LOS ANGELES, Jan 1 — Actor and director Justin Baldoni is suing the New York Times for US$250 million (RM1.1 billion), accusing the newspaper of libel and false light invasion of privacy.
Variety reported today that the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, centres on a December 20 article that painted Baldoni as a key figure in a Hollywood smear campaign against his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively.
The article claimed Baldoni had repeatedly entered Lively’s trailer uninvited, including while she was undressed and breastfeeding.
Baldoni, however, insists that the texts in question were taken out of context and deliberately manipulated to mislead the public.
Baldoni’s lawsuit is not an isolated case. He’s joined by nine other plaintiffs, including publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, who are also suing the Times over the misleading portrayal in the article titled “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.”
According to Variety, the plaintiffs argue that the Times relied on “cherry-picked” text exchanges, stripping them of crucial context.
Their legal team claims that the paper’s reporting failed to reflect the full story and distorted the facts to fit a narrative that harmed their reputations.
The central dispute lies in how the Times reported Lively’s accusations of sexual harassment by Baldoni and It Ends With Us producers, suggesting a retaliatory smear campaign after Lively voiced concerns.
The lawsuit flips this narrative, accusing Lively of orchestrating a manipulative campaign to control the production.
According to the lawsuit, Lively’s husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, allegedly confronted Baldoni in a heated meeting, accusing him of “fat-shaming” Lively and pressuring Baldoni’s agency, WME, to sever ties with him.
A WME spokesman, however, denied any such pressure from the Reynolds camp.
In response, the Times defended its reporting, stating that it had been “meticulously and responsibly” researched and accurately quoted text messages and emails.
The paper further emphasised that no errors had been pointed out by the plaintiffs and that their full statement had been included in the article.
A Times spokesman told Variety that the outlet would “vigorously defend” the article in court.
Last month, Lively filed a federal complaint against Baldoni and his team alleging retaliation after she raised sexual harassment concerns during filming.
Despite the growing legal drama, It Ends With Us was a box-office hit, grossing US$351 million worldwide.
