Justin Baldoni’s lawyer has issued a statement in response to Blake Lively’s s*xual harassment complaint and her allegations against him and his crisis management team. The legal action, reported by People, follows Lively’s claims that Baldoni’s PR firm orchestrated a smear campaign against her, damaging her reputation and business interests during the promotional tour for their movie It Ends With Us.
Baldoni’s crisis publicist, TAG PR, came under fire after Lively alleged that the firm had targeted her, but in a statement on December 23, Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, defended their actions. He said, “TAG PR operated as any other crisis management firm would when hired by a client experiencing threats by two extremely powerful people with unlimited resources”, reported by Page Six.
Freedman dismissed Lively’s claims that a smear campaign was run against her, arguing that the negative response came as a result of her own actions during the film’s promotional tour. He stated, “The standard scenario planning TAG PR drafted proved unnecessary as audiences found Lively’s own actions, interviews and marketing during the promotional tour distasteful, and responded organically to that which the media themselves picked up on.”
The lawyer also criticized The New York Times for publishing personal text messages without proper context, accusing the paper of playing into Lively’s alleged attempt to manipulate public perception. “It’s ironic,” Freedman said, referring to the leaked messages, “the very same tactics she’s accusing the firm of implementing.”
According to reports, Baldoni, 40, hired crisis PR manager Melissa Nathan of TAG PR amid the release of the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. Tension between the two stars has been speculated since the film’s press tour, during which Baldoni was often seen alone and avoided posing with his co-stars, fueling rumors of discord.
This statement from Baldoni’s lawyer comes after Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni and his PR team of orchestrating a campaign to “destroy” her reputation throughout the film’s promotional cycle. As the legal battle continues, both parties are preparing for further public scrutiny.