Actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni has filed a $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, accusing the publication of defamation over its article alleging Baldoni and his team orchestrated a smear campaign against his *It Ends With Us* co-star, Blake Lively.

The lawsuit, filed on Dec. 31 in Los Angeles and obtained by *People*, accuses the Times of libel, false light invasion of privacy, and breach of contract. The complaint, which spans 87 pages, was filed by Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios, and nine other plaintiffs, including business partners and public relations representatives.
The article in question, *”‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,”* was published on Dec. 21 and alleged Baldoni’s team retaliated against Lively after she filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department. Baldoni’s lawsuit claims the article relied on “cherry-picked” and “misleading” communications that were taken out of context.
One of the lawsuit’s key refutations focuses on allegations in the article that Baldoni entered Lively’s trailer uninvited while she was undressed or breastfeeding. Baldoni’s legal team provided text messages allegedly sent by Lively inviting him to her trailer.
Additionally, the complaint highlights internal communications between Baldoni’s public relations team, which, according to the lawsuit, show their efforts to avoid harming Lively while managing public relations challenges related to her accusations.
Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s attorney, issued a statement criticizing the Times, saying the publication “used doctored and manipulated texts” to push a false narrative favoring Lively. Freedman claimed the story was part of a coordinated effort to bolster Lively’s public image.

A spokesperson for the New York Times responded to the lawsuit, saying, “Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article.” The Times stated it plans to “vigorously” defend itself against Baldoni’s claims.
The article follows an 80-page federal complaint filed by Lively against Baldoni and others, accusing him of sexual harassment and orchestrating a retaliatory smear campaign. Lively’s complaint alleges Baldoni displayed inappropriate behavior on set, including showing her explicit images and videos and pressuring her to agree to additional intimate scenes.
Her legal team stated that the alleged harassment caused her “grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety.” The complaint also accuses Baldoni’s team of working to manipulate media coverage and social media narratives to discredit Lively.
On Dec. 31, Lively’s attorneys filed a federal lawsuit against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and other parties in the Southern District of New York, citing violations of federal and state laws for workplace retaliation and harassment.
“We will hold the defendants accountable for their conduct in federal court,” Lively’s attorneys said in a statement, adding that further legal action may be pursued in other jurisdictions.
The legal battle between Baldoni and Lively has drawn widespread attention, with both sides accusing each other of misconduct and leveraging the media to shape public opinion.