Blake Lively Files Lawsuit Against Justin Baldoni, Alleges ‘Severe Emotional Distress’

Transcript

00:00New legal drama continues to unfold with Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively.

00:06Days after Blake Lively filed a California Civil Rights Department complaint against

00:10Justin Baldoni, accusing her It Ends With Us co-star and director of both participating in

00:16an alleged smear campaign against her and allegedly sexually harassing her, she is now

00:21filing a lawsuit in federal court against him and Wayfarer Studios, Access Hollywood confirms.

00:27The lawsuit, which is based on Lively's previously filed civil rights complaint,

00:31also names Baldoni's crisis managers Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel as defendants,

00:37per court docs obtained by Access Hollywood. The lawsuit claims Lively has suffered from

00:43emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment,

00:46belittlement, frustration, and mental anguish. Access Hollywood has reached out to Baldoni's

00:52team and Wayfarer Studios for comment. Brian Friedman, a lawyer for Baldoni,

00:58Wayfarer Studios, and all its representatives, previously spoke out to NBC News about Lively's

01:04civil rights complaint, calling the allegations categorically false, adding in a statement that

01:10they were, quote, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and

01:15rehash a narrative in the media. The update comes as Baldoni is suing the New York Times for $250

01:22million for reporting on, quote, false allegations against him, per a December 31st legal filing

01:29obtained by E! News. Lively's attorneys issued a statement to Access Hollywood regarding the New

01:35York Times lawsuit that reads in part, quote, nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about

01:41the claims advanced in Ms. Lively's California civil rights department complaint, nor her federal

01:46complaint filed earlier today. This lawsuit is based on the obviously false premise that Ms.

01:51Lively's administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a ruse based on a choice,

01:56not to file a lawsuit against Baldoni Wayfarer, and that litigation was never her ultimate goal.

02:02As demonstrated by the federal complaint filed by Ms. Lively earlier today, that frame of reference

02:08for the Wayfarer lawsuit is false. Attorney Brian Friedman, whom Access Hollywood has reached out to

02:14for comment, spoke to E! News after filing the lawsuit, claiming in a statement that the Times,

02:19quote, cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful, untouchable Hollywood elites.

02:24The New York Times has issued a statement about the situation that reads in part,

02:29we plan to vigorously defend against the lawsuit. Also adding,

02:33our story was meticulously and responsibly reported.

02:49you