
Blake Lively's brother-in-law apologizes if he's said anything 'unkind' as her Justin Baldoni drama escalates
Blake Lively's brother-in-law this week "sincerely apologized" if he has said something that's "unkind" as the "It Ends With Us" actress continues her legal back and forth with former co-star Justin Baldoni.
"Anytime I've said anything unkind about someone I've regretted it," Bart Johnson, a "Landman" actor, who is married to Robyn Lively, Blake's older half-sister, wrote on X on Tuesday. "Fortunately that's almost never and definitely not when I'm at my best."
He continued, "Regardless if it's true or not, if it's my opinion, even if I'm trying to speak truth or stand up for someone, it's never good. Even in times where it might 'feel' justified and doing the right thing, it makes no difference. There's a better way."
Johnson added that making cheap remarks is "below the standard I have for myself and I regret it. I do sincerely apologize to anyone I've hurt or let down by saying something that sounds mean. I'll do better."
He said that any of his followers would be "hard pressed" to find more than one time when he's criticized someone on social media.
"You can easily find a million times I've uplifted, support, encourage and uplifted my family, friends, followers & strangers," he wrote. "That's what I'm committed to and where I find my happiness. We all have flaws and I'm definitely a work in progress and doing my best to grow and be better. Sending ALL my love to ALL of you."
"I do sincerely apologize to anyone I've hurt or let down by saying something that sounds mean. I'll do better."
Johnson didn't give any specifics in the lengthy post, but it comes a month after he appeared to call Baldoni a "fraud" in a since-deleted post, according to USA Today.
"He's a fraud. He puts on the 'costume' of a hero, man bun and all. Used all of the trendy catchphrases & buzz words for his podcasts. None of it's genuine," Johnson reportedly wrote on X in late December. "It's all theater. And everyone fell for it. For years."
Baldoni hosts the "Man Enough" podcast, which "explores what it means to be a man today and how rigid gender roles have affected all people," according to the website. "The show creates a safe environment for a range of perspectives to meet and stay at the table, exploring how the messages of masculinity show up in relationships, body image, privilege, fatherhood, sex, success, mental health and so much more. Instead of polarizing and demonizing men and masculinity, it invites all humans to participate and thrive in the world."
Lively filed a sexual harassment suit in December against Baldoni, his Wayfarer studio and former PR reps that also alleged he had orchestrated a smear campaign against her. The same day Lively filed her suit, Baldoni filed a $250 million suit against the New York Times for a December article about the alleged smear campaign.
Weeks later, Baldoni then named Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, in a separate $400 million defamation lawsuit in which he accused the Hollywood power couple of attempting to hijack "It Ends With Us" and attempt to smear him with their own narrative.
Both Lively and Reynolds were producers on "It Ends With Us."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
44 minutes ago
- USA Today
Most Americans think Trump's military parade is 'not a good use' of money, poll shows
With hours to go until the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary parade hits the streets of Washington, D.C., a new poll reveals Americans' opinions about the event. In the poll released June 12 from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, a majority of the American adults surveyed said the parade is not a good use of government money. AP-NORC surveyed 1,158 American adults from June 5-8 for the poll, which had a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points. The Army Birthday Festival is expected to cost about $40 million, a Defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly previously told USA TODAY. The parade, which will coincide with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday on June 14, will feature military demonstrations, equipment displays and live music throughout the day, according to organizers. More than 7,000 troops, two dozen tanks and armored vehicles each and 50 helicopters are set to be part of the event. Here's a look at the results from AP-NORC's poll. More adults approve than disapprove of Trump's military parade Overall, 40% of adults surveyed said they approve of Trump's decision to hold a military parade. About 29% of adults said they disapprove, while 31% chose neither approve or disapprove. When broken down by party affiliation, just 20% of Democrats said they approve of the parade. Half of Democratic respondents said they disapprove and 29% said neither. For Republicans, 67% said they approve, while just 11% said they disapprove. About 21% said neither. Military parade time What time is Trump's DC military parade? See full festival schedule 6 in 10 Americans think military parade is 'not a good use' of money Regarding the parade's hefty price tag, overall, 60% of adults said the parade is not a good use of government funds. About 38% said it is a good use of government funds. 80% of Democrats said it is not a good use of funds, while 19% said the opposite. Of the Republicans in the survey, 65% said it is a good use of funds and 35% disagreed. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at


Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
A new look at ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' plus the week's best movies in L.A.
Hello! I'm Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies. Among this week's new releases is 'Materialists,' a romantic dramedy starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal, written and directed by Celine Song, whose debut, 'Past Lives,' was nominated for two Oscars, including best picture. Johnson's beguiling screen presence, her languidly charged charisma, is put to full use as a professional matchmaker in NYC who finds her own cold calculations challenged when she finds herself struggling to decide between a wealthy, perfect-on-paper finance guy (Pascal) and a perpetually struggling actor ex-boyfriend (Evans). I interviewed Song and Johnson together recently, talking to them about how the film is both a sleek and glossy modern take on the rom-com and also an interrogation of the form and what people want from romance. 'We're not just showing up here to be in love and beautiful and get to be in a rom-com,' says Song. 'We're also going to take this opportunity to talk about something. Because that's the power of the genre. Our favorite rom-coms are the ones where we get to start a conversation about something.' For her part, Johnson has turned down many rom-com roles in the past, but found something different in Song's screenplay. 'The complexities of all of the characters,' Johnson said of what made the project stand out. 'The paradox. Everyone being confused about what the f— they're supposed to do with their hearts. And what's the right move? I found that very honest and I found it just so relatable.' Amy Nicholson opens her review by focusing on the film's lead, writing, 'Dakota Johnson is my favorite seductress, a femme fatale of a flavor that didn't exist until she invented it. … Onscreen, she excels at playing skeptics who are privately amused by the shenanigans of attaching yourself to another person. She shrugs to conquer. Which makes Johnson the perfect avatar for a time when it's hard to commit or keep swiping right.' On Friday the Academy Museum will present the North American premiere of a new 4K restoration of Milos Forman's 1975 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.' The film won five Oscars, including best picture, director and actor, and the screening will include a conversation with editors Richard Chew and Lynzee Klingman, speaking with Larry Karaszewski. Based on the novel by Ken Kesey, the film tells the story of Randle McMurphy (Nicholson), who is committed to a mental institution instead of serving a prison sentence. McMurphy's rebellious, anti-authoritarian spirit upends the strict order of the facility maintained by Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher, who also won an Oscar for her performance), as he comes to connect with some of the other inmates, many of whom are there voluntarily. The Times' original review at the time said that the film 'is calculated to restore your faith in the discipline and the emotional effectiveness of inspired fine moviemaking.' A February 1976 profile of Forman by Fiona Lewis found the filmmaker, already a two-time Academy Award nominee for his films made in Czechoslovakia, in a rented house in the Hollywood Hills anxiously awaiting the impending Oscar nominations. 'All these events, like film festivals and Oscars — it's foolish to compare if this film is better than that film,' Forman said. 'But on the other hand, why not? It's like my child is the most beautiful in the world and the girl I love the best.' The Acropolis Cinema screening series begins a retrospective of the Italian-born, U.S.-based filmmaker Roberto Minervini Friday night with the Los Angeles premiere of his 2024 film 'The Damned' at 2220 Arts + Archives. The filmmaker will be there for a Q&A moderated by 'Eephus' director Carson Lund. Minervini won the directing prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival for the movie, which follows a company of volunteer U.S. soldiers in the Civil War as they are sent to patrol a remote borderland. 'The Damned' will also open at the Laemmle Royal on the June 20. Minervini will be present for a screening at Brain Dead Studios on Saturday for the world premiere of a new restoration of his 2011 debut feature 'The Passage.' Critic Peter Debruge will moderate the Q&A. Then on Sunday, Minervini will be present for a Q&A moderated by critic Tim Grierson following a 10th anniversary screening of 'The Other Side' at 2220 Arts + Archive. On June 23, there will also be a screening of Minervini's 2018 film 'What You Gonna Do When the World's On Fire?' back at Brain Dead Studios. 'Bring It On' 25th anniversary in 35mm Following the recent screening of Sofia Coppola's 'The Virgin Suicides,' the Academy Museum will present another pivotal film in the career of Kirsten Dunst: a 25th anniversary 35mm screening of Peyton Reed's 'Bring It On.' Actors Jesse Bradford and Brandi Williams will be present for the event as well. Displaying Dunst's range, she stars as Torrance Shipman, the new captain of the cheerleading squad at her affluent suburban California high school. Torrance discovers that their championship routines have been stolen from the squad of a less privileged all-Black school. Reed, who went on to direct 'Down With Love,' 'The Break-Up' and Marvel's 'Ant-Man' movies, deftly balances teen comedy, emotional nuance and social satire with a spirited energy. After calling it 'a smart and sassy high school movie that's fun for all ages' in his original review, Kevin Thomas noted how the film 'has a light satirical touch, works up lots of laughter, but is not heavy-handed about Torrance and her squad taking cheerleading so seriously. Rather than lament how winning a cheerleading trophy seems vastly more important to the squad members than getting the grades that will get them into college, [screenwriter Jessica] Bendinger and Reed instead show us the likable Torrance and her pals receiving some unexpected life lessons.' 'Christiane F.' 4K restoration On Friday, the American Cinematheque will launch a limited run of the new 4K restoration of Uli Edel's 1981 'Christiane F.' Based on a nonfiction book, the story depicts a teenage girl, Christiane (Natja Brunkhorst), in West Berlin who falls in with a crowd of kids who introduce her to using hard drugs and she soon becomes a heroin addict, living a hardscrabble life on the streets. Featuring music by David Bowie, the film also includes a live performance by Bowie of the song 'Station to Station.' In a February 1982 review, Kevin Thomas wrote, 'The makers of 'Christiane F.' apparently feel that it is sufficient to dramatize this hellish odyssey with the utmost realism, sparing us nothing, not the sickness, the brutality, the pain or the sheer sleaziness of their existence. But it isn't, because they don't reveal anything that many adults and teens don't know well. … [The filmmakers] go for an unremitting grittiness so as not to seem unduly sensational or exploitative in the telling of Christiane's story.' 'Cobra Woman' in 35mm On Saturday afternoon at the Los Feliz 3, the American Cinematheque will present a 35mm screening of Robert Siodmak's 1944 beloved cult object 'Cobra Woman,' starring Maria Montez, Jon Hall and Sabu in a tale of twin sisters, kidnapping and a remote island paradise. Author Alonso Duralde will be on hand to introduce the film and do a signing for his new book 'Hollywood Pride: A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Representation and Perseverance in Film.' In a program note for the screening, Duralde noted Susan Sontag's influential essay 'Notes on Camp,' adding 'for a look at 'pure camp,' there's no better place to start than the 1944 Maria Montez vehicle 'Cobra Woman,' a deliciously over-the-top exercise in exotica, colonial fetishization and general absurdity. (The trailer calls it 'A Pagan Sensation!') Montez stars as twin princesses — one good, one evil, both in love with strapping Jon Hall — in a tale that incorporates volcanoes, blowguns, Sabu, a forbidden dance of the snakes and a valuable stone that Montez memorably calls the 'Cobra jool.'' The film was also said to be the favorite of filmmaker Kenneth Anger. A February 1944 Los Angeles Times column by Hedda Hopper explored how Montez pursued stardom with shrewdly calculated verve, writing, 'Outstanding among today's feminine stars who have projected their personalities — and persons — to fullest advantage is Maria Montez. Two years ago this Latin-American bundle of nerve and determination struck Hollywood like a one-woman avalanche, announcing to Universal that she would be satisfied with nothing short of top-flight stardom and swamping the studio's production office with demands for starring roles.' 'Naked Lunch' with Peter Weller On Monday, Vidiots will show David Cronenberg's 1991 adaptation of William S. Burroughs' 'Naked Lunch' in 4K with star Peter Weller in attendance to sign his new book 'Leon Battista Alberti in Exile.' Rather than strictly adapt the book itself, Cronenberg used fragments and shards of its story and Burroughs' own biography to craft a phantasmagorical take on the novel's own creation: An exterminator, Bill Lee (Weller), flees New York for the Interzone after he accidentally shoots his wife (Judy Davis) and sets himself to writing. In a review from December 1991, Peter Rainer wrote, 'There are enough references to the novel, enough episodes and characters, to provide a glancing resemblance to the original. But mostly, Cronenberg jacks up his own career-long obsessions with glop and grunge and decay to fever pitch. It's a movie for people who really dig Cronenberg's mulchy fixations — and probably for no one else. … The ambi-sexual atmosphere carries a demonic charge that approximates Burroughs but, for the most part, Cronenberg was a lot closer to the Burroughs ethos in a film like 'Videodrome' than he is here.' In a June 1992 profile of Cronenberg by Gene Seymour, the filmmaker, then 47, spoke about how he approached adapting a book many assumed to be unadaptable. 'I do think it's paradoxical but true that, in order to be faithful to the book, you have to throw the book away,' said Cronenberg. 'You have to betray it in order to re-create it for the screen. All the attempts I've seen of trying to be literally faithful to the book have been dismal failures and the reason is only that the two media are totally, totally different. Maybe it's because I'm really ruthless. And totally arrogant.' In a statement, Burroughs himself said, 'I felt, and still feel, that David's script is very true to his own Muse as a filmmaker, very consistent with the high level of artistry for which he is known.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
14 positive things that happened on Friday the 13th
June 13 is a Friday. Traditionally, Friday the 13th is considered a "cursed" date, but it doesn't have to be. President Johnson signed an executive order preventing gender discrimination on October 13, 1967. Friday the 13th has a long history of freaking people out. When this day rolls around, people buy and travel less. In fact, the global economy is estimated to lose as much as $900 million every time a Friday lands on the 13th. However, the Dutch Center for Insurance Statistics reported in 2008 that Friday the 13th is actually statistically safer than other Fridays — there are fewer accidents and reports of fire and theft on these days. If that doesn't convince you, keep scrolling to learn about some positive events that took place on a Friday the 13th. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed an executive order preventing gender discrimination in the government. While Title VII officially prevented discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, and sex for private employers, it wasn't until Executive Order 11375 that discrimination based on gender was illegal for the federal government and federal contractors. President Johnson signed the order, which was officially titled Amending Executive Order No. 11246, Relating to Equal Employment Opportunity, on October 13, 1967. Malta became a republic. The tiny Mediterranean country of Malta first became independent of the British in 1964, but officially became a republic on December 13, 1974. Even though it's small, Malta is an underrated place to visit. Evelyn "Pinky" Kilgare-Brier became the first certified female pilot instructor. According to the National Museum of the US Air Force, Kilgare-Brier became the first woman to receive an airplane instructor's license on October 13, 1939. She was an important figure for women in aviation. She also flew non-combat missions during World War II, and after the war she owned and operated her own private airport, according to her obituary in the Los Angeles Times. The Olympics officially returned to their home country. The 2004 Summer Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, the country where they started, both in ancient and modern times. The opening ceremony took place on August 13. It was the largest Olympic Games at the time, with 201 countries participating. Michael Phelps also won his first Olympic medal and broke his first record in Athens. The queens of the '90s, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, were born. The Olsen twins were born on June 13, 1986. They famously got their start on "Full House" and went on to create an empire: books, videos, perfume, clothing lines, and much more. "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" premiered on Friday, October 13, 2023. Taylor Swift was born on December 13, 1989 — her birthday landed on Friday the 13th last year — and she has repeatedly said that 13 is her favorite number. She even used to perform with "13" drawn on her hand. As part of her 13 agenda, her blockbuster concert film "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" premiered in theaters on Friday, October 13, 2023. It went on to become the highest-grossing concert film of all time after grossing $261 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. The first scientifically recognized dinosaur eggs were discovered. Roy Chapman Andrews discovered the first dinosaur eggs at a dig in Mongolia on July 13, 1923, according to the American Museum of Natural History. Scientifically, this was huge for the field of paleontology, confirming that dinosaurs laid eggs. The museum was so impressed that Andrews went on to become its director from 1935 to 1942. The famous Hollywood sign was dedicated. The Hollywood sign is an iconic piece of California culture. But when it was officially dedicated on July 13, 1923, it wasn't even supposed to last for more than two years. Originally, the sign was installed to promote a new subdivision in the Hollywood Hills. "Super Mario Bros." was released. "Super Mario Bros.," one of the most iconic video games in history, was released on September 13, 1985, exclusively in Japan, per The Verge. Since then, Mario has been in approximately 170 games, including wildly successful spin-offs like "Mario Kart," "Mario Party," and "Paper Mario." A "significant amount" of water was found on the Moon. A lunar space station has long been the subject of science fiction novels, but on November 13, 2009, that dream took one step closer to reality when NASA announced they found water on the Moon. How much is a "significant amount"? According to NASA's Anthony Colaprete, around a dozen 2-gallon bucketfuls. Black Sabbath released their debut album and invented heavy metal. The 69th best debut album of all time, at least according to Rolling Stone, Black Sabbath's self-titled album was released on February 13, 1970. The album is widely regarded as having created the genre of heavy metal, with instant classics like "NIB." and "The Wizard." Actor Steve Buscemi was born. Steve Buscemi was born on December 13, 1957 — yes, he shares a birthday with Taylor Swift. Buscemi might be famous as an actor, but he also has a lesser-known second career: a New York City firefighter. Buscemi became an NYC firefighter at age 18. He eventually left the service to pursue acting, but in the aftermath of 9/11, Buscemi helped with rescue efforts and worked 12-hour shifts sifting through the rubble. "Friday the 13th Part III" was released. Of the iconic "Friday the 13th" movie saga, "Part III" was the first to actually open on Friday the 13th (August 13, 1982), the first to experiment with 3D, and the first appearance of Jason's mask. Even though the movie was critically panned, the movie made over $36 million against a $2.3 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo. Friday the 13th is always the last day before the weekend. If all else fails to convince you that Friday the 13th isn't a cursed date, just remember this: It's the last day of the workweek. Fridays are the best! Read the original article on Business Insider