Using bots
In texts, Baldoni and TAG PR claim that had no intention of “destroying” or “burying” Lively through aggressive tactics.
Justin Baldoni’s Lawsuit Revealed Missing Texts in the New York Times Blake Lively Story: She Was ‘Attempting to Rewrite History’
Baldoni and his team are suing the newspaper for $250M.
Getty Images
Justin Baldoni and his PR team filed a shocking lawsuit against The New York Times on New Year’s Eve. In response to Blake Lively’s complaint about a smear campaign following the premiere of It Ends With Us, Baldoni and his team offered evidence of missing texts that were omitted from the Gossip Girl star’s CDR.
The complaint obtained by Variety claims that the Times reporters overlooked text messages indicating that Lively’s team may have been waging its own PR war against Baldoni. The lawsuit claimed, “The [Times] article also deliberately ignores that Lively’s publicist, Leslie Sloane (“Sloane”), of Vision PR, once backed by Harvey Weinstein, seeded stories critical of Baldoni, including that Baldoni was a sexual predator, ahead of the film’s release.”
Related: Justin Baldoni’s Texts Seen in Blake Lively’s Complaint
The New York Times contributed to a narrative that Baldoni’s PR agency The Agency Group, comprising of Melissa Nathan and Jen Abel, was planting stories not in favor of Lively. Attorney Bryan Freedman, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs, told Variety that the newspaper “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.”
-
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. The New York Times -
Praising Blake
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. The New York Times The Agency Group PR’s group chat expressed that they were happy that Lively was praised.
-
Missing texts
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. The New York Times In The New York Times article, the complaint showed that Nathan allegedly shared a link to this article with Abel. The text exchange only showed Abel responding, “Wow,” followed by, “You really outdid yourself with this one,” to which Nathan allegedly replied, “That’s why you hired me, right? I’m the best.” Wayfarer’s complaint alleges that the texts were purportedly edited for the Times to propagate a smear campaign.
-
Missing screenshot
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times The complaint alleges that the New York Times did not include the screenshot where a DailyMail reporter was informing her of the article they put out on August 16 in regards to Blake Lively.
-
TMZ text
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times The complaint alleged that multiple articles commented on Lively’s marketing strategy for This Ends With Us and that the aftermath was her own doing noting that negative press “was unequivocally a consequence of her own actions.”
-
Domestic Violence Marketing
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times The complaint suggests that public criticism of Lively’s actions was caused by encouraging audiences to “grab your friends, wear your florals” to see the movie when the film’s subject was about domestic violence.
-
The case against planting stories
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times The complaint suggests that the smear campaign “against Lively was the inevitable fallout of her own tone-deaf messaging and self-promotional tactics, amplified by her inability to read the room in addressing such a serious subject.”
-
Leslie Sloane & Blake Lively
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times Texts show that the team didn’t want to make it seem that TAG PR was seeding stories when Blake Lively’s PR representative Leslie Sloane did as well.
-
Leslie Sloane texts
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times The complaint alleges that Leslie Sloane wanted to plant stories even though Melissa Nathan wanted to cooperate in good faith.
-
DailyMail reporter texts
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times An alleged text exchange between DailyMail reporters and their encounters with Leslie Sloane and Melissa Nathan.
-
More DailyMail Texts
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. The New York Times -
TMZ texts
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times More alleged texts about Leslie Sloane from a TMZ reporter.
-
More TMZ texts
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times -
Leslie Sloane texts
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times Leslie Sloane defends Blake Lively’s actions in alleged texts.
-
TMZ reporter inquires about HR complaints
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York TImes A TAG team member allegedly corresponded with a TMZ reporter about the HR complaints on the It Ends With Us set.
-
Melissa Nathan to Leslie Sloane texts
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times Melissa Nathan allegedly texted Leslie Sloane to clear up the stories.
-
Justin Baldoni’s texts to Blake Lively
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times The complaint alleges that Lively invited Baldoni to her trailer while she was breastfeeding.
-
Justin Baldoni’s “Sexy” texts
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times The complaint alleges that “the allegation that Baldoni inappropriately described Lively’s character’s
attire as ‘sexy’ is exaggerated and misleading.” The texts show that Baldoni was “just responding to her creative input, not objectifying her personally.” -
Intimacy Coordinator texts
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios vs. New York Times The lawsuit claims that Lively refused to talk to an intimacy coordinator to plan the film’s sex scenes. The complaint noted that Baldoni talking about his sex life consistently acted at the direction of the intimacy coordinator.
-
Blake Lively’s production control
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studos v. New York Times The complaint noted that “Lively embarked on a hostile takeover of the production, strong-arming Sony into blessing her with ultimate control.”
-
Not bots, again
Image Credit: Wayfarer v. New York Times The claim notes that the backlash was organic again.
-
Lively takes full control
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times The complaint alleges that Lively tried to take full control of production and released her own cut of the film.
-
The film is “out in the world”
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times Justin Baldoni alleges that Lively took complete creative direction of the film while Jen Abel attempts to keep his morale up.
-
Blake Lively Editing
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times Baldoni alleged texts the editors about Lively’s involvement with editing.
-
Blake Lively’s cut
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. new York Times Baldoni texts the editors that they’re showing Blake Lively’s cut of the film at Bananza.
-
Justin Baldoni opens up
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times In alleged texts, Jen Abel attempts to cheer Baldoni up about his role in the film diminishing.
-
Justin Baldoni hospitalized
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times While Justin Baldoni was hospitalized, he texted the editors about how great of a job they did.
-
Justin Baldoni on the Red Carpet
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times Justin Baldoni texts his editors that there were two holding areas for the premiere of It Ends With Us, where it would be a different area than Blake Lively.
-
Justin Baldoni shares Domestic Violence survivor stories
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times Justin Baldoni received messages from domestic violence survivors and wanted to reshare their stories.
-
Justin Baldoni with the intimacy coordinator
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times Justin Baldoni allegedly confirms that Blake Lively didn’t want to meet with the intimacy coordinator before.
-
Leslie Sloane texts to TAG PR pt. 1
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times The complaint noted that Sloane proceeded to feed false stories to the Daily Mail and the New York Post containing allegations that Baldoni was a sexual predator.
-
Leslie Sloane’s texts to TAG PR pt.2
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times -
Included texts pt. 1
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times Baldoni and team inserted screenshots of full texts that were edited in the New York Times piece.
-
Included texts pt. 2
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times -
Included texts pt. 3
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times -
Included texts pt. 4
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York TImes -
Justin Baldoni wishes Blake Lively the best
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times -
Justin Baldoni inquires about bots
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times -
Melissa Nathan denies planting stories
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times Melissa Nathan allegedly texts about the backlash being organic.
-
TAG PR talks about TMZ article
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times -
TAG PR talks about media play
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times -
No bots
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times Justin Baldoni emphasized the need for stories that were not made by bots.
-
Justin Baldoni text to team
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times Justin Baldoni allegedly emphasized the message of the movie to his team.
-
Included texts pt. 7
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times -
Included texts pt. 6
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times -
Included texts pt. 6
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times -
Included texts pt. 5
Image Credit: Wayfarer Studios v. New York Times
More from StyleCaster
Must Reads
Shopping With SC
More From StyleCaster
