Actor Justin Baldoni has filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the newspaper of defaming him. The lawsuit claims the Times supported false accusations from his co-star Blake Lively.
Blake Lively had previously accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, emotional harm, and trying to ruin her reputation. The Times wrote an article titled, “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” which described private texts and emails that allegedly showed Baldoni and his team running a smear campaign against Lively.
Baldoni and his team argue that the article left out important evidence that could disprove Lively’s claims. They say the Times only focused on Lively’s version of the story and ignored messages that supported Baldoni.
The lawsuit also claims the Times rushed to publish the story before Baldoni’s team had a chance to respond. Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, accused the paper of using edited texts and ignoring journalistic ethics.
The Times defended its reporting, saying it was based on thorough research, including thousands of documents, and that it accurately quoted the texts and emails in question.
Baldoni’s lawsuit comes after talent agency William Morris Endeavor dropped him as a client following the allegations. Baldoni’s lawyer insists Lively’s claims are false and meant to damage his reputation.
