What texts and messages Blake Lively’s legal complaint against It Ends With Us co-star show
Documents from actress Blake Lively’s legal complaint about her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni claim to show how his PR team deliberately “planted pieces of how horrible Blake is to work with” in the press and on social media.
The legal complaint, filed to the California Civil Rights Department on Friday, contains pages of text messages allegedly sent between Baldoni and his PR team.
Lively, 37, claims that Baldoni, 40, who is also the director of the film, hired crisis PR management to engage in a “multi-tiered” plan to damage her reputation after she and her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48, complained of “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour” on set of the movie.
Lively at the UK gala screening for the film on 8 August. Pic: AP
A lawyer representing Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios says the allegations are “completely false, outrage and intentionally salacious”.
He adds that the studio and its PR team “did nothing proactive nor retaliated” against Lively – and that it hired crisis PR managers “due to the multiple demands and threats made by Ms Lively during production”.
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Blake Lively on being an actor and producer
The text messages, which Lively says she acquired through a subpoena, involve exchanges between Jennifer Abel, of PR firm RWA Communications, Melissa Nathan, of The Agency Group PR, and Baldoni.
They include:
- Details of two quotes of PR packages – one costing “£175k” for a “3-4 month period” including “full reddit, full social account take downs”;
- Another PR package costing “$25k per month” for “min 3 months” that includes “creation of social fan engagement to go back and forth with any negative accounts, helping to change the narrative and stay on track”;
- Baldoni asking Ms Abel “What is the TikTok strategy” and saying “I’d like you guys to start posting me ONLY talking about domestic violence and clips and why this movie is so important”;
- Ms Abel telling Ms Nathan she was “having reckless thoughts of wanting to plant pieces this week of how horrible Blake is to work with”;
- Ms Abel saying: “The narrative online is so freaking good and fans are still sticking up for Justin” and telling Ms Nathan “you did such amazing work”;
- Ms Nathan telling Ms Abel: “The majority of socials are so pro Justin and I don’t even agree with half of them lol”;
- Ms Nathan replying to Ms Abel: “Narrative is CRAZY good”;
- Ms Nathan telling Ms Abel: “We can’t write it down to him… We can’t write we will destroy her”;
- Ms Nathan adding: “you know we can bury anyone”;
- Ms Nathan saying to Ms Abel: “Don’t worry, I didn’t kill her and send her in a box to your house”, to which Abel replies: “DAMNIT”;
- Ms Nathan telling Ms Abel socials are “really really ramping up”, to which Ms Abel adds: “It’s actually sad because it just shows you have people really want to hate on women”.
The text messages appear to date between 15 May and 18 August this year. It Ends With Us was released on 9 August.
In one other exchange, Baldoni expresses concerns his PR team may have been deploying fake “bots” to “take her [Lively] down” on social media, to which Ms Nathan replies: “I can fully confirm we do not have bots.”
The legal documents also include the alleged list of conditions Lively submitted for her “returning to production” after she alleged sexual harassment on set.
They include “no one entering… BL’s trailer while she is in a state of undress” and “no discussions of personal experience with sex or nudity”.
Lively’s legal complaint claims Baldoni “abruptly pivoted away from” the film’s marketing plan and “used domestic violence ‘survivor content’ to protect his public image” after the sexual harassment allegations came out.
Baldoni at the world premiere in New York on 6 August. Pic: AP
Baldoni brands Lively’s claims ‘shameful’
Mr Freedman, representing Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, says in his statement: “It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions.
“These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media. Wayfarer Studios made the decision to proactively hire a crisis manager prior to the marketing campaign of the film, to work alongside their own representative with Jonesworks employed by Stephanie Jones, due to the multiple demands and threats made by Ms. Lively during production which included her threatening to not showing up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release, if her demands were not met.
“It was also discovered that Ms. Lively enlisted her own representative, Leslie Sloan with Vision PR, who also represents Mr. Reynolds, to plant negative and completely fabricated and false stories with media, even prior to any marketing had commenced for the film, which was another reason why Wayfarer Studios made the decision to hire a crisis professional to commence internal scenario planning in the case they needed to address.
“The representatives of Wayfarer Studios still did nothing proactive nor retaliated, and only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual reporting and monitored social activity. What is pointedly missing from the cherry-picked correspondence is the evidence that there were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; just internal scenario planning and private correspondence to strategize which is standard operating procedure with public relations professionals.”
Lively says in a statement to the New York Times: “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.”
The August release of It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel, was shrouded by speculation over discord between the lead pair.
Baldoni took a backseat in promoting the film while Lively took centre stage along with Reynolds, who was on the press circuit for Deadpool & Wolverine at the same time.
Sky News has contacted Jessica Abel and RWA Communications for comment.
Entertainment
Scarlett Johansson responds after her likeness is used in AI video of celebrities condemning Kanye West’s antisemitism
Scarlett Johansson has condemned the use of AI after her likeness was used in a viral video of celebrities condemning Kanye West’s antisemitism.
The AI-generated clip shows celebrities such as Johansson, Ben Stiller, Mila Kunis and Steven Spielberg wearing white T-shirts featuring the Star of David inside a hand sticking up its middle finger above Kanye’s name.
It finishes with an AI version of Adam Sandler sticking his middle finger up at the camera and the words: “Enough is enough. Join the fight to end antisemitism.”
An AI David Schwimmer also appears in the video. Pic: Ori Bejerano
But Johansson released a statement about “the misuse of AI”, writing: “I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind.
“But I also firmly believe that the potential for hate speech multiplied by AI is a far greater threat than any one person who takes accountability for it.
“We must call out the misuse of AI, no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality.”
She added: “I have unfortunately been a very public victim of AI, but the truth is that the threat of AI affects each and every one of us.”
She called on the US government to do more to limit AI, adding: “There is a 1,000ft wave coming regarding AI that several progressive countries, not including the United States, have responded to in a responsible manner. It is terrifying that the US government is paralysed when it comes to passing legislation that protects all of its citizens against the imminent dangers of AI.
“I urge the US government to make the passing of legislation limiting AI use a top priority; it is a bipartisan issue that enormously affects the immediate future of humanity at large.”
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Kanye West. Pic: AP
Controversy surrounding swastika T-shirts
It comes amid a backlash after West, also known as Ye, sold T-shirts featuring a swastika and wrote a series of antisemitic messages on X.
On Sunday the US rapper bought a Super Bowl advert which directed people to his website, which featured nothing but a single white T-shirt with a swastika on the front alongside the code “HH-01” – which the Anti-Defamation League (ADF) said was code for “Heil Hitler”.
The ADF described the shirt, which was on sale for $20 (£16) as “further proof” of West’s antisemitism.
The e-commerce platform Spotify, which hosts many online shops and businesses, later deactivated his site.
In an emailed statement to Sky News’ partner network NBC News, Shopify said: “All merchants are responsible for following the rules of our platform. This merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and violated our terms so we removed them from Shopify.”
yeez.com was taken offline by Shopify, the e-commerce platform hosting his shop
Antisemitic online posts
In recent days West posted antisemitic messages on X, as well as “I love Hitler” and “I’m a Nazi”.
His account then had a “sensitive content warning” added before he deactivated it on Monday.
His spokesperson Milo Yiannopoulos said: “Ye is an intergenerational artist and icon who continues to redefine the limits of creativity and free expression. He has deactivated his X account for the time being.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism was joined by Friends star David Schwimmer, who features in the AI video, in calling for Elon Musk to remove West from X over a string of offensive posts.
A$AP Rocky will not give evidence at his trial over allegations he fired a gun at a former friend and collaborator.
In court in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the 36-year-old rapper was asked by Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold if he had discussed the issue with his lawyers.
“Absolutely, your honour,” Rocky replied, saying he would invoke America’s Fifth Amendment right to silence. “I want my right not to testify.”
The rapper faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted. Pic: Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via AP
The star’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, previously said he was “eager to tell his story” and would “love the opportunity to do so”, but putting a defendant through a potentially long cross-examination can often be risky in criminal cases.
Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is accused of firing a gun at Terell Ephron, also known as A$AP Relli, a former friend and member of the A$AP crew of collaborators they were part of at school in New York.
Ephron gave evidence earlier in the trial, saying their friendship had broken down and a feud allegedly came to a head on an evening in November 2021.
At the start of the trial, jurors were shown surveillance videos that prosecutors argue make it clear Rocky fired a gun at Ephron outside a parking garage in Hollywood.
However, Mr Tacopina said in his defence opening statement that the gun was not real, but rather a starter pistol carried as a prop. Ephron has been driven by “jealousy, lies and greed”, he told the court.
Terell Ephron, aka A$AP Relli, says Rocky fired a gun at him. Pic: Frazer Harrison/Pool via AP
‘Non-lethal form of self-defence’
On Monday, Rocky’s tour manager Lou Levin became the second witness from his inner circle to testify that he carried a fake gun for security.
The star’s house had previously been broken into by a stalker and others, he said, so he told him it made sense to carry it.
“Security and I thought it would be a good idea, because of the prior violence,” Mr Levin told the court. “It’s just a non-lethal form of self-defence.”
Rocky’s partner Rihanna has attended court to show support on several days during the trial. Pic: AP/Liam McEwan
The gun had come from a video shoot in the summer of 2021, he said, about three months before the night in question.
The defence has said it does not have the starter pistol now. The authorities also did not recover the pistol they allege was used.
Rocky is charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
Ahead of the trial, he turned down a plea deal that could have led to a 180-day jail sentence, in exchange for a guilty plea on one count.
He faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted.
The defence has now rested its case, with closing arguments from both sides expected later this week.
A Grammy-nominated music star, actor and fashion mogul, Rocky is the partner of pop superstar Rihanna, and the couple have two young sons.
Rihanna has attended court on several days to show support.
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