After Justin Baldoni filed a lawsuit against the New York Times for their report centering his It Ends With Us costar Blake Lively’s allegations against him, his attorney says they will sue her.
Justin Baldoni is preparing for another legal battle.
Three days after the It Ends With Us star filed a lawsuit against The New York Times for their Dec. 21 report centering costar Blake Lively's allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation, his attorney confirmed that they "absolutely" plan to sue the actress. 
"We plan to release every single text message between the two of them," Bryan Freedman told NBC News in a Jan. 2 interview. "We want the truth to be out there. We want the documents to be out there. We want people to make their determination based on receipts."
On Dec. 31, Baldoni sued the NYT for libel in a $250 million lawsuit obtained by E! News, which claimed if the outlet "truly reviewed the thousands of private communications it claimed to have obtained, its reporters would have seen incontrovertible evidence that it was Lively, not Plaintiffs, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign." 
The lawsuit argued that the newspaper's allegations were "false, outrageous and intentionally salacious" when publishing Lively's California civil rights complaint that also accused the director of launching a "smear campaign" against her and creating a hostile work environment while filming the Colleen Hoover adaptation. However, their filing claimed more lawsuits against more individuals will be forthcoming.
"This lawsuit seeks to hold the Times accountable for its role in this defamation campaign, but Plaintiffs are not done," Baldoni's lawsuit obtained by E! News read. "There are other bad actors involved, and make no mistake—this will not be the last lawsuit."
Freedman, who filed the suit on his behalf, told E! News in a statement Dec. 31 that the newspaper "cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful 'untouchable' Hollywood elites, disregarding journalistic practices and ethics once befitting of the revered publication by using doctored and manipulated texts and intentionally omitting texts which dispute their chosen PR narrative."
His attorney stated that his team would "unite to take down" the NYT, accusing the outlet of embracing "partial truths."
However, the newspaper vehemently denied the allegations brought against them by the Jane the Virgin actor.
"We plan to vigorously defend against the lawsuit," the NYT said in a Jan. 1 statement. "The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead. Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported."
"It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents," the statement continued, "including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article."
Regarding the suit against the NYT, Lively's attorney told E! News in a statement, "Nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about the claims advanced in Ms. Lively's California Civil Rights Department Complaint, nor her federal complaint, filed earlier today."
But the legal troubles from the set of It Ends With Us doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. 
After Baldoni filed his suit against the NYT, Lively filed her own on the same day against her former costar, his company Wayfarer Studios, "crisis manager" Melissa Nathan and publicist Jennifer Abel—all of whom are listed in her complaint—for mental pain and anguish, severe emotional distress, and lost wages, according to documents obtained by E! News.
In Lively's original complaint filed earlier last month, the Gossip Girl actress alleged that Baldoni sexually harassed her on set, including showing her "nude videos or images of women to Blake" and discussing alleged past "pornography addiction." The filing also accused Baldoni of hiring a PR team that "engaged in a sophisticated, coordinated, and well-financed retaliation plan" to sway public opinion in his favor. 
In response to the claim, Freedman denied the allegations to the NYT and accused Lively of filing a "false, outrageous and intentionally salacious" complaint to "fix her negative reputation."
In her own statement to the outlet, Lively said, "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted."
Now, read on to see how celebrities have reacted to Lively's filing.
(E! News and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Colleen Hoover
After Blake Lively filed a legal complaint against It Ends With Us costar and director Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment on the film's set and for later taking part in a smear campaign against her—claims that he has since denied via his lawyer—Colleen Hoover, who wrote the book that the movie is based on, shared a message to the actress.
"@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met," Colleen wrote on her Instagram Stories Dec. 21. "Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt."
Robyn Lively
Blake's sister, fellow actress Robyn Lively, also weighed in.
"I urge everyone to read The NY Times article in its entirety," Robyn wrote on Instagram Dec. 23, referencing the NYT piece that details Blake's complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department. "It calls out those behind the ruthless and nefarious smear campaign that aimed to take down my sister."
The Teen Witch star went on to note that it also "highlights" what Blake allegedly experienced on the set of It Ends With Us.
Paul Feig
Blake's A Simple Favor director also came to her defense, writing on X Dec. 22, "I’ve now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people I’ve ever worked with. She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it’s awful she was put through this."
Amy Schumer
The comedian showed her support for the Gossip Girl alum, writing on her Instagram Story Dec. 22, "I believe Blake."
Gwyneth Paltrow
Shortly after Blake's complaint was made public, the Goop founder shared a photo of The Town star's hair company, Blake Brown, on her Instagram Story, writing, "Just added to my Christmas wish list."
Alexis Bledel, Amber Tamblyn & America Ferrera
Blake's BFFs and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars penned a joint message, posted to Instagram Dec. 22, stating they "stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation."
Bart Johnson
Bart Johnson shared an impassioned defense of his sister-in-law in the comments section of a New York Times Instagram post detailing the filing and its own investigation into the behind-the-scenes turmoil.
“Her complained were filed during the filming,” the High School Musical alum, who is married to Blake's sister Robyn, wrote. “On record. Long before the public conflict. The cast unfollowed him for a reason. Read this article before spitting ignorance. His PR team was stellar. Gross and disgusting but highly effective. Read the article, their text message exchanges and his PR campaign strategy to bury her by any means necessary. No one is with out faults. But the public got played."
He later added on X of Baldoni, "He’s a fraud. He puts on the 'costume' of a hero, man bun and all. Used all of the trendy catchphrases & buzz words for his podcasts. None of it’s genuine. It’s all theater. And everyone fell for it. For years. Rewatch his videos with a more critical eye and watch him compliment and praise himself with faux humility and self deprecation. What a performance."
Shawn Levy
Ryan Reynolds' frequent collaborator Shawn Levy shared the New York Times investigation into the smear campaign on his Instagram Stories, writing, "Proud to call @blakelively a friend."
Amber Heard
Days after Lively's filing was made public, Amber Heard reflected on her own experience facing relentless vitriol online amid ex Johnny Depp's defamation trial against her.
“Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying ‘A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on,’” the Aquaman star expressed in a statement to NBC News Dec. 23. “I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.”
Brandon Sklenar
Brandon Sklenar, who played Blake's love interest Atlas Corrigan in It Ends With Us, had a simple, pointed message of support.
Sharing a screenshot of the Gossip Girl alum's full complaint against Baldoni on his Instagram Stories Dec. 23, he wrote over a link to the text, "For the love of God read this." He followed up by tagging her with a heart emoji.
Jenny Slate
Jenny Slate, who played Baldoni's sister and Blake's BFF in the film, shared her thoughts on the "disturbing" allegations.
“As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation,” Slate said in a Dec. 23 statement to Today. “Blake is a leader, loyal friend and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her.”
“What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening," the Parks and Recreation alum continued. "I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.”
The actor, who stars alongside Lively in the upcoming sequel to A Simple Favor, sent his love to her on Instagram Story Dec. 23, adding that he felt her "pain" as they filmed together earlier this year.
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