Blake Lively claims the alleged “retaliation campaign” waged against her during the 2024 release of the Justin Baldoni-directed movie It Ends With Us caused her more than $161 million in damages.
The estimate was buried in a disclosure document obtained by Rolling Stone and made public Wednesday in Lively’s ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Baldoni, It Ends With Us producer Jamey Heath, Wayfarer Studios head Steve Sarowitz, and the men’s publicists.
In the document dated July 25 and attached as an exhibit, Lively’s lawyers claim the so-called smear campaign triggered $56.2 million in lost income linked to past and future acting and producing gigs, as well as speaking engagements and appearances. That number includes an estimated $18.3 million in lost wages for August 2024 through the time the trial is expected to start in March, as well as $37.9 million in lost earnings down the line.
The lawyers claimed Lively’s beauty brand, Blake Brown, also suffered a profit hit of $49 million, while her Betty B Holdings beverage company suffered estimated lost earnings of $22 million. In addition, the lawyers alleged “65,000,000 impressions of the defamatory statements” cost Lively another $34 million in “reputational harm.”
In her lawsuit filed last New Year’s Eve in New York, Lively claimed Baldoni, her co-star on the film, and the other defendants subjected her to “disturbing” sexual harassment during production and then targeted her with a “sophisticated, coordinated, and well-financed” smear campaign after she spoke up on set. Lively claims they wanted to “silence” and “eviscerate” her before she had a chance to possibly go public with her claims.
In her original lawsuit, Lively’s lawyers said her damages exceeded $75,000, but they offered no further estimates. The July disclosure, first reported by Variety, offers a new window into how much she’s actually seeking, which is subject to expert testimony provided at trial. The lawyers added in the filing that Lively also plans to seek “punitive damages in an amount not less than three times the amount of Ms. Lively’s actual damages.”
Attempts to reach lawyers on both sides were not immediately successful Thursday.
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Baldoni responded to the retaliation lawsuit with a $400 million defamation lawsuit filed against Lively and her husband, the actor Ryan Reynolds, in January. A federal judge provisionally dismissed the defamation case last June and then entered a final judgment formally dismissing the case last week after Baldoni elected not to file an amended complaint.
“No deadlines were missed. Our clients chose not to amend their complaint to preserve appeal rights. In the meantime, we are focusing on Ms. Lively’s claims,” Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing Baldoni and Wayfarer, said in a Tuesday statement. “We remain fully committed to pursuing the truth through every legal and factual avenue available and look forward to our day in court.”
From Rolling Stone US
