Blake Lively's Lawyers Condemn 'Multiple Attacks' From Justin Baldoni
Blake LivelyLawyers criticized “another attack” that appeared Justin Baldoni and his team.
The New York Times the news came out on December 21 that Lively was suing Baldoni – her expenses and the director of the film It ends with us – sexual harassment. Baldoni denied all the allegations against him in the case, which were there received by Us Weeklyand days later, he was among the 10 plaintiffs who presented ia $250 million case against The New York Times by including Lively's allegations.
On New Year's Eve, Lively, 37, filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, 40, in New York federal court, citing his earlier claims that were filed with the California Department of Human Rights. In addition to Baldoni, Lively is suing the publishers Melissa Nathan again Jennifer Abeland Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni's production company.
The actor's lawyers told People in a statement on Monday, January 6, that Lively's “serious claims of sexual harassment and retaliation” are “supported by concrete facts.”
“This is not a 'dispute' arising from a 'creative difference' or a 'said' situation,” read the attorneys' statement, according to the statement. “As stated in Ms. Lively's complaint, and as we will testify at trial, Wayfarer. [Studios] and its partners are involved in illegal astrology, and to take revenge on Ms. Lively for trying to protect herself and others on the film set. And their response to the lawsuit has been to launch more attacks on Ms. Lively since she filed.”
The statement noted: “Sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in all workplaces and in all industries. A common tactic to deflect allegations of this type of misconduct is to 'blame the victim' by suggesting that they invited the behavior, brought it on themselves, misunderstood their intentions, or even lied.”
Lively's team continued, “Another old trick is to reverse the victim and the perpetrator, and suggest that the perpetrator is actually the victim. These views normalize and trivialize allegations of misconduct.”
And finally, they wrote, “Most importantly, the press statements are not a defense to legal claims by Ms. Lively. We will continue to prosecute his claims in federal court, where the law determines who belongs, not hyperbole and threats. “
Us Weekly reached Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedmanto be noted.
Thursday, January 2, Freedman said NBC News that he “absolutely” planned to sue Lively on behalf of his client.
“We plan to release all messages between the two of them,” Freedman told reporters. “We want the truth to be clear. We want the documents to be there. We want people to make their decision based on receipts.”
Earlier, he shared a statement with her Usvowing to “take it down” The New York Times “for its vicious smear campaign.”
As for the Timessaid the spokesperson Us that the outlet is planning a “powerful defense” of its own.
“The role of a representative news organization is to follow the facts where they lead,” reads the December 31 statement. “Our story was reported neatly and appropriately. It is based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article. Those texts and emails were the basis of a discrimination lawsuit filed in California by Blake Lively against Justin Baldoni and his co-conspirators.”
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