Blake Lively hits back at Justin Baldoni: Another chapter in abuser playbook

Blake Lively's legal team has responded to a defamation and extortion lawsuit filed by Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios. They describe the $400 million lawsuit as a retaliatory move against her harassment claims.

In Short

• Blake Lively's lawyers called Baldoni's lawsuit retaliatory
• They accused Wayfarer of trying to cloud public perception
• Lively's team also called Baldoni's behaviour as 'abusive'

In response to a defamation and extortion lawsuit filed on Thursday, January 16, by Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their associates, Blake Lively’s legal team has issued a strong statement condemning the legal action as retaliatory.

“This latest lawsuit from Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its associates is another chapter in the abuser playbook,” Lively’s lawyers declared.

They framed the lawsuit as a textbook case of DARVO, an acronym used by experts to describe a manipulative strategy: Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender.

"This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim,” the statement read.

The legal team accused Baldoni and his studio of using their vast resources to cloud public perception. "Wayfarer has opted to use the resources of its billionaire co-founder to issue media statements, launch meritless lawsuits, and threaten litigation to overwhelm the public’s ability to understand that what they are doing is retaliation against sexual harassment allegations,” they said.

According to Lively’s lawyers, Baldoni’s claims that the actress took creative control and alienated the cast are unfounded. “The evidence will show that the cast and others had their own negative experiences with Mr Baldoni and Wayfarer,” they countered. They also revealed that Sony Pictures had specifically asked Lively to oversee the studio’s cut of the film in question, which was ultimately chosen for distribution and became “a resounding success.”

Lively’s legal team also criticised what they described as an outdated and misogynistic defence strategy.

“Their response to sexual harassment allegations: she wanted it, it’s her fault,” the statement read.

It further read, “Their justification for why this happened to her: look what she was wearing. In short, while the victim focuses on the abuse, the abuser focuses on the victim. The strategy of attacking the woman is desperate, it does not refute the evidence in Ms Lively’s complaint, and it will fail.”

Baldoni’s suit seeks at least $400 million for damages that include lost future income. The lawsuit from Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios, which also names publicist Leslie Sloane as a defendant, comes about two weeks after Lively sued Baldoni and several others tied to the film, alleging harassment and a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set.