Justin Baldoni, actor and director of ‘It Ends With Us’, has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the US-based media house, The New York Times, over the article that mentioned sexual harassment claims made by actor Blake Lively.

Baldoni has demanded $250 million in damages, claiming that the article, which highlighted the sexual allegations against him, has caused significant harm to his reputation.

Baldoni argued that the article presented only one side of the narrative, without mentioning his perspective, which has damaged his image in the industry.

On Tuesday, Variety, an American trade magazine, reported that the actor had filed a lawsuit against The New York Times for showing only one side of the actress’s narrative.

According to reports, Baldoni lost his WME (William Morris Endeavor) client within hours of the article being published.

The article, written by Mehan Tuohery, Mike McIntyre, and Julie Tate, painted the image that Blake Lively had been enduring sexual harassment for a long time, which according to Baldoni is a false accusation.

Blake Lively in her complaint had alleged that Baldoni attempted to launch a smear campaign against her and claimed his behavior caused her and her family “severe emotional harm,” according to Variety.

In response, Bryan Freedman, a lawyer for Baldoni, fired back at Lively’s complaint, calling it “shameful” and full of “categorically false accusations.”

The complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department stated that a meeting was held in January 2024 to address Lively’s claims and her demands to return to work on It Ends With Us after the actors’ and writers’ strikes had ended, allowing production to resume. Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, was also reportedly present at the meeting.

During the meeting, Lively had alleged that Baldoni discussed her weight with her trainer, pressed her to disclose her religious beliefs, and made inappropriate comments about his sex life. Lively also complained that Jamey Heath, one of the producers of the film and the CEO of Wayfarer Studios, showed her a video of his wife naked and giving birth.

(With inputs from Syndicated feed)

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