Latest news with #WayfarerStudios
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Justin Baldoni's Insurer Sues Him & Wayfarer Saying Its Policies Don't Cover Blake Lively Harassment Suit
The company providing liability insurance to Justin Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios has filed a lawsuit against them in federal court, saying that its policies don't cover the claims asserted by Blake Lively in her sexual harassment lawsuit stemming from the making of It Ends With Us. Harco National Insurance Company filed the lawsuit Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. It is seeking a declaration that its two policies issued to Wayfarer — one effective from July 15, 2023-July 15, 2024 and one effective from July 15, 2024-July 15, 2025 — were signed after 'Lively and others complained of sexual harassment during pre-production and production of the Film,' as early as May 2023, outside the time parameters of the policy. More from Deadline A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media Judge Dismisses Social Media PR Expert From Blake Lively's Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Judge Rules Blake Lively Can Choose Deposition Location In Justin Baldoni Legal Battle 'Despite the acknowledged pre-July 2023 complaints by Lively and others, Wayfarer's July 2023 Application for the 2023 Policy includes a letter from Wayfarer which warrants that no person or entity for whom the insurance is intended has any knowledge or information of any act, error, omission, fact or circumstance which may give rise to a claim which may fall within the Employment Practices Liability coverage if issued by Harco (the '2023 Warranty'),' the lawsuit states. 'The 2023 Warranty also states that 'IT IS AGREED THAT IF SUCH KNOWLEDGE OR INFORMATION EXISTS, ANY CLAIM ARISING THEREFROM (WHETHER OR NOT DISCLOSED HEREIN), … IS EXCLUDED FROM THE PROPOSED COVERAGE.' The defendants in North Carolina-based Harco's suit include Baldoni, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath and Wayfarer co-founder and co-chairman Steve Sarowitz. Lively sued Baldoni, Wayfarer, his publicity team and others at the end of last year after she accused him of sexual harassment and retaliation on the set of It Ends With Us, which was released in August 2024 and grossed $351 million at the worldwide box filed a countersuit against her for defamation and extortion, with The New York Times also named as a defendant. A judge dismissed the latter claim in June. Lively's harassment suit is schedule to go to trial in March 2026 in New York. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Emmys, Oscars, Grammys & More
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Justin Baldoni's Insurer Sues Him & Wayfarer Saying Its Policies Don't Cover Blake Lively Harassment Suit
The company providing liability insurance to Justin Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios has filed a lawsuit against them in federal court, saying that its policies don't cover the claims asserted by Blake Lively in her sexual harassment lawsuit stemming from the making of It Ends With Us. Harco National Insurance Company filed the lawsuit Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. It is seeking a declaration that its two policies issued to Wayfarer — one effective from July 15, 2023-July 15, 2024 and one effective from July 15, 2024-July 15, 2025 — were signed after 'Lively and others complained of sexual harassment during pre-production and production of the Film,' as early as May 2023, outside the time parameters of the policy. More from Deadline A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media Judge Dismisses Social Media PR Expert From Blake Lively's Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Judge Rules Blake Lively Can Choose Deposition Location In Justin Baldoni Legal Battle 'Despite the acknowledged pre-July 2023 complaints by Lively and others, Wayfarer's July 2023 Application for the 2023 Policy includes a letter from Wayfarer which warrants that no person or entity for whom the insurance is intended has any knowledge or information of any act, error, omission, fact or circumstance which may give rise to a claim which may fall within the Employment Practices Liability coverage if issued by Harco (the '2023 Warranty'),' the lawsuit states. 'The 2023 Warranty also states that 'IT IS AGREED THAT IF SUCH KNOWLEDGE OR INFORMATION EXISTS, ANY CLAIM ARISING THEREFROM (WHETHER OR NOT DISCLOSED HEREIN), … IS EXCLUDED FROM THE PROPOSED COVERAGE.' The defendants in North Carolina-based Harco's suit include Baldoni, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath and Wayfarer co-founder and co-chairman Steve Sarowitz. Lively sued Baldoni, Wayfarer, his publicity team and others at the end of last year after she accused him of sexual harassment and retaliation on the set of It Ends With Us, which was released in August 2024 and grossed $351 million at the worldwide box filed a countersuit against her for defamation and extortion, with The New York Times also named as a defendant. A judge dismissed the latter claim in June. Lively's harassment suit is schedule to go to trial in March 2026 in New York. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Solve the daily Crossword
Mint
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
‘Celebrity is fleeting': Judge takes a Mariah Carey-style jab at Blake Lively in case against Justin Baldoni
The judge overseeing Blake Lively's ongoing legal battle with her 'It Ends With US' co-star Justin Baldoni reportedly took a jab at her in Mariah Carey's style. During an emergency hearing on Wednesday, July 17, Judge Lewis Liman allegedly warned the actress that 'celebrity is fleeting,' while admitting that he had never heard of her or Justin Baldoni before taking on their case. Judge Liman's harsh words mimicked Mariah Carey's viral snub. The night before Blake Lively was scheduled to be deposed, the singer said, 'I don't know her' This reportedly happened when Justin Baldoni's lawyer Kevin Fritz said that he believed Blake Lively was being given 'special treatment simply because she's a celebrity.' Calling it a 'serious issue,' Judge Liman stopped Fritz from making such 'accusations,' and said that 'throwing around accusations' has not helped. 'There are problems that the court is trying to deal with and it's helpful for me if you frame it in language and words that the court is accustomed to. It does not help me — and it's not helped me in this case — to start throwing around accusations,' he said. The judge said that he is well aware that Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are high-profile people, but, 'I have told you before, before I came into this case, I didn't know who your client was, I did not know who the plaintiff was. Their names were unknown to me.' 'As far as I'm concerned, whether they have celebrity at the moment or not is irrelevant. Celebrity, as you know, and everybody knows, can be fleeting. It's also not relevant to the court.' 'So, your point is well taken that celebrity is irrelevant. Now let's make it irrelevant. We don't need to talk about it,' he finished. Judge Liman, however, granted Blake Lively's request for a protective order requiring Justin Baldoni's team to identify everyone who would attend her deposition. The actress is expected to 'make arrangements for opposing counsel to have a dedicated computer and the ability to print and copy documents in the space chosen by Lively.' Justin Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios are now required to notify Blake Lively of the individuals who will attend her upcoming deposition, which is set to occur on July 17, two days prior, reported E! News.
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Inside Hollywood's most toxic feud: As Justin Baldoni and co-star Blake Lively sue and countersued, an explosive new show reveals why it's turned into all-out war
It's the feud that has everyone in Hollywood talking – actress Blake Lively suing Justin Baldoni, her co-star and director of last year's hit film It Ends With Us. She is accusing him of sexual harassment during the making of the movie and of masterminding a global smear campaign against her. He accused her of shutting him out of his own film and of effectively trying to torpedo his career. Two rich and unfeasibly gorgeous film stars locked in a drama, with the end credits unlikely to roll any time soon. Now a new Discovery+ documentary takes viewers on a journey through the labyrinthine allegations of the two warring factions, offering an unprecedented peek behind the Hollywood curtain. 'They were promoting a film,' says the documentary's director, Annabelle Draper, 'so you would think there would be a united front. But instead, everything that happened on set is being exposed. I don't think we've seen anything like that before.' The documentary features legal experts, commentators and PR crisis management experts debating both sides of the battle, with Justin's story presented first. A little-known actor whose biggest role to date had been in the comedy drama series Jane The Virgin, he was delighted when in 2019 his production company Wayfarer Studios snapped up the rights to Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel It Ends With Us. As a self-described male feminist, its themes of domestic abuse resonated with Justin and as Hollywood podcaster Lauren Atkinson remarks in the documentary, 'This really was his first big movie deal. It was his baby, if you will.' But it wasn't long before his baby started having the mother of all tantrums. Blake was already a bigger name than he was thanks to TV series such as Gossip Girl and her marriage to Hollywood big-hitter Ryan Reynolds, and Justin soon appeared to be intimidated. In one incident Justin visited her New York penthouse to discuss rewrites of a pivotal scene, only to be met by Blake, her husband and, purportedly, her friend Taylor Swift. 'These are behemoths,' notes podcaster Chanler Bledsoe in the documentary. 'Justin knew their presence was meant to intimidate him into using her rewrites.' And then in November 2023, after just 16 days of filming, Blake threatened to leave the production unless Justin agreed to a set of conditions, including that there shouldn't be any sexually explicit talk or showing of nude videos on set. Peter Tragos, a legal analyst, remarks in the documentary that, 'the difficulty for Justin Baldoni when he sees this list of demands is, 'I agree with all of them. That's exactly how a set should be run. That's exactly how our set is being run.' But they're couched in accusations.' He means the document's tone suggested sexually inappropriate conduct had already taken place during filming. Though Justin did sign the document, he later said he disagreed with its underlying insinuations. In one incident Justin visited her New York penthouse to discuss rewrites of a pivotal scene, only to be met by Blake, her husband and, purportedly, her friend Taylor Swift (Blake and husband Ryan Reynolds pictured) Further problems arose when Blake (also a producer on the film) asked to bring in her own editors. 'Justin would have felt walked all over,' says filmmaker Christel Cornilsen. 'She certainly wouldn't do that to another A-list director.' By May 2024 there were two separate edits of the movie and although Justin's scored higher with preview audiences, Blake allegedly threatened to 'not participate in marketing the film if they didn't use her cut', explains Chanler. Despite mixed reviews the movie was a box- office success, grossing over $350 million worldwide. Blake eventually filed a lawsuit last December accusing Justin of sexual harassment on the set of the film, and less than a month later Justin filed a $400 million ($300 million) countersuit against both Blake and her husband. Despite its dismissal recently, Justin maintains she wrested control of the film from him and manufactured claims of sexual harassment to conceal her actions. 'Ultimately,' says Annabelle, 'the case will be about proving Blake's allegations and some of them are kind of grey. This is still a 'he said, she said'.' The documentary's second half tells Blake's side of the story. Her allegations are far more serious and include claims her co-star improvised unwanted kisses during filming, spoke frequently of a previous pornography addiction and wanted Blake to be naked during the film's birthing scene. But perhaps the most damning accusation is that Justin's team was responsible for a coordinated media attack against Blake amid the film's 2024 release. Her team alleges his publicists conspired to create a global smear campaign against her by generating negative stories through social media, 'so they could get picked up by mainstream news outlets and reported,' explains Daily Mail journalist Daniel Bates in the show. The trial for Blake's complaint is set for next March, and the whole saga 'has been very exposing', says Annabelle. 'Neither side are backing down. Let's remember, a lot of this is talking about life on set and they're both being made out to be absolute nightmares. How will their future employers view it all?'
Khaleej Times
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Blake Lively granted protective order amid Justin Baldoni legal battle
A judge has granted Blake Lively a protective order amid her ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Three days after she requested a protective order requiring the director's team to identify everyone who would attend her deposition, Judge Lewis J. Liman granted her request on July 14, E! News reported. According to legal documents obtained by E! News, Lively is expected to "make arrangements for opposing counsel to have a dedicated computer and the ability to print and copy documents in the space chosen by Lively." Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios are required to notify Lively of the individuals who will attend her upcoming deposition, which is set to occur on July 17, two days prior, reported E! News. In June, a New York federal judge has ruled that actor-producer Justin Baldoni can access messages between actress Blake Lively and singer Taylor Swift. These messages are related to the film It Ends With Us and the ongoing legal case between the movie's stars, reported Variety. According to the publication, Lively had asked the court to prevent Baldoni from obtaining these messages, arguing that he was trying to involve Swift to gain public Judge Lewis Liman disagreed and found that the messages might provide crucial information relevant to the case. In his order, the judge stated that while public opinion plays a role in high-profile cases, the messages could offer useful insights. He also reminded the parties that a protective order is in place, so the messages cannot be shared with the press."A motion or request may be, and in this case often has been, both a legitimate litigation tactic and an attempt to manoeuvre in the broader court of public opinion," the judge wrote. Baldoni's lawyers had earlier sent subpoenas to Swift and her legal team. However, Swift's team issued a statement saying that she had no role in the film except allowing one of her songs to be used. They also said she only saw the film weeks after its release. Following this, Baldoni's team withdrew the subpoenas. Lively's lawyers sought to resolve the matter entirely, insisting that Swift was not involved. However, the judge ruled that since Lively had mentioned Swift's knowledge of issues on the film set, her messages could help prove or disprove her claims of harassment and retaliation Lively had sued Baldoni in December, accusing him and his publicists of spreading false stories about her in the media after she spoke about sexual harassment during the film's production. Baldoni filed a countersuit, accusing her of ruining his reputation, but that case was dismissed last week. Lively's legal team alleged, per the July 11 filing, that Baldoni's team had previously "refused Ms. Lively's reasonable requests" to cooperate. However, Baldoni's legal team opposed Lively's motion in a July 13 letter to the judge. "Lively relies solely on inapplicable authority and unsupported accusations about opposing counsel and their motives," the actor's legal team wrote. "Lively does not present a single fact to support her allegations of a 'plot' to use the deposition as a 'publicity stunt'," E! News reported.
