Blake Lively hits back at Justin Baldoni: Another chapter in abuser playbook

In response to a defamation and extortion lawsuit filed on Thursday, January 16, by Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their associates, Blake Lively’s legal team has issued a strong statement condemning the legal action as retaliatory. “This latest lawsuit from Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its associates is another chapter in the abuser playbook,” Lively’s lawyers declared. They also revealed that Sony Pictures had specifically asked Lively to oversee the studio’s cut of the film in question, which was ultimately chosen for distribution and became “a resounding success.” Lively’s legal team also criticised what they described as an outdated and misogynistic defence strategy. The lawsuit from Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios, which also names publicist Leslie Sloane as a defendant, comes about two weeks after Lively sued Baldoni and several others tied to the film, alleging harassment and a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set.