Justin Baldoni fires back after Ari Emanuel mocks him and takes Blake Lively's side in legal battle
Justin Baldoni has fired back at the Hollywood power agent representing Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, who not only took a dig at him but also claimed responsibility for his removal from It Ends With Us amid the ongoing legal battle surrounding the film.
Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME's parent company Endeavor, made the remarks during a live recording of the Freakonomics podcast. He discussed his personal connection with Lively, 37, and Reynolds, 48, just days after reports surfaced that Lively had subpoenaed cell carriers to obtain more evidence for her legal case.
Speaking at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, Emanuel mocked Baldoni's last name, calling him "bologna" during the show, prompting a response from the actor.
Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, told *DailyMail.com* on Friday: "Mr. Ari Emanuel is notably one of the best agents, and clearly the most loyal, in Hollywood.
"As I understand it, Justin hasn't been called 'Bologna' since the fifth grade. Perhaps Ari's perspective would be different if they had ever met in the half decade they were clients of his agency."
Baldoni was dropped by WME on December 21, the same day reports emerged that Lively had sued him for sexual harassment and accused him of orchestrating a smear campaign against her.
During the podcast, Emanuel made a bold statement, saying, "I fired him," and reaffirmed his support for Lively and Reynolds, declaring, "I am a ride-or-die."
Earlier in the conversation, the Chicago-born businessman praised the couple, emphasizing that he had worked with them for over ten years and describing them as "really incredible people."
Emanuel stated, "They've never had any bad mojo out there or treated people badly."
He added that if Lively's allegations against Baldoni are accurate, those responsible are "really bad people."
Continuing his praise for the couple, Emanuel said, "These are good people who have been in the business for decades and have never had any bad press about them. And all the people they've worked with like them."
This comes just days after reports revealed that Lively had subpoenaed cell carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon in search of additional evidence to support her claims against Baldoni.
She is looking for proof that Baldoni, who directed and co-starred with her in the romantic drama, was behind an alleged smear campaign targeting her.
Her legal team also issued subpoenas to internet service providers Cloudflare and AOL, along with Jed Wallace, a crisis consultant accused of launching a "digital army" against her on Baldoni's behalf.
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