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times on December 31. This lawsuit claims that Reynolds pressured the agency to drop him at the **Deadpool & Wolverine** premiere, alleging an intent to "destroy Baldoni’s career and personal life."

On January 1, WME clarified to The Hollywood Reporter that Baldoni's claim about Reynolds' influence is untrue. The agency emphasized that Baldoni’s representative did not attend the premiere, and neither Reynolds nor Lively pressured them to discontinue his representation.

Baldoni's lawsuit against The New York Times includes charges of libel and false light invasion of privacy. According to the lawsuit, cited by Us Weekly, he claims that Lively systematically excluded him from promotions for his own film.

He accused Lively of trying to prevent him from attending the film’s premiere last summer. The suit describes that "Lively initially refused to permit his attendance," but after significant pressure, she allowed him and the Wayfarer team to attend under humiliating conditions. This arrangement included segregation from the main cast and exclusion from the exclusive after-party.

The lawsuit portrays how Lively allegedly attempted to alienate Baldoni and his family at the premiere. It claims Baldoni’s red carpet participation was abruptly terminated, and his family was kept in a basement-like holding area before being directed to a separate theater after Lively left. It asserts that Lively not only overshadowed the film but also denied Baldoni and his team a genuine chance to celebrate their efforts.

Simultaneously, Lively filed her own lawsuit against Baldoni in the Southern District of New York. Alongside Baldoni, she is suing publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, as well as Wayfarer Studios. Her claims encompass sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and loss of wages, which mirror those stated in the earlier California Civil Rights Department complaint.

In response to Baldoni’s lawsuit, Lively’s attorney stated, "Nothing in this lawsuit alters the claims made in Ms. Lively’s California Civil Rights Department Complaint." They reinforced that Lively's motives for suing were genuine, rejecting Baldoni's characterization of her complaint as merely a tactic without intentions of pursuing litigation. Lively's team urges a comprehensive reading of her complaint as they prepare for court.

Earlier, SSP wrote that Hailey Bieber shared an adorable new photo of baby Jack.