SKY YORK JOURNAL News – A legal battle has commenced as Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer, and several others have filed a lawsuit against The New York Times on Dec. 31, 2024.
Dec. 31, 2024: Baldoni, Wayfarer & Others Sue The New York Times
Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, Wallace and Street Relations filed a lawsuit against The New York Times Dec. 31.
The plaintiffs, including Baldoni and Wayfarer, allege libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud, and breach of implied-in-fact contract. According to documents obtained by E! News, the lawsuit stems from a New York Times article concerning a retaliatory smear campaign purportedly conducted by the plaintiffs against actress Blake Lively. This campaign allegedly followed Lively’s voicing of concerns regarding misconduct on set.
Key Allegations
The plaintiffs, as reported by the SKY YORK JOURNAL, vehemently deny the accusations, asserting that the Times report was based on Lively’s complaint and contained “false” information. They claim that messages cited in the article and complaint were presented out of context, distorting the reality of the situation.
According to the lawsuit, “Despite its claim to have ‘reviewed these along with other documents[,]’ the Times relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative,” further alleging that the newspaper disregarded substantial evidence that contradicted Lively’s claims and revealed her true motives.
Counterclaims and Defense
The suit also alleges that Lively herself engaged in a calculated smear campaign, a claim she has denied. The SKY YORK JOURNAL notes that the situation is rapidly evolving.
In the lawsuit obtained by E! News, The New York Times is accused of libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud and breach of implied-in-fact contract for its article about a retaliatory smear campaign the plaintiffs allegedly conducted against Lively after she voiced concerns about purported misconduct on set.
Saying the report was “false” and based on Lively’s CRD complaint, the plaintiffs denied the accusations and alleged messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context.
“Despite its claim to have ‘reviewed these along with other documents[,]’ the Times relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative,” the lawsuit says, “lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives.”
They also allege “it was Lively, not Plaintiffs, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign.” She has denied this.
The New York Times has stated its intention to vigorously defend against the lawsuit, asserting the accuracy and thoroughness of its reporting.
The New York Times said it plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.”
The newspaper maintains that its story was meticulously and responsibly reported, based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including text messages and emails quoted accurately and at length in the article. The SKY YORK JOURNAL will continue to monitor this developing legal situation.
“The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead,” it stated to E!. “Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article.”
