Latest news with #AB933
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Lively backed by advocacy groups in legal fight with Justin Baldoni over #MeToo speech law
Blake Lively's effort to dismiss Justin Baldoni's defamation countersuit is getting a boost from several advocacy groups, who say the case threatens a hard-won legal protection for people who speak out about sexual harassment and misconduct. Equal Rights Advocates, a San Francisco–based legal nonprofit that advocates for gender equity and workplace protections, filed an amicus brief on Tuesday urging a federal judge to uphold Lively's motion and defend California's new free speech law protecting those who speak publicly about sexual misconduct. Additional briefs are expected in the coming days from advocacy groups including Child USA and Sanctuary for Families. The briefs mark the latest salvo in a months-long legal clash between Lively and Baldoni, whose bitter dispute stemming from the production of last year's romantic drama "It Ends With Us" has played out in court and the press. Lively has accused Baldoni, her co-star and the film's director, of harassing her during filming, citing improvised on-set physical contact, inappropriate conduct and alleged retaliation after she raised concerns — claims he has denied. Advocates say her case highlights the kind of public allegations that the law was meant to protect, and warn that a ruling against her could chill speech around harassment. 'If the law were to be struck down, it wouldn't just affect Blake Lively — it would essentially do away with the protections for all survivors,' said Jessica Schidlow, legal director at Child USA, a nonprofit that advocates for stronger protections for abuse survivors. 'It would be a devastating setback and completely undermine the purpose of the law, which was to make it easier for victims to come forward and to speak their truth without fear of retaliation.' Read more: Blake Lively moves to dismiss Justin Baldoni's countersuit, citing California law on misconduct claims Lively invoked the law — California Civil Code Section 47.1, enacted in 2023 as part of Assembly Bill 933 — in a motion filed in March to dismiss Baldoni's $400-million countersuit, which alleges she falsely accused him of harassment and retaliation and tried to wrest control of the film from him. Baldoni's legal team has strongly opposed the dismissal motion, arguing that Lively's accusations were knowingly false and that the statute she invoked is itself unconstitutional. They argue the law goes too far by threatening steep financial penalties, saying it could discourage people from going to court to defend themselves against false accusations. 'In no event, on this Motion or at any stage of this proceeding, will the First Amendment permit the extreme and unconstitutional award of fees, costs and treble and punitive damages Lively demands,' the filing states. That position drew a sharp response from Victoria Burke, an attorney who helped push for AB 933 and is now leading efforts to pass similar legislation in 16 other states. 'I was highly disappointed with that move,' said Burke, who is filing her own amicus brief in the case. 'He's put himself out there as a feminist, and this undoes a lot of the good he had been doing. It just seemed cruel and unnecessary — to try to destroy a law that was designed to protect all survivors, just to go after one.' Lively's attorneys Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson also pushed back forcefully on the constitutional challenge, saying in a statement that Baldoni and the other defendants were 'so hell bent on trying to destroy Blake Lively that they are willing to shred a law designed to protect all victims just to make sure they 'bury' one." Read more: Inside the bare-knuckle legal brawl between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni AB 933 was designed to shield people who speak out about sexual harassment, assault or discrimination from retaliatory defamation suits, provided their statements weren't made with 'actual malice.' It also includes a fee-shifting provision that requires unsuccessful plaintiffs to pay legal costs and allows for treble and punitive damages. In a March 4 filing in federal court in New York, Lively's attorneys argued that Baldoni's countersuit is precisely the kind of retaliation that California's new law was meant to prevent. 'The law prohibits weaponizing defamation lawsuits, like this one, to retaliate against individuals who have filed legal claims or have publicly spoken out about sexual harassment and retaliation,' the brief states. The case marks the first major test of AB 933 since it was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October 2023. The outcome could set an early precedent for how far courts are willing to go in upholding the law — and what protections it ultimately provides for those who speak out about alleged misconduct. 'As more survivors came forward, the people who harmed them were increasingly using defamation lawsuits as weapons to try to silence them,' said Jessica Stender, deputy legal director at Equal Rights Advocates, one of the organizations that co-sponsored AB 933. 'When you see high-profile cases, like the Amber Heard–Johnny Depp case or in this case Blake Lively — survivors without money or fame are scared when they see what can happen to even a rich and famous person, and think, 'That could happen to me, and I can't take that chance.'" Read more: Justin Baldoni's tumultuous road to the center of a Hollywood scandal Lively's team, in a May 13 reply brief, defended the law's constitutionality and reiterated that her public statements were protected under AB 933. 'The First Amendment empowers legislatures to protect victims' First Amendment rights via fee-shifting rules designed to deter retaliatory litigation,' her attorneys wrote. The court has not yet ruled on Lively's motion to dismiss. If granted, it could deal a significant blow to Baldoni's countersuit — and shape how AB 933 is interpreted in future cases involving public allegations of misconduct. As other states look to adopt similar legislation, advocates say the outcome of the case could have ripple effects far beyond California. 'We want to be able to ensure that there is a social and legal environment where you can speak your truth and report sexual assault and harassment without fear of being sued,' said Dorchen Leidholdt, senior director of legal services at Sanctuary for Families, a New York–based nonprofit that provides legal and support services to survivors of gender-based violence. 'Legal retaliatory actions like the one brought by Mr. Baldoni and his team are doing enormous damage to victims, not just in California but across the country — affecting not only celebrity victims, but ordinary people.' Sign up for Indie Focus, a weekly newsletter about movies and what's going on in the wild world of cinema. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Lively Drops New Bombshell Against Justin Baldoni Involving 'Scorched Earth' Tactics
37-year-old actress is doubling down in her ongoing legal war against "It Ends With Us" director and co-star , accusing him of using aggressive litigation tactics to silence her sexual harassment claims. On Thursday, Blake Lively and her legal team issued a fiery new statement, condemning Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit as a retaliatory attack on her right to speak out. The courtroom clash began in December 2024 after Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of their film and claimed he orchestrated a smear campaign against her. In response, Baldoni filed a sweeping defamation suit not only against Lively, but also her husband and longtime publicist Leslie Sloane. He also took legal aim at The New York Times, filing a separate $250 million libel suit over its reporting on the case. All parties named in Baldoni's lawsuits have denied the allegations. Now, as Lively and Reynolds attempt to have the lawsuit dismissed, her legal team is launching new accusations, claiming Baldoni is actively working to dismantle California laws designed to protect sexual harassment victims from legal retaliation. In a statement to Us Weekly, Lively's attorneys wrote: 'Mr. Baldoni has gone from monetizing a brand devoted to believing and supporting women, to leading the charge to tear down the very law that protects women who come forward about sexual assault, harassment and discrimination.' They cited California's AB 933 statute, a sexual harassment privilege law meant to prevent perpetrators from using defamation suits to silence victims. 'The chilling message scorched earth litigation sends to victims is stay silent or be destroyed,' Lively's team stated. The remarks accompanied a new reply brief filed on Lively's behalf, which contends that Baldoni's claims are not only meritless but also legally time-barred. 'The Wayfarer Parties' attempt to slap Ms. Lively with a retaliatory lawsuit… has not only failed miserably but exposes them to substantial economic damages,' the brief read. 'Ms. Lively will continue to show all victims that they are not alone, that they do not have to stay silent, and that the law is on their side.' This latest volley comes just a week after Baldoni accused Lively of staging a public relations stunt to undermine his career. He argued that her attempt to dismiss the defamation suit, filed March 20, was a calculated effort to 'ruin the reputations and careers of the Wayfarer parties.' In his own filing, Baldoni defended his lawsuit as an exercise of his First Amendment right to petition the court. Lively's attorneys, Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, responded forcefully to Baldoni's framing, telling TMZ: 'Justin Baldoni, the man who has built his brand on supposedly speaking up for victims, believes that the First Amendment rights of victims of sexual assault and harassment to speak out should give way to the rights of perpetrators to sue their victims 'into oblivion.'' Her legal team accused Baldoni and his attorney, Bryan Freedman, of attempting to dismantle protections for victims while discouraging others from speaking up. In response, Freedman pushed back in a statement to Daily Mail, saying: 'This convoluted statement makes it abundantly clear that Ms. Lively and team are rattled and once again resorting to making inflammatory remarks to steer focus away from the actual facts.' Freedman went on to criticize Lively's past media focus, saying it's 'surprising that Ms. Lively and her team are suddenly speaking so passionately about the hard-won rights of the survivor community, considering she sidestepped this topic for the entirety of the film campaign... focusing instead on her hair care and alcohol products.' He added, 'She does not need discovery to find out who smeared her. Just a mirror will do.' This tense back-and-forth continues to intensify, with a court showdown officially set for March 9, 2026. Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane filed last month to dismiss Baldoni's 'vengeful and rambling' complaint. In his own sharp-edged statement, Reynolds described Baldoni as 'thin-skinned' and called himself a 'supportive spouse' standing beside Lively in her fight. But Baldoni's legal team isn't backing down either. Just last week, attorneys representing both the actor and Wayfarer Studios fired back, labeling Reynolds Lively's 'co-conspirator' and urging Judge Lewis J. Liman to deny the couple's dismissal request.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Will Skip the 2025 Met Gala: ‘She's Not a Kardashian'
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds will not be in attendance for the 2025 Met Gala, Us Weekly can confirm. A source exclusively tells Us that the decision for Lively, 37, and Reynolds, 48, not to appear at the annual New York City fundraiser isn't out of character. 'She's not a Kardashian that goes every year,' the source explains. Lively and Reynolds last graced the Metropolitan Museum of Art's iconic steps nearly three years ago. During the 2022 Met Gala, the couple served as cohosts for the event. They shared emcee duties alongside Regina King and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Inside Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' Different Coping Styles Amid Justin Baldoni Lawsuits Lively and Reynolds have attended fashion's biggest night together off and on for years. They made their debut at the Met in 2014. The twosome returned for the event three years later. In 2018, Lively attended solo. The decision to skip this year's gala comes amid Lively and Reynolds' ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Lively and Baldoni costarred in It Ends With Us, which premiered last summer. However, their dispute didn't officially go public until December 2024 when Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment on set and orchestrating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni denied the allegations. The following month, Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, Reynolds and the actress' publicist, accusing them of defamation. The couple have denied the accusations while the publicist requested to be removed from the lawsuit. Earlier this week, Reynolds and Lively both submitted motions to dismiss the lawsuit. 'The painful reality is that Ms. Lively is not alone in being sued for defamation after speaking up about being sexually harassed at work,' Lively's spokesperson said in a statement to Us on Thursday, March 20. 'That is entirely why California recently enacted AB 933, the Privileged Communications Incident of Sexual Assault, Harassment, or Discrimination Act, which codified California civil code section 47.1. While Ms. Lively has suffered greatly by speaking up and pursuing legal claims, it is important for other people to know that they have protections, and that there is a specific law that expressly protects them from being silenced or financially ruined by a defamation lawsuit because they had the courage to speak up.' Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's Conflict 'Is Not a Celebrity Feud': Source Baldonii's lawyer Bryan Freedman addressed Lively's motion to dismiss via a statement to Us. 'Ms. Lively's recent motion to dismiss herself from the self-concocted disaster she initiated is one of the most abhorrent examples of abusing our legal system. Stringent rules are put into place to protect the innocent and allow individuals to rightfully defend themselves,' Freedman said. 'Laws are not meant to be twisted and curated by privileged elites to fit their own personal agenda. As we said yesterday in response to Mr. Reynolds' same cowardly measures, we will continue to hold Ms. Lively accountable for her actions of pure malice which include falsely accusing my clients of harassment and retaliation. Her fantastical claims will be swiftly debunked as discovery moves forward, easily disproved with actual, evidentiary proof.' At this time, Lively and Baldoni's trial is scheduled for next year.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Lively files motion to dismiss Justin Baldoni's 'vengeful' lawsuit, citing this California law
Blake Lively filed to dismiss Justin Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit. The move comes two days after her husband, Ryan Reynolds, asked the court to do the same. In the motion to dismiss, Lively's legal team cited a California law that protects individuals from retaliatory lawsuits if they report allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct. If successful, Baldoni could be on the hook to cover Reynolds and Lively's legal fees. "This lawsuit is a profound abuse of the legal process that has no place in federal court. California law now expressly prohibits suing victims who make the decision to speak out against sexual harassment or retaliation, whether in a lawsuit or in the press," attorneys Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson told Yahoo Entertainment in a statement. "This meritless and retaliatory lawsuit runs head first into three legal obstacles, including the litigation, fair report and sexual harassment privileges, the latter of which contains a mandatory fee shifting provision that will require the likes of billionaire Steve Sarowitz, Wayfarer Studios and others that brought frivolous defamation claims against Ms. Lively to pay damages," Gottlieb and Hudson continued. "In other words, in an epic self-own, the Wayfarer Parties' attempt to sue Ms. Lively 'into oblivion' has only created more liability for them, and deservedly so, given what they have done." A spokesperson for Lively said it's "a painful reality" that the actress is "not alone in being sued for defamation after speaking up about being sexually harassed at work." "While Ms. Lively has suffered greatly by speaking up and pursuing legal claims, it is important for other people to know that they have protections, and that there is a specific law that expressly protects them from being silenced or financially ruined by a defamation lawsuit because they had the courage to speak up," the rep added, citing California's recently enacted AB 933 that gives victims legal protection. Lively's motion, which was obtained by Yahoo, slammed Baldoni's "vengeful and rambling lawsuit." The complaint claimed Baldoni's countersuit "is a profound abuse of the legal process that has no place in federal court." It also called out Baldoni and his co-defendants' "bizarre theories" about the actress's intentions. "On the one hand, the Wayfarer Parties insist that Ms. Lively is an immensely powerful Hollywood superstar who, along with her influential husband, wielded power to steal creative control over the Film; but on the other hand, they claim she was so powerless that the only way she could have any power was by manufacturing sexual harassment allegations almost a year in advance in a Machiavellian long game," the complaint stated. "These two concepts contradict each other and therefore cannot coexist." The complaint once again reiterated many of Lively's sexual harassment allegations she claimed to have experienced while filming It Ends With Us. It alleges that Baldoni's lawsuit is "full of admissions that the incidents underlying Ms. Lively's sexual harassment claims occurred." Some of the examples set forth are that a simulated nude scene was filmed without an intimacy coordinator present, Baldoni discussed orgasming while having sex with his wife and that he improvised while filming romantic scenes. It Ends With Us star Jenny Slate has stayed above the fray, aside from releasing a statement of support for Lively early on in December 2024. During an interview with the Hollywood Reporter published on Thursday, Slate — who played Baldoni's sister in the film — was asked about the ongoing drama. "I don't have anything to say about that," she replied. Slate was promoting her upcoming series, Dying for Sex, and was asked how filming the FX show compared to production on It Ends With Us. "Everything is its own thing. I poured my heart into this work, and every minute of [Dying for Sex] was important to me, and I just want to talk about that," Slate said.. The actress was asked how she'll deal with the Lively-Baldoni drama on her current press tour. "Anyone can ask anything," she said, "but my only responsibility is to speak about the work I'm there to promote. It was so important to me to get this job, so why would I spend time talking about anything but that?"
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Lively Claims Justin Baldoni's ‘Vengeful' $400 Million Lawsuit Breaks #MeToo Law in Motion to Dismiss
Blake Lively's latest move in her legal battle against her 'It Ends With Us' co-star and director Justin Baldoni is a motion to have the filmmaker's $400 million defamation lawsuit dropped, claiming Baldoni's suit is just his way getting back at her for legally accusing him of sexual harassment. Her argument is that the 'vengeful' lawsuit breaks a 2023 California law from Gov. Gavin Newsom that protects victims who speak out, which he signed in the wake of #MeToo 'The Wayfarer Parties' vengeful and rambling lawsuit against Blake Lively is a profound abuse of the legal process that has no place in federal court,' Lively's legal team said in a 44-page memorandum submitted to the U.S. Southern District Court of New York on Thursday. 'The law prohibits weaponizing defamation lawsuits, like this one, to retaliate against individuals who have filed legal claims or have publicly spoken out about sexual harassment and retaliation.' Per that California law, Lively states Baldoni is prohibited from suing her for accusing him of sexually harassing her during the filming of Colleen Hoover's 'It Ends With Us.' 'The Wayfarer Parties have created more liability for themselves by their malicious efforts to sue Ms. Lively into oblivion,' the statement continued, adding Lively believes Baldoni will ultimately have to pay her in damages and cover her court fees. The memorandum concluded: 'The Court should dismiss all claims against Ms. Lively with prejudice, deny leave to amend and award Ms. Lively all relief sought.' In a statement to TheWrap, Lively's lawyers Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson expounded on their motion. 'This lawsuit is a profound abuse of the legal process that has no place in federal court. California law now expressly prohibits suing victims who make the decision to speak out against sexual harassment or retaliation, whether in a lawsuit or in the press,' the pair said in a joint statement. 'This meritless and retaliatory lawsuit runs head first into three legal obstacles, including the litigation, fair report and sexual harassment privileges, the latter of which contains a mandatory fee shifting provision that will require the likes of billionaire Steve Sarowitz, Wayfarer Studios, and others that brought frivolous defamation claims against Ms. Lively to pay damages. In other words, in an epic self-own, the Wayfarer Parties' attempt to sue Ms. Lively 'into oblivion' has only created more liability for them, and deservedly so, given what they have done.' Lively's spokesperson commented and expressed the need for alleged victims of sexual harassment and abuse to be protected. 'The painful reality is that Ms. Lively is not alone in being sued for defamation after speaking up about being sexually harassed at work,' their statement read. 'That is entirely why California recently enacted AB 933, the Privileged Communications Incident of Sexual Assault, Harassment, or Discrimination Act, which codified California civil code section 47.1. While Ms. Lively has suffered greatly by speaking up and pursuing legal claims, it is important for other people to know that they have protections, and that there is a specific law that expressly protects them from being silenced or financially ruined by a defamation lawsuit because they had the courage to speak up.' Lively' request follows her husband's Ryan Reynolds' Tuesday motion to have Baldoni's lawsuit dropped after Baldoni accused Reynolds of creating the character of Nicepool in 'Deadpool & Wolverine' in a 'deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate or bully' him. Reynolds did not deny Baldoni's claim, but noted that the filmmaker can not sue over 'hurt feelings.' 'It falls into the [First Amended Complaint]'s general allegation of 'hurt feelings,' which in reality is nothing more than a desperate effort to advance the same curated 'bully' image that the Wayfarer Parties created and disseminated in the retaliation campaign they launched against Ms. Lively in August of 2024,' a passage from Reynolds' legal document reads. The post Blake Lively Claims Justin Baldoni's 'Vengeful' $400 Million Lawsuit Breaks #MeToo Law in Motion to Dismiss appeared first on TheWrap.
