Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ PR asks to be removed from Justin Baldoni lawsuit

Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ publicist has alleged via her lawyer that she was ‘dragged’ into ‘smoke and mirrors exercise’

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ publicist, Leslie Sloane, has requested to be removed from the $400 million lawsuit filed by It Ends With Us star Justin Baldoni last month.

On Thursday (20 February), Sloane’s lawyer Sigrid McCawley filed a motion in New York federal court asking for the publicist and her firm, Vision PR, to be removed from Baldoni and Wayferer’s countersuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds.

Lively and Baldoni, who starred together in the 2024 film It Ends With Us, have been locked in a legal battle since December when Lively first sued Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment and accused the actor of orchestrating a campaign to “destroy” her reputation. Baldoni responded by suing The New York Times for $250 million, claimed that Reynolds had “aggressively berated him” and later filed a countersuit alleging that Lively and her team had “orchestrated” a “vicious smear campaign” against him.

In court documents, Sloane’s lawyer alleged that the publicist was “dragged” into a “smoke and mirrors exercise” by Baldoni’s team “to distract from their own sexual harassment and systematic retaliation”.

The filing also alleges that there is no “basis” for the claims that they supposedly launched a “smear campaign” against Bladoni or planting “malicious” stories about the actor.

McCawley writes that Sloane has a “decades-long reputation for professionalism and trustworthiness” and that the Wayfarer claims against her have caused her “irreparable professional damage and emotional harm”.

The lawyer also defended Lively against Baldoni’s claim that she took over creative control of their film. McCawley wrote: “Baldoni's allegations about the creative issues are irrelevant and tellingly sexist. Because Ms Lively – an executive producer on the film – dared to offer input on the script, wardrobe and editing, Baldoni blasts her as ‘tyrannical’ and ‘aggressive,’ among other coded terms.”

McCawley further alleged: “When Ms Lively bravely spoke up about Baldoni's predatory behaviour, he and his team used every weapon in their arsenal to blame, embarrass and silence her, going so far as to hire a crisis PR manager who promised to 'bury' Ms Lively and 'destroy' her life.”

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively in ‘It Ends with Us’ (© 2024 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved. **ALL IMAGES ARE PROPERTY OF SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT INC. FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY. S)

The Independent has contacted Baldoni’s representatives for comment.

Lively first filed a legal complaint in December that detailed the claims against her co-star and director Baldoni, with whom she had been rumoured to have clashed while shooting the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling 2016 novel.

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In the lawsuit filed on 1 January in New York federal court, Lively accused Baldoni and his PR team of organising a sophisticated scheme to undermine her reputation, in retaliation for speaking up about alleged misconduct on set.

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively starred together in the Colleen Hoover film adaptation of ‘It Ends With Us’ (Getty Images)

However, Baldoni’s lawyers alleged that Blake Lively and her team had “orchestrated” a “vicious smear campaign” against Baldoni.

On 17 January, Baldoni then countersued Lively and Reynolds in a $400m lawsuit against the couple for allegedly attempting to “destroy” his reputation and career.

In January, a New York federal judge informed both parties to prepare for a trial in March 2026. After this, Lively and Reynolds’ attorneys filed a notice stating that they would seek to dismiss Baldoni’s counter-lawsuit.