Blake Lively's representative, Leslie Sloane, has filed a motion to be dismissed from Justin Baldoni's amended lawsuit, alleging that Baldoni and his Wayfarer Productions are using her as a distraction from accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation. Sloane contends that the lawsuit is a "smoke and mirrors exercise" and has requested dismissal with prejudice, along with attorney's fees and costs under New York's anti-SLAPP law.
The motion argues that Baldoni's claims regarding creative control disputes are irrelevant and "tellingly sexist," suggesting that Lively's input as an executive producer on the film has been unfairly characterized as "tyrannical" and "aggressive." Sloane emphasizes that the lawsuit fails to specify how the alleged extortion occurred or how she or Vision PR, Inc. benefited from it. Furthermore, the motion criticizes the defamation claims for not adequately identifying the allegedly defamatory statements.
The legal battle stems from Lively's initial complaint filed with the California Civil Rights department and later in federal court, detailing allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation against Baldoni and film producer Jamey Heath. Baldoni subsequently filed a lawsuit against the New York Times and a separate defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of attempting to control the narrative surrounding "It Ends With Us." A judge has recently ordered both parties to adhere to New York's Rules of Professional Conduct, limiting their public statements regarding the case.
