A leaked voicemail from Justin Baldoni has surfaced, shedding new light on the escalating tensions between him and his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively.
Baldoni and Lively - who portrayed on-screen couple Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid in the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel - reportedly had a strained relationship during filming of the movie.
Speculation about their falling-out intensified during the movie’s press tour, where the pair were rarely seen together.
The situation then reached a boiling point last December when Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her.
In her filing, Lively accused her co-star of disturbing acts, such as asking about her sex life with her husband Ryan Reynolds and commenting on her body.
In response, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has labeled Lively’s allegations as “completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media.” Freedman has also hinted at a countersuit, claiming it will “expose the truth.”
Baldoni Suing The New York Times
While Baldoni has yet to file a countersuit against Lively, he has launched a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the newspaper of defamation.
The Times published an article featuring Lively’s claims, including allegations that Baldoni “repeatedly entered [Lively’s] makeup trailer uninvited while she was undressed, including when she was breastfeeding.”
In his suit, Baldoni states: “The Times story relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative, lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives.”
And Freedman told Page Six in a statement: "In this vicious smear campaign fully orchestrated by Blake Lively and her team, the New York Times cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful ‘untouchable’ Hollywood elites, disregarding journalistic practices and ethics once befitting of the revered publication by using doctored and manipulated texts and intentionally omitting texts which dispute their chosen PR narrative.
The Times has vowed to defend itself against Baldoni’s allegations.
Leaked Voicemail Adds Fuel to the Fire
Amid these legal proceedings, a voicemail recorded by Baldoni has been leaked, reportedly detailing his account of events at the It Ends With Us premiere.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the voice clip was released on Tuesday's The Megyn Kelly Show.
In the recording Baldoni - addressing his "dream team" who edited the movie - can reportedly be heard saying: "On what could have been one of the most beautiful nights of my life career wise, I literally was sent to the basement with all my friends and family for over an hour because I wasn't allowed to be seen, she didn't want me anywhere near her or the rest of the cast.
"So they ushered me off the carpet and sent us down to the basement, we were down there together, my friends and family, the people that love me the most.
"We start laughing because of the ridiculousness of this whole thing and I realize like on a night that was supposed to be so materialistically joyful, I was in the basement with the people that love me the most and we were all joyful and laughing cos none of that s**t matters, none of it.
"That's not why we're in the business, to attend a premiere and be celebrated like that, we're in it because we're artists and we believe in what we do and we want to create art that touches people's souls and can move people.
"And that's what we did, that's what you both did and I believe that will follow us, the truth will prevail and light and love will win."
As the legal battles unfold, the public remains divided. Some support Lively’s decision to speak out about such allegations, while others back Baldoni’s efforts to challenge what he claims are unfounded accusations.
For now, the rift between the two stars shows no signs of resolution, with both sides gearing up for a prolonged fight in court.
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