Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni: It Ends With Us Director Refuses to Let Actress’ Publisist Leslie Sloane Exit Case; Find Out Why

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In simpler terms, Blake Lively’s longtime representative, Leslie Sloane, wants to step away from the heated legal conflict between director Justin Baldoni and his ex-costar. However, Baldoni and his lawyers don’t agree with her departure, claiming that Sloane was deeply involved in a supposed conspiracy against them. This new twist increases the complexity of an already tense dispute involving notable figures in Hollywood, accusations of defamation, and allegations of a malicious smear campaign.

On March 6, Baldoni, together with his production company Wayfarer Studios and PR team, filed a court motion challenging Sloane’s attempt to withdraw from the case. The filing asserts that Sloane’s PR firm, Vision PR, collaborated with Lively and other parties such as Ryan Reynolds and The New York Times to tarnish Baldoni’s image. The document alleges that Sloane’s team spread misleading clues and released unfounded accusations to the media to divert attention from Lively’s PR issues.

The center of the dispute revolves around an article published by The New York Times on December 21, which outlined Lively’s accusations of sexual harassment and a deliberate smear campaign against her. Since then, Baldoni’s team has initiated a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the newspaper, alleging that the piece was part of a larger plan to sabotage his career and sully the reputation of his film.

Additionally, Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios have initiated a separate lawsuit worth $400 million against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane for accusations of defamation and extortion. However, in response, the legal team representing Sloane has countered that Baldoni’s allegations are “strange and unjustified,” stating that he has failed to present substantial proof supporting any misconduct by Sloane.

Simultaneously, Lively claims she faced a strategic online smear campaign, which she alleges was masterminded by Baldoni’s public relations team, aimed at silencing negative press about the director. However, Baldoni’s team denies organizing such a campaign. Nonetheless, leaked communications hint that strategies targeting Lively were indeed considered—although one ex-team member asserted they didn’t have to intervene because “the internet was already handling it for us.

The trial is scheduled for March 2026, but the conflict between the two parties persists and shows no signs of abating. Judge Lewis J. Liman hasn’t made a decision about dismissing Sloane and The New York Times from the case yet, but this ongoing legal battle rages on. At the SXSW red carpet for her new film, Another Simple Favor, Lively chose not to comment on the dispute, preferring instead to let the court proceedings play out in the news rather than on the Hollywood stage.

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2025-03-08 08:37