The New York Times has formally requested a federal judge to dismiss Justin Baldoni’s $250 million defamation lawsuit, according to Variety. The lawsuit stems from the Times’ December 21 article, “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” which revealed that actress Blake Lively had filed a civil rights complaint against Baldoni, her It Ends With Us co-star and director.
NYT argues Baldoni’s lawsuit lacks merit
Baldoni earlier alleged that the Times collaborated with Lively and her PR team to publish the report, which detailed claims that he and his representatives orchestrated a campaign to damage Lively’s reputation in retaliation for her raising concerns about his on-set behaviour.
In its court filing, the Times argues that Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer, are attempting to pull the newspaper into their ongoing dispute with Lively. The publication asserts that it simply engaged in legitimate newsgathering and reporting on the conflict. The filing further states that Baldoni’s lawsuit presents a “one-sided tale” designed for headlines rather than a valid legal case.
According to Variety, a spokesperson for the Times, Danielle Rhoades Ha, defended the newspaper’s actions, stating:
“As our motion shows, this case should never have been brought against The New York Times. Blake Lively raised serious concerns about the way she was treated on set and after the movie’s release. We did exactly what news organizations should do: we informed the public of the complaint she filed with the California Civil Rights Department.”
She also accused Baldoni of attempting to discredit the Times’ reporting, calling his lawsuit a “misbegotten campaign” that would not silence the publication.
Blake Lively’s team speaks out
While Baldoni’s representatives have yet to respond to the motion, a spokesperson for Lively supported the Times’ request for dismissal.
“The New York Times correctly calls out Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit for what it is: a shameless PR document that has no business in a court of law,” the statement read.
Lively’s team further claimed that Baldoni’s past advocacy for believing women is at odds with his response to her allegations. They cited Lively’s amended complaint, which accuses Baldoni and his billionaire backer, Steve Sorowitz, of deploying a “social media combat plan” to “bury” and “destroy” both Lively and the media covering her claims.
Earlier this month, Baldoni’s legal team amended their initial complaint, citing metadata from the Times’ website, which allegedly proves that the newspaper had access to Lively’s complaint at least 11 days before publishing its report.
Baldoni originally filed his $250 million defamation lawsuit on the same day Lively sued him, his PR team, and Wayfarer. On January 16, Wayfarer countersued, and two weeks later, the Times was added as a defendant.