New Delhi:
Actor and director Justin Baldoni has responded to Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds’ legal actions by filing a lawsuit against them.
This comes after the actress filed a legal complaint in December, accusing Justin of sexual harassment and claiming he tried to “destroy” her reputation. According to Deadline, in response, Justin is suing for $400 million (£326 million) in damages, citing civil extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy.
Representatives for the couple and their publicist — who are also named in the case — have not yet commented on Justin’s lawsuit. In a recent development in their growing legal dispute, it ends with us The actor’s lawyers have claimed that Blake and his team attempted to “destroy” him with deceitful tactics.
Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Brian Friedman, said that Blake and his team spread “highly edited, unverified, new and doctored information to the media.” He also accused them of trying to “tarnish reputations and livelihoods for extremely selfish reasons”.
Conflict arose during the production of it ends with usA film based on Colleen Hoover’s novel about domestic abuse. Released in August, the film was a commercial success, grossing over $350 million (£280 million) globally.
However, tension between the co-stars became apparent during the press tour, as they were not seen together on the red carpet at the New York premiere and Justin did not attend the London premiere at all.
Four months after the film’s release, Blake filed her own legal complaint, alleging sexual harassment and other harassing behavior as well as a “hostile work environment” on the set.
In her complaint, she also accused Justin and his studio head of attempting to ruin her reputation online. Baldoni’s legal team has strongly denied the allegations and described them as “patently false”. He also said that he had hired a crisis management team after the actress allegedly threatened to sabotage the film if her demands were not met.
Justin Baldoni’s legal team has now filed a 179-page complaint, stating that he is not guilty and that the ongoing legal battle is “not a matter of celebrities taking digs at each other in the press.” He added, “When the plaintiffs have their day in court, the jury will recognize that even the most powerful celebrity cannot bend the truth to her will.”
