On New Year’s Day, WME (William Morris Endeavor) released a statement addressing the legal disputes surrounding Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively, and Ryan Reynolds. The agency denied claims made in Baldoni’s lawsuit against the New York Times, which alleged that Reynolds pressured his agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere to drop Baldoni as a client.
The lawsuit filed by Baldoni in Los Angeles Superior Court on December 26 centers around allegations of sexual harassment and the subsequent smear campaign he claims was orchestrated by Lively and Reynolds. According to Baldoni’s complaint, Reynolds approached his agent at the premiere, demanding that the agent sever ties with Baldoni. Baldoni’s legal team further alleges that this was part of a broader effort to undermine his career and personal life.
However, in its official statement, WME insisted that no such pressure was exerted on Baldoni by Reynolds or Lively. “In Baldoni’s filing, there is a claim that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere. This is not true,” the agency clarified. “Baldoni’s former representative was not at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere nor was there any pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time to drop Baldoni as a client.”
This clarification came after Baldoni was dropped by WME on December 21, a mere hours after news broke about Lively’s sexual harassment allegations against him. The agency’s response sought to distance Reynolds and Lively from the decision, aiming to mitigate any further reputational damage to the high-profile couple amid the legal disputes.
The Ongoing Legal Battle
The tensions between Baldoni, Lively, and Reynolds escalated as both parties filed lawsuits relating to the allegations of sexual harassment. Blake Lively sued Baldoni in federal court in New York, accusing him of sexual harassment and coordinating a smear campaign against her. This suit, filed 10 days after Lively initially brought forward her accusations, claims Baldoni and his team launched the campaign in retaliation for Lively speaking out about sexual misconduct on the set of the Sony-distributed movie It Ends With Us.
In her lawsuit, Lively describes a series of inappropriate behaviors on the part of Baldoni, including pressuring her into physical scenes without consent, making sexually inappropriate comments, and pressuring her to simulate nudity. Additionally, Lively accused Baldoni of attempting to include a graphic sex scene in the film without her approval. She also detailed an incident where a producer, Jamey Heath, allegedly walked into her trailer while she was topless and stared at her despite her asking him to turn his back.
Lively’s legal filing further claims that she raised concerns about Baldoni’s behavior before filming began, specifically around unapproved physical intimacy and lack of an intimacy coordinator on set.
Meanwhile, Baldoni’s lawsuit against the New York Times specifically targets their role in allegedly misrepresenting the situation. He accuses the publication of spreading an “unverified and self-serving narrative” in its coverage, using cherry-picked information that lacked necessary context.
What’s Next?
As the legal proceedings unfold, both Baldoni and Lively have filed multiple legal complaints, and the public details surrounding their dispute continue to evolve. With WME defending itself against accusations that it was influenced by Lively and Reynolds to part ways with Baldoni, the case is becoming a highly publicized saga involving Hollywood power players.
For now, all parties remain involved in a complex legal battle, which will likely intensify in the coming months as more details emerge. Baldoni’s claims of career sabotage and Lively’s allegations of misconduct highlight the high stakes of this ongoing dispute.
