‘A Simple Favor' Writer Jessica Sharzer Directing Adaptation of Sian Gilbert's ‘She Started It' for Lyrical Media, Ryder Picture Company (EXCLUSIVE)
Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company will adapt Sian Gilbert's debut thriller 'She Started It' for the screen. Jessica Sharzer, the screenwriter behind 'A Simple Favor,' is set to direct from the script she co-wrote with Sarah Masson. Ryder Picture Company's Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett are producing with Lyrical Media's Alexander Black. Lyrical is financing the development with Jon Rosenberg and Natalie Sellers executive producing. Casting is currently underway.
The announcement comes ahead of the June release of Gilbert's second novel, 'I Did Warn Her.'
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'She Started It' follows Annabel, Esther, Tanya and Chloe, once inseparable childhood friends who have since drifted apart. Their adult lives haven't unfolded quite as they'd imagined, but a shared past and buried secrets have kept them loosely connected. When they receive an invitation from former classmate Poppy Greer to an extravagant bachelorette weekend on a private island, curiosity, and the promise of luxury, pulls them back together. But the trip is not what it seems. With no cell service, no other guests, and tensions rising, the women soon realize they've underestimated Poppy — and each other.
Sharzer adapted Darcey Bell's thriller novel 'A Simple Favor' and co-wrote its upcoming sequel 'Another Simple Favor 'starring Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick and directed by Paul Feig, which is set to be released exclusively on Prime Video this week. Sharzer made her feature debut in 2004 at the Sundance Film Festival with 'Speak'; wrote and produced the film 'Nerve'; and has been tapped to revive films like 'The Hunger' for Warner Brothers and 'To Catch A Thief' for Paramount. Additionally, Sharzer was a co-executive producer on 'American Horror Story' (FX), 'Star' (Fox), 'Amazing Stories' (Apple) and 'Nine Perfect Strangers' (Hulu).
'Whenever I write a script, I'm directing it in my head and then translating what I see onto the page,' said Sharzer. 'With 'She Started It,' I'm very excited to get the chance to see a movie all the way through production, from first draft to final frame. The movie is a genre mash-up with a very specific tone and, from the moment I read the novel, I knew I needed to direct it. I'm very grateful to be on this journey with RPC and the Lyrical team.'
'She Started It' falls under Lyrical and Ryder's first-look deal. They are currently in post-production on Adam Wingard's 'Onslaught' and Michael Sarnoski's 'The Death of Robin Hood' starring Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer and Bill Skarsgård, both of which will be distributed by A24. The companies are also developing a slate of projects, including 'Funny Story,' an adaptation of Emily Henry's bestselling romantic comedy, and 'Butcher & Blackbird,' based on Brynne Weaver's popular novel. Lyrical Media's upcoming slate also includes 'Powerless,' a television adaption of Lauren Roberts' best-selling debut YA novel.
Sharzer is repped by UTA and North Star. Gilbert is represented by the Helen Heller Agency.
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Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Yahoo
‘Did Blake Lively Drop Her Lawsuit?' Trends Amid Justin Baldoni Case Update
Blake Lively recently dropped claims of emotional distress against Justin Baldoni in a new legal filing. However, many fans may have been confused by this news and have been wondering if the former dropped her ongoing lawsuit against the latter. Lively and Baldoni's legal saga kicked off in December 2024. This was after the former filed a lawsuit accusing the latter of sexual harassment. Since then, the case, which has garnered widespread attention, has faced numerous developments. So, did Blake Lively drop her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni? Here's what we know. No, Blake Lively has not dropped her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni. However, she has dropped her claims of emotional distress against the latter, as per new legal filings. Lively requested to withdraw her claims of intentional emotional distress and negligent emotional distress on June 2, 2025. She filed them at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The actress' filing occurred after Baldoni's legal team tried to gain access to medical records in their efforts to defend their client from Lively's claim that she suffered 'severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration, and mental anguish.' In a Monday filing, it was revealed that Baldoni's attorneys sought to compel the A Simple Favor actress to sign a HIPAA release. This was so that the former could access Lively's therapy notes and other relevant information. However, the filing revealed that instead of complying with the medical FRPs, Lively's legal team advised Baldoni's legal team that the actress was dropping her claims of emotional distress. It also revealed that she was refusing the Wayfarer Parties' request to withdraw the claims with prejudice. Thus, Lively wanted to: Refused to disclose information and documents required to disprove her claims of suffering emotional distress, and that the Wayfarer Parties were guilty. Maintain the right to re-file her IED claims at a later date. The filing from Baldoni's attorneys was called 'a press stunt' by Lively's lawyers Mike Gottlieb and Ersa Hudson. Hudson and Gottlieb noted that they were only 'streamlining and focusing' her case (via Variety). Moreover, in a statement to People, Hudson and Gottlieb claimed that Baldoni's team was trying to get 'another tired round of tabloid coverage.' Originally reported by Abdul Azim Naushad on ComingSoon. The post 'Did Blake Lively Drop Her Lawsuit?' Trends Amid Justin Baldoni Case Update appeared first on Mandatory.
Forbes
03-06-2025
- Forbes
Latest In Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively Feud: Lively Withdraws Emotional Distress Claim
Blake Lively is withdrawing her claims of emotional distress against her 'It Ends With Us' co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, according to a legal filing made by Baldoni's lawyers Monday after his legal team requested Lively provide her medical records to demonstrate she suffered emotional distress. (Here are in-depth explanations for Lively's claims and Baldoni's claims.) June 2, 2025Baldoni's lawyers said in a legal filing Lively's counsel informed them she has requested to withdraw her claim of emotional distress made in her lawsuit against Baldoni, which his lawyers say was done after his legal team requested she provide medical and mental health records to demonstrate the distress she says she suffered. Baldoni's lawyers also said in their letter to the judge they oppose Lively's request to withdraw her emotional distress claim without prejudice, which means she can refile the claim at a later time, though Lively's lawyers dismissed Baldoni's legal team's letter as a 'a press stunt' and that they are 'streamlining and focusing' Lively's case. June 2, 2025Lively's legal team accused Baldoni and his lawyers of trying to 'prevent women's rights groups from being heard' in a statement to Forbes, alleging they are trying to 'shred a law designed to protect all victims just to make sure they 'bury' one,' referring to the #MeToo law Lively invoked. June 1, 2025Thomas Canestraro, who acted as Baldoni's stunt double in 'It Ends With Us,' spoke with the Daily Mail, stating the set was 'tense' and filming took longer than expected, adding Lively was more 'closed off' on set than when he previously worked with her on the 2018 film, 'A Simple Favor.' May 29, 2025Baldoni and his lawyers sent a letter asking the judge to dismiss amicus briefs filed by women's groups, alleging they are 'irrelevant' to Lively's motion to dismiss Baldoni's lawsuit, while accusing Lively's legal team of using the briefs as a 'vehicle to renew [Liively's] public attacks' against Baldoni and as more of a 'publicity stunt for Lively than a useful aid for the Court at the pleading stage.' May 27, 2025San Francisco-based Equal Rights Advocates and former government employee and sexual harassment survivor Elyse Dorsey filed amicus briefs supporting Lively's invocation of a new California law that is meant to protect sexual assault and harassment survivors from defamation lawsuits, commonly known as the #MeToo law after the Hollywood anti-sexual harassment movement. May 22, 2025Baldoni's lawyers withdrew the subpoena, Variety and Deadline reported, after previously requesting texts between Swift and Lively, which they argued would show that Lively attempted to extort Swift for a public show of support amid her legal battle, though Lively's legal team denied this (Forbes has reached out to representatives for both Lively and Baldoni's legal teams for comment, though Lively's lawyers told Deadline they are 'pleased' the 'inappropriate subpoenas' were withdrawn). May 9, 2025Taylor Swift was subpoenaed in Baldoni's lawsuit against Lively, which includes texts from Lively that appear to refer to Swift as 'one of her dragons,' though representatives for the billionaire singer argued she should not be involved in the dispute, telling Variety and NBC News that beyond the inclusion of her song 'My Tears Ricochet' in a 'It Ends With Us' trailer, Swift had no involvement in the making of the movie. May 8, 2025Lively's legal team told multiple news outlets she plans to take the stand and testify once her trial begins: 'The ultimate moment for a plaintiff's story to be told is at trial. We expect that to be the case here. So we would, of course, expect her to be a witness at her trial. Of course she's going to testify,' Gottlieb told People (Forbes has reached out to Lively's legal team for comment). May 1, 2025Lively gave her first televised interview since filing her lawsuit against Baldoni to promote 'Another Simple Favor' on Seth Meyers' late night show, in which she acknowledged she can't discuss much about her legal battle with Baldoni—whom she did not address by name—but stated she has faced the 'highest highs and the lowest lows of my life' over the past 'intense year,' adding she feels 'fortunate' she has been able to speak about her experience because many women are 'afraid to share their experiences' or do not have the opportunity to. May 1, 2025'Another Simple Favor,' Lively's first film since 'It Ends With Us' and a sequel to the 2018 film 'A Simple Favor,' premiered on Amazon Prime Video and received mostly positive reviews from critics. April 28, 2025Baldoni's lawyers submitted a letter to the court opposing Marvel's request to quash the subpoena, doubling down on their claim that ''Nicepool' is a defamatory and mocking portrayal of Baldoni' and that such a portrayal could establish malice for his defamation claim, while accusing Marvel's counsel of 'refusing to engage' with Baldoni's Wayfarer Studios to resolve the dispute. April 25, 2025In response to Baldoni's allegation that a character in the 2024 Marvel film 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' Nicepool, was crafted by Ryan Reynolds as a caricature of Baldoni, Marvel Studios sent a letter to New York federal judge Lewis Liman asking the court to squash Baldoni's subpoena for relevant documents, stating the claims are irrelevant to Baldoni's claims of defamation and that releasing confidential Marvel documents would harm the studio. April 24, 2025In an amended response to Jones' lawsuit against Baldoni, which she filed in December accusing him of defamation and breach of contract, Baldoni accused Jones of colluding with Lively to file a 'sham legal proceeding' in New York court in September under a company affiliated with Lively, Vanzan Inc., against unnamed defendants as a 'transparent ploy to obtain subpoena power' without Lively's name attached so the parties could obtain text messages—which were central to Lively's claims, and the basis for a New York Times story—sent among Baldoni's team. In a statement to Deadline, Jones's lawyer Kristen Tahler accused Baldoni's team of 'presenting zero new evidence' and of conducting 'a desperate ploy by a team who tonight all but admits they're in trouble.' April 24, 2025Lively attended the Time 100 Gala as an honoree, where she made a speech apparently alluding to her ongoing legal battle: 'I have so much to say about the last two years of my life, but tonight is not the forum," Lively said, in a speech in which she largely focused on abuse against women, a central theme of 'It Ends With Us,' and revealed her mother was a victim of abuse. April 13, 2025'It Ends With Us' storyboard artist Talia Spencer defended Baldoni in an interview with '60 Minutes Australia,' stating she felt Lively 'smelled [Baldoni's] kindness, mistook it for weakness and tried to take advantage and take power,' alleging Lively 'tried to' take control of the film, resulting in a 'massive compromise' of Baldoni's vision for the movie. April 8, 2025An actor who played a small role in 'It Ends With Us' as Lively's character's gynecologist pushed back against Lively's description of a birthing scene in her lawsuit as 'invasive and humiliating,' telling PageSix Lively wore a 'full hospital gown, black shorts and torso-covering prosthetic' and was not 'nearly nude' as she had claimed in her complaint. March 20, 2025In a counterclaim to Jones' December lawsuit against Baldoni and Abel, Baldoni alleged Jones attempted to undermine Abel's authority as a PR representative for Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios production company, claiming she suddenly terminated Abel from her PR firm, seized her phone and leaked texts to Lively's team, which the lawsuit says was done in response to Abel voicing her intent to leave Jones' firm and Jones' fear she would take Baldoni as a client with her. March 20, 2025In her motion to dismiss, Lively slammed Baldoni's 'vengeful and rambling lawsuit' as a 'profound abuse of the legal process,' urging the court to 'dismiss all claims against Ms. Lively with prejudice, deny leave to amend, and award Ms. Lively all relief sought,' including attorney's fees and damages for 'reputational and emotional harm.' March 18, 2025Reynolds filed a motion to dismiss Baldoni's lawsuit, in which he is named as a co-defendant, alleging Baldoni's lawsuit does not prove Reynolds defamed him and is instead 'a list of grievances attempting to shame Mr. Reynolds for being the man Mr. Baldoni has built his brand pretending to be.' March 7, 2025Lively attended the South by Southwest premiere of 'Another Simple Favor,' a sequel to the 2018 film 'A Simple Favor,' where she received a warm reception from the crowd and spoke primarily about her work on the film, though co-star Anna Kendrick dodged a question that appeared to allude to Lively's legal battle, and one protester held up a sign that said 'Justice for Justin Baldoni' outside the theater. March 6, 2025At a hearing Thursday, Lively's attorneys argued certain information should be treated as highly classified 'attorney's eyes only' material, which lawyer Sigrid McCawley said would help minimize the risk of 'irreparable harm if marginal conversations with high profile individuals with no relevance to the case were to fall into wrong hands'—apparently suggesting messages between Lively and celebrity friends may leak. The judge did not rule on the request Thursday. Though it's unclear which 'high profile individuals' McCawley was referring to, Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman has previously suggested he could request Lively's friend Taylor Swift testify, after she appeared to be referred to in Baldoni's lawsuit. March 5, 2025The Los Angeles Times published an investigative report on Baldoni's career, citing multiple unnamed employees at his Wayfarer Studios production company, some of whom said he injected 'toxic positivity' and his Bahai faith into the workplace culture in a way that felt 'professionally inappropriate.' Representatives for Baldoni and Wayfarer told the Los Angeles Times there have 'never been any reported complaints regarding the workplace culture' and Wayfarer's work is rooted in 'various faiths and backgrounds.' March 4, 2025Lewis Liman, a U.S. district judge, said the New York Times' motion to dismiss Justin Baldoni's $400 million case against the newspaper provided 'substantial grounds,' suggesting the lawsuit—in which Baldoni accused the Times of working with Lively's team to smear him—could be dismissed. Feb. 28, 2025Shapiro, who formerly served as the CIA's deputy chief of staff between 2013 and 2015 before starting his own strategic consulting firm, will advise Lively's litigation team on legal communications relating to the lawsuit she filed against Baldoni in New York federal court. Feb. 20, 2025Attorneys submitted a letter on behalf of Lively and Reynolds asking a new, more extensive protective order be imposed that would shield 'personal, sensitive or proprietary information' from the public after claiming they and their allies have been victimized since the legal battle began. The letter goes on to say that it is "inevitable" that the release of more discovery in the case will further violate their privacy, expose them to threats and create "a climate of possible witness intimidation." Feb. 18, 2025Lawyers for Lively filed an amended complaint that included new accusations Baldoni's behavior made at least two additional, unnamed female cast members uncomfortable and that both of those women brought their complaints to Lively, who documented them in writing and reported them to higher-ups on the film (the complaint references Baldoni's 'unwelcome behavior' but does not specify exactly what he is accused of doing). The suit claims Baldoni was made aware of at least one of the additional cast members' concerns and responded to her in writing at the time, promising "adjustments would be made'—but alleges he instead launched a PR campaign to discredit any future claims made against him. Forbes reached out to Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, for comment on the new complaint Wednesday. Feb. 13, 2025Baldoni and Lively's letter to the judge, filed in New York federal court on Thursday, said mediation or reaching a settlement would be 'inappropriate' and 'premature' for this case, suggesting their legal feud could eventually head to trial. Feb. 12, 2025Hoover, who deactivated her Instagram account as the legal battle between Lively and Baldoni continued to play out, has wiped any photos with Lively or Baldoni from her account. Most posts related to the film at all have been deleted, including an post supporting Lively that went up shortly after she filed her initial lawsuit against Baldoni: "@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt," she wrote. During promotion for the 'It Ends With Us' film, Hoover appeared to take Lively's side when a clear rift emerged among the film's cast and crew. Lively refused to promote the movie alongside Baldoni and the pair were never interviewed or photographed together during its highly publicized press tour, Hoover and most of Lively's co-stars, including Jenny Slate, Brandon Sklenar and Isabela Ferrer, appeared at her side rather than Baldoni's. Hoover still follows Lively on Instagram, but does not follow Baldoni. Feb. 11, 2025A three-year-old video interview of Blake Lively admitting to Forbes she's ruffled feathers in the film industry by attempting to have more 'authorship' over her projects has gone viral. In a resurfaced interview from the 2022 Forbes Power Women's Summit, Lively said just following direction as an actress "wasn't fulfilling for me" and that she's received backlash for stepping in and trying to be part of costume design, writing and other aspects of a project. She said she's had writers, producers and directors "welcome that and invite that," and others who resented her for stepping on toes. She also said she hasn't always upfront with her plans to step in to other parts of a project when she was hired as an actress, and that she 'wouldn't reveal that I actually need to have authorship in order to feel fulfilled... Sometimes that might have felt like a rug pull.' Feb. 8, 2025Filmmaker Judd Apatow joked about "It Ends With Us" at the 77th Annual Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards Saturday night, calling it "such a terrible movie" and referencing the Baldoni-Lively lawsuits. "I loved Wicked. I saw it four times in the first four days," Apatow added. "It was the highest-grossing movie musical of all time. Do you know that? Usually to make that much money, you have to sue Blake Lively." Feb. 7, 2025Comedian Chelsea Handler, who hosted the Critics' Choice Awards, also poked fun at the legal battle, which has played out dramatically in the media over the last six weeks. Handler thanked the pair for providing a "distraction" from heavier headlines: 'I want to personally extend my gratitude to Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively... I'm grateful. I think we're all grateful. And I think we're good. I think everybody in this room, no matter whose side you're on, we can all agree to accept that there's probably not going to be a sequel. It ends with us, guys." Feb. 5, 2025Baldoni's lawyer suggested in an interview with TMZ he could call on Taylor Swift—a close friend of Blake Lively's who may have been alluded to in Baldoni's lawsuit against the actress—to testify once the case goes to trial. After TMZ's Harvey Levin asked about deposing Swift, Freedman didn't rule out the idea, calling it a 'game time decision' and adding he would seek testimony from anyone who may have relevant information (Freedman also said Swift was present alongside Baldoni, Lively and Ryan Reynolds at a meeting about Lively's proposed script edits to 'It Ends With Us' that is referenced in Baldoni's lawsuit, though the suit only refers to the alleged attendee as 'Taylor' with no last name). Feb. 4, 2025Jed Wallace, owner of the crisis PR firm Street Relations, sued Lively in Texas federal court for defamation, alleging she falsely claimed in a civil rights complaint and her lawsuit that Wallace participated in an alleged smear campaign against the actress at the behest of Baldoni's public relations team, which he says caused him 'millions of dollars in reputational harm.' Feb. 4, 2025'A Simple Favor 2,' Lively's latest film, will open at the SXSW Film and TV Festival next month, Director Paul Feig said, after rumors the film had been shelved, partially due to the Lively/Baldoni legal battle. Feb. 3, 2025New York federal judge Lewis J. Liman told lawyers for Lively and Baldoni that he would move up the trial date, set for March 2026, if the case continued to be 'litigated in the press.' Liman ordered both sides to adhere to the New York Rules of Professional Conduct, which stops lawyers from making public comments that have a 'substantial likelihood' of tainting a jury, but stopped short of sanctioning Baldoni's attorney, Freedman, despite claims from Lively's team that he has gotten close to defaming her and has made 'extrajudicial statements' about her and her character. Feb. 1, 2025Baldoni's team published a website dedicated to supporting his lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds that links to to an amended complaint filed on Jan. 31 and contains a timeline of events outlining what he says happened on the set of 'It Ends With Us,' including corresponding text messages, emails and a statement Baldoni has said he was pressured into releasing by Reynolds and Lively that would have seen him take the blame for the "troubled production" of the movie (he refused to put out the statement). In addition to the statement, Baldoni released a text message exchange with Lively that showed she chose not to meet with the on-set intimacy coordinator he hired, leaving him to relay uncomfortable information from the meeting on his own. Jan. 30, 2025Lawyers for Lively and Reynolds said in a letter to Liman that they plan to move to dismiss the lawsuit filed against them at a pre-trial conference scheduled for Monday, Feb. 3. Jan. 29, 2025The Hollywood Reporter cited unnamed sources in reporting Baldoni has "lost three jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars' since Lively first filed suit against him in December and that an in-the-works "Pac-Man" movie project he was set to direct is now in jeopardy. Jan. 27, 2025Liman told Lively and Baldoni's lawyers to prepare for a March 9, 2026 trial date and set a pretrial conference to discuss, among other things, complaints from Lively's team about the conduct of Baldoni's lawyer. Lively's lawyers have claimed Freedman is trying to paint potential jurors by creating a website to release communication between the two actors and documents from set, and accused him of making an "endless stream of defamatory and extrajudicial media statements." Jan. 27, 2025 The Daily Mail first published a nearly seven-minute voice note it says Baldoni sent to Lively at 2 a.m. during the filming of "It Ends With Us," in which he allegedly apologizes for not being open enough to script changes she made, admits he is a 'a very flawed man' and makes a reference to her breastfeeding her then-newborn child. Jan. 21, 2025Baldoni's legal team countered Lively's claims that he acted inappropriately while filming a slow dancing scene for the film by releasing a 10-minute video from set that includes three takes of the same scene, which Baldoni's team says is the entirety of the footage shot for that scene, during which Lively alleged in a lawsuit Baldoni 'leaned forward and slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he said, 'it smells so good.'' The footage shows a similar interaction, where Baldoni is seen nuzzling Lively's neck, and she says, "I'm probably getting spray-tan on you," to which he responds, "It smells good." Lively's team says the footage fully corroborates her account, and 'any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognize Ms. Lively's discomfort.' Baldoni's lawyers said the footage proves both actors clearly behaved "well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism.' Jan. 16, 2025Baldoni filed a federal lawsuit in New York against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, her publicist Leslie Sloane and Sloane's firm Vision PR alleging his co-star "tormented" him, his family and his partners, falsely accused him of sexual harassment and used him as a "scapegoat" to dodge the negative press surrounding. He also pushed back on claims he sexually harassed her, instead claiming she "calculatingly devised" fake stories to destroy his reputation and livelihood, seized control of the film he was directing and set out to damage his career and Wayfarer Studios "if they did not bend to her incessant demands' (Here's more on Baldoni's lawsuit). Jan. 10, 2025Deadline reported Baldoni's former publicist Stephanie Jones, who sued the actor and a handful of others for defamation and breach of contract in December, has issued subpoenas to WhatsApp, Signal, website hosts Hostinger and Name Cheap, digital publishing platform AnyFlip and chatbot company Gab AI in attempts to discover who may have been behind posts and websites aimed at harming Lively and Baldoni's reputations. Jan. 10, 2025Feig, who directed Lively's upcoming film "A Simple Favor 2," responded to viral rumors the film had been shelved "indefinitely," partially due to the Lively/Baldoni legal battle, calling it "total BS" and confirming the film "is finished and coming out soon." Jan. 8, 2025In an interview with Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, TMZ founder Harvey Levin said about the co-stars' competing accusations about online campaigns to damage one another's reputation: 'Both sides tried to skew this story. We've been on the recipient end of that ... It has happened on both sides in the Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni war. Both sides.' Freedman responded by saying, 'That's good to know.' (In recent days, Freedman has denied Lively's allegations that she faced a smear campaign by Baldoni's PR team, claiming Lively's team was instead working to smear Baldoni.) Jan. 7, 2025Freedman appeared on Megyn Kelly's YouTube show to discuss Baldoni's plans to sue Lively 'into oblivion' and pushed back on several of the actresses' allegations, accusing Lively of not reading the source material for the film, refuting claims she was sexually harassed and accusing her of orchestrating her own smear campaign against Baldoni. The interview also included newly released sound from a voice note from Baldoni explaining that he was "sent to the basement" of the film's premiere because Lively "didn't want me anywhere near her or the rest of the cast' (Here's more on what Freedman said on Kelly's show.) Jan. 3, 2025Freedman told NBC's "Today" he "absolutely" plans to file suit against Lively after she alleged she was subjected to "sexually inappropriate behavior" by Baldoni on the set of their 2024 film, but wouldn't say exactly what the countersuit would allege, though denied Lively's claim that Baldoni and his team launched a smear campaign against the actress. Jan. 2, 2025Glaser, the first solo female to ever host the Golden Globes, warned viwers in advance that she wouldn't be poking fun of Baldoni and Lively while on stage. 'I think the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni thing is such a hot-button thing right now that even a mere mention of it will seem like I could be on the wrong side of things, even though I would never be,' Glaser told Yahoo Entertainment. 'I also don't want to give (Baldoni's) name any — I'm mad I even know his name, to be honest with you, so I don't need to say it anymore.' Dec. 31, 2024Baldoni filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times for the paper's reporting on Lively's allegations, accusing the outlet of having "cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful 'untouchable' Hollywood elites"—Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds (on Jan. 31, Baldoni added defamation allegations against the Times to his sweeping lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds, and his attorney said he would drop the original suit against the paper). Dec. 31, 2024Lively formally filed a lawsuit in New York federal court against Baldoni, his publicist, Wayfarer Studios and other defendants for "retaliating against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns." Dec. 24, 2024Baldoni was sued by his ex-publicist, Stephanie Jones, over an alleged conspiracy to discredit her and steal her clients. Dec. 24, 2024Vital Voices, a nonprofit that focuses on empowering women, rescinded an award it gave to Baldoni, who has made a career expressing his support of women's stories and co-hosted a podcast about masculinity called "Man Enough," which his co-host pulled out of the same day. Dec. 21, 2024Baldoni was reportedly dropped by his talent agency. Dec. 20, 2024Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department claiming Baldoni invaded her privacy by "entering her makeup trailer uninvited while she was undressed," pressured her to lose weight four months after giving birth and coordinated a PR campaign with a crisis firm "designed to 'destroy' Ms. Lively's reputation." Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text 'Alerts' to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here. The message, which was obtained by the Daily Mail and has since gone viral on TikTok, appears to be Baldoni apologizing for his reception to changes Lively proposed for a scene in "It Ends With Us." Baldoni says his reaction to the changes "fell short" and thanked her for telling him how she was feeling about his response, according to the newspaper. "I f***ed up, that is a fail on my part," he appears to say. "One thing you should know about me is that I am willing to apologize when I fail... I am a very flawed man, as my wife will attest." Baldoni then appears to talk for almost another five minutes, in which he says there is 'nothing more exciting to me' than working with Lively. The message does not specifically say which scene Baldoni is referring to but his lawsuit against Lively mentions tension over a rooftop scene in the film that Lively rewrote and presented to Baldoni as her own work before telling media outlets that her husband, Reynolds, actually wrote it. Baldoni directed and co-starred with Lively in 'It Ends With Us,' the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling book of the same name, which released last August. Rumors of a rift developing between Lively and Baldoni during post-production began to emerge around the movie's release, and were further fueled during the film's press tour when Lively appeared to avoid mention of Baldoni in interviews. Speculation emerged that there were disputes over creative control and sources told TMZ Baldoni had "fat-shamed" Lively by inquiring about her weight, telling an on-set trainer he wanted to avoid injury while lifting the actress in the movie. Baldoni and Lively were never photographed together while promoting 'It Ends With Us.' As rumors of a feud grew, Baldoni hired Melissa Nathan, a crisis PR manager who represented Johnny Depp in his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard. According to texts published by The New York Times, Nathan suggested plans including 'full social take downs' by creating 'threads of theories' and planting pieces in the media of 'how horrible Blake is to work with.' Lively said the alleged smear campaign had caused 'severe emotional distress' for her and her family, prompting her to back out of hosting the 'Saturday Night Live' season 50 premiere. Lively's initial complaint included excerpts from thousands of pages of text messages and emails, which were the main focus of the Times article at the center of Baldoni's lawsuit. The text messages were largely between Baldoni, his publicist Jennifer Abel and crisis management expert Melissa Nathan, and were obtained through a civil subpoena, Lively's complaint said. A lawsuit filed by Baldoni's ex-publicist Stephanie Jones, the founder of the Jonesworks publicity firm, days later revealed she was the source of the text messages, which were obtained from Abel's work phone. In her own lawsuit against Baldoni, Jones claimed Abel was fired for conspiring to steal clients from her firm and Jones later had Abel's company-issued phone 'forensically preserved and examined in detail.' Lively's team then obtained the texts through a subpoena against Jonesworks. The texts show discussions on how to coordinate a social media campaign against Lively, and how Baldoni wanted to feel like Lively "can be buried' under negative media. The messages show the trio talking about the 'shift on social' against Lively, and reveal that Baldoni was aware of the negative messaging against her. Messages from Baldoni also show him encouraging the P.R. team, flagging social media posts for them to use and, in one case, suggesting 'flipping the narrative' on a positive story about Lively and Reynolds, according to The Times. In other messages, he reiterates that the campaign needs to be untraceable. Around the time of the 'It Ends With Us' premiere, Lively was the subject of intense criticism online targeting how she promoted the film, the opportune release of her haircare line and other behaviors. In one promotional video, Lively encourages the audience to "grab your friends, wear your florals and head out to see (the movie)." Fans instantly criticized Lively's upbeat tone and claimed she was attempting to promote the movie as a lighthearted love story, cheapening the movie's serious take on domestic abuse. Comments on the video attacked Lively—"shame on you and your PR team for turning a blind eye," one said—but praised Baldoni for how he handled promotion. Lively was also criticized for seeming to promote her newly launched hair-care line, Blake Brown, off the back of the film, but it was later revealed that the two were never supposed to launch at the same time. Production delays caused by Hollywood strikes in 2023 pushed the premiere of 'It Ends With Us,' then coinciding with the predetermined launch date of the brand. At the same time, Lively was freshly criticized for her reaction to an interviewer in a resurfaced 2016 clip. Lively's lawsuits claim the public's attacks were part of the smear campaign she says was orchestrated against her. A number of celebrities have come out to support Lively since she filed her initial complaint, including Hoover, Lively's 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' co-stars and actress Amber Heard, who claimed to be a victim of a similar social media takedown. Hoover, who The Times reported also refused to do press with Baldoni, posted to Instagram after Lively first made her allegations to call her "nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient." America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel and Amber Tamblyn, who starred alongside Lively in her 2005 breakout role in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," slammed the 'vindictive effort ensued to discredit her voice' and Heard said she has seen similar social media campaigns "firsthand and up close,' calling it "horrifying and destructive.' Actresses Kate Beckinsale and Abigail Breslin shared their own stories of harassment and retaliation in the wake of Lively's lawsuit, and director Paul Feig posted that Lively "did not deserve any of this smear campaign.' Lively's "It Ends with Us" costar Brandon Sklenar posted a link to the initial New York Times story and Jenny Slate, another co-star in the film, said she stands by her "loyal friend." Amy Schumer posted a story on Instagram that said, 'I believe Blake.' Political influencer Candace Owens posted in support of Baldoni after he was stripped of his Vital Voices award, writing that he should "have his day in court" before such drastic measures are taken.
Business Insider
02-06-2025
- Business Insider
THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Pitch Perfect' nearly 13 years later
"Pitch Perfect" hit theaters almost 13 years ago, shedding light on collegiate a cappella. Anna Kendrick went on to star in movies like "A Simple Favor" and " Woman of the Hour." Most of the supporting cast, like Rebel Wilson and Brittany Snow, still work in Hollywood. "Pitch Perfect" was first released in September 2012 and has since become a modern classic. The movie — which follows an all-female college a cappella group — not only led to two sequels and a spin-off but also helped solidify several of its stars' careers. Here's a look at how the "Pitch Perfect" cast has evolved since the movie was released. Anna Kendrick starred as Beca, the cool music lover and reluctant a capella member. Before "Pitch Perfect," Kendrick rose to fame through her supporting role in the hit teen phenomenon "Twilight" (2008). From there, she starred alongside George Clooney in "Up in the Air" (2009), which earned her an Oscar nomination. She went on to appear in the "Twilight" sequels, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" (2010), "50/50" (2011), and "End of Watch" (2012) before "Pitch Perfect." Kendrick has been busy working on shows and films since "Pitch Perfect." Kendrick led the "Pitch Perfect" franchise for two sequels in 2015 and 2017. In between, she appeared in "Into the Woods" (2014) and "Trolls" (2016). After the "Pitch Perfect" trilogy wrapped, she worked on "A Simple Favor" (2018), "Noelle" (2019), and "Stowaway" (2021). She also starred in the first season of HBO Max's "Love Life." Later, Kendrick executive-produced, directed, and starred in "Woman of the Hour" (2023). Most recently, she reprised her role in " Another Simple Favor" (2025). Brittany Snow played Chloe, an optimistic member of the a capella team. Snow worked for over a decade in Hollywood before starring in "Pitch Perfect," appearing on series such as CBS' "Guiding Light," NBC's "American Dreams," and FX's "Nip/Tuck." She then starred in several popular films, like "The Pacifier" (2005), "John Tucker Must Die" (2006), "Hairspray" (2007), and "Prom Night" (2008) before landing a spot in the movie. Snow continues to work in Hollywood today. In addition to the two "Pitch Perfect" sequels, Snow went on to appear in films like "Someone Great" (2019) and "X" (2022). She also worked on TV shows, including Comedy Central's "Workaholics," The CW's "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," and Netflix's "The Night Agent." Rebel Wilson worked steadily on Australian TV before making the jump to American films and TV. Before playing "Fat Amy" in "Pitch Perfect," Wilson starred on a few Australian TV shows like SBS' "Pizza," Network 10's "The Wedge," and SBS' "Bogan Pride." She also worked on films like "Bridesmaids" (2011), "Bachelorette" (2012), and "Ice Age: Continental Drift" (2012). Wilson has continued to star in films since "Pitch Perfect," and she also wrote a memoir. Following her comedic success in "Pitch Perfect," Wilson starred in the short-lived ABC comedy "Super Fun Night." In addition to the "Pitch Perfect" sequels, Wilson also appeared in "Isn't It Romantic" (2019), "The Hustle" (2019), "Jojo Rabbit" (2019), and "Senior Year" (2022), which she also produced. In 2024, she published her first memoir, "Rebel Rising," detailing her journey to Hollywood success. Anna Camp worked steadily in TV and film prior to "Pitch Perfect." Camp has worked on shows and in movies since the films wrapped. Camp went on to play recurring roles on Fox-Hulu's "The Mindy Project," HBO's "True Blood," CBS' "The Good Wife," and Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." She also played identical twins in the fifth season of Netflix's " You." After the "Pitch Perfect" sequels, some of her latest films include "Desperados" (2020), "Jerry and Marge Go Large" (2022), and "Murder at Yellowstone City" (2022). Skylar Astin starred as Jesse, Beca's love interest. Before "Pitch Perfect," Astin appeared on series like HBO's "Girls" and Fox's "House." He also worked on a couple of TV movies. But he was perhaps best known for originating the role of Georg in "Spring Awakening" on Broadway in 2006. Astin has mostly stuck with TV since the "Pitch Perfect" films. Astin appeared on several series after "Pitch Perfect," including AMC's "Halt and Catch Fire," Epix's "Graves," NBC's "Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist," and ABC's " Grey's Anatomy." The actor only returned for the first "Pitch Perfect" sequel in 2015. But like Kendrick, Astin also joined the "Trolls" franchise for the Netflix series, "Trolls: The Beat Goes On." Ben Platt began his film career with "Pitch Perfect." Platt only had one film credit, "Red Riding Hood" (2006), under his belt before "Pitch Perfect." But his stage career was blossoming before then. In 2011, he played Elder Cunningham in "Book of Mormon" on Broadway. Platt has focused more on music and Broadway since the "Pitch Perfect" series. Platt appeared in "Pitch Perfect 2," "Ricki and the Flash" (2015), and "Drunk Parents" (2019). The actor also starred on Netflix's "The Politician." In addition to film and TV, he gained recognition for his original music and role in the hit Broadway show "Dear Evan Hansen," which earned him a Tony. Platt then reprised the role of Evan Hansen in the 2021 film adaptation and also starred, cowrote, and produced 2023's "Theater Camp." Adam DeVine played Bumper, the obnoxious leader of the rival male a capella team. DeVine worked on several comedy projects before joining the ensemble cast. He guest-starred on ABC's "Samantha Who?" and Disney XD's "TRON: Uprising," but he's perhaps best known for his leading role on Comedy Central's "Workaholics," which debuted in 2011. DeVine continues to work on series and films today. DeVine went on to play roles in movies like "Neighbors" (2014), "Pitch Perfect 2," "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" (2016), "The Lego Batman Movie" (2017), and "Isn't It Romantic." He also continued his role on "Workaholics" and appeared on Cartoon Network's "Uncle Grandpa," ABC's "Modern Family," HBO's "The Righteous Gemstone," and Netflix's "Green Eggs and Ham." In 2022, he starred in a one-season "Pitch Perfect" spin-off called "Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin." He's also done some voice acting for shows and movies, including "Captain Fall" (2023) and the coming "Fixed" (2025). Ester Dean played Bellas member Cynthia Rose. Dean lent her voice to the animated films "Rio" (2011) and "Ice Age: Continental Drift" (2012) before joining the comedy. Before joining the franchise, she was also busy writing and releasing her own music, as well as writing for global superstars like Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Nicki Minaj. Dean went on to star in both sequels and is still working as a musician. In addition to the sequels, Dean appeared on Fox's "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" and in "Trolls 2: World Tour" (2020), alongside Kendrick. She also lent her voice to AppleTV+'s "Central Park." Dean has continued to write and compose music for major artists like Selena Gomez, John Legend, Ciara, and Fifth Harmony. Hana Mae Lee starred as Lilly, the ultra-quiet member of the Bellas. Lee appeared on a few shows, like CBS's "Mike and Molly" and Comedy Central's "Workaholics," before joining the cast of the film. Lee continues to work in Hollywood, mostly on TV. Lee has appeared in more TV movies and series between and after the "Pitch Perfect" films, like Showtime's "Californication," truTV's "Those Who Can't," and Epix's "Perpetual Grace, LTD." More recently, the actor appeared in "Phobias" (2021) and "Habit" (2021). She also voiced a role in the horror film "Abruptio" (2023). Elizabeth Banks had a lengthy résumé before appearing in "Pitch Perfect." Banks was well known for appearing on shows like HBO's "Sex and the City," NBC's "30 Rock," and NBC-ABC's "Scrubs" before "Pitch Perfect." She was also in popular movies including "Wet Hot American Summer" (2001), "Spider-Man" (2002), "Catch Me If You Can" (2002), "Definitely, Maybe" (2008), and "The Hunger Games" (2012). Banks continues to star in and direct movies today. Banks starred in all of the subsequent "Pitch Perfect" and "Hunger Games" movies and went on to films like "The Lego Movie" (2014), "Walk of Shame" (2014), "Magic Mike XXL" (2015), and "Power Rangers" (2017). She also appeared in two "Wet Hot American Summer" spin-off series on Netflix in 2015 and 2017. Up next, she'll star in the psychological thriller "DreamQuil." Behind the camera, Banks directed the third "Pitch Perfect" movie and "Charlie's Angels" (2019). She also produced recent films, including "Bottoms" (2023) and " Cocaine Bear" (2023). John Michael Higgins has been working continuously since the 1980s. With over 140 acting credits to his name, Higgins has been everywhere in TV and film. Prior to "Pitch Perfect," he worked on several shows, including NBC's "Seinfeld," Fox's "Ally McBeal," and Cartoon Network's "Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law." He also starred in movies like "Blade: Trinity" (2004), "The Break-Up" (2006), "Fired Up" (2009), and "We Bought a Zoo" (2011). Higgins continues to lend his talent to series and movies today. Higgins went on to series like TV Land's "Happily Divorced," NBC's "Great News," and Peacock's "Saved by the Bell" reboot. He also hosted GSN's "America Says" from 2018 to 2022. In addition to both "Pitch Perfect" sequels, he appeared in movies like "A Million Ways to Die in the West," "Licorice Pizza" (2021), and "Prom Dates" (2024). This story was originally published on September 28, 2022, and most recently updated on June 2, 2025.
