00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're looking at emerging details surrounding the feud between
00:09Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, further examining the shocking accusations the Hollywood stars
00:14have levied against one another.
00:16Her lawyer sent a subpoena demanding the director's phone records as both sides just opted out
00:20of mediation.
00:23Active lawsuits.
00:24Tonight, scandal rocking Hollywood, as the fallout begins from Blake Lively's explosive
00:29allegations against co-star Justin Baldoni.
00:32As 2024 drew to a close, a wave of lawsuits emerged surrounding the highly publicized
00:37dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, which originated during the production of
00:41the movie It Ends With Us.
00:45Lively surfaced first with a bombshell suit claiming Baldoni caused her quote severe emotional
00:50distress while working on the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel.
00:54She also alleges Baldoni retaliated against her initial complaints by launching a quote
00:59smear campaign, using social media to bury her reputation.
01:14Come the new year, Baldoni filed a $400 million counter suit against Lively and her husband
01:19Ryan Reynolds, accusing the Hollywood power couple of defamation, civil extortion, and
01:23interfering with his career.
01:25The filing also brought Taylor Swift into the complaint.
01:38Blake and Ryan requested to have Justin's lawsuit be dismissed, so far to no avail.
01:43Baldoni and nine others, including publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, also filed
01:48a $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, stemming from the paper's expose
01:53titled, We Can Bury Anyone, Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.
01:58Additionally, Jed Wallace, of Baldoni's crisis PR firm Street Relations Incorporated,
02:09filed a $7 million defamation suit against Lively.
02:13Wallace says the actress has no evidence to support her claim that the firm quote weaponized
02:17a digital army to spread negative content about her.
02:20As for Blake and Justin's trial, a New York federal judge has since informed both parties
02:25to prepare for a March 9, 2026 start date.
02:35Leaked Audio and Video
02:46In an effort to defend Justin Baldoni, his legal team released an unedited, on-set video
02:51of his interaction with Blake Lively while filming a dance scene in It Ends With Us.
02:56The quote-unquote leak was meant to disprove Lively's original complaint that she was uncomfortable
03:00during filming due to Baldoni's alleged inappropriate behavior and unscripted physical contact without
03:06prior discussion.
03:12During the video's release, however, Lively's legal team called the footage damning evidence
03:16that actually reinforced the allegations.
03:19A voice memo from Baldoni allegedly sent to Lively during production also surfaced.
03:32In the near seven-minute recording, Baldoni can be heard apologizing, acknowledging that
03:36he quote, fell short and effed up.
03:39He described himself as a flawed man, but assured Lively that he takes accountability.
03:50Baldoni's team has also launched a website featuring legal documents related to the dispute,
03:55including an amendment claiming that the New York Times had access to Lively's lawsuit
03:58eleven days before publishing their report.
04:08The newspaper, however, dismissed the claims as quote, rife with inaccuracies.
04:13Baldoni's site has also become ripe with leaked text messages from him, Blake and Ryan,
04:18all with the intent of proving his side of the story.
04:26Deadpool Drama
04:27When it comes to speculation that Ryan Reynolds took a jab at Justin Baldoni in Deadpool and
04:35Wolverine through the character Nicepool, Baldoni's lawyer, Brian Friedman, states
04:40that there is quote, no question about it.
04:42Speaking on The Megyn Kelly Show, Friedman criticized Reynolds, arguing that if his wife
04:47had been indecently harassed, mocking Baldoni in a blockbuster film was inappropriate.
05:00He pointed to Nicepool's man-bun and pseudo-feminist persona as evidence, given that these are
05:04what he calls quote, clear references to Baldoni.
05:07In one scene in particular, Nicepool, an alternate version of Reynolds' Deadpool, comments on
05:12Lively's character, Ladypool.
05:14He says,
05:15She is gorgeous.
05:16She just had a baby too, and can't even tell.
05:19When Deadpool objects, Nicepool responds,
05:22That's okay, I identify as a feminist.
05:26Baldoni's legal team has since sent a letter to Disney demanding they keep documents about
05:29the creation of the character, as they believe it will support the claims that Ryan used
05:33Nicepool to quote, bully Justin.
05:41Ari Emanuel Breaks Silence
05:43Ari Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor, the parent company of WME, has revealed that the talent agency
05:49dropped Justin Baldoni as a client due to the firm's strong ties to Blake Lively and
05:53Ryan Reynolds, who are both repped by WME.
05:57Addressing the legal battle on the Freakonomics podcast, Ari confirmed that he personally
06:01made the decision to axe Justin.
06:04After it's noted by host Stephen Dubner that Justin was once a WME client, Ari starkly
06:09adds,
06:10Until I fired him.
06:11When asked why, he responded, quote,
06:12I am a ride-or-die, and they, Blake and Ryan, are good people.
06:16Emanuel went on to further defend Lively and Reynolds, calling them, quote, incredible
06:20with a long-standing positive reputation in Hollywood.
06:23While also praising their philanthropy, he says, quote,
06:26They've never had any bad mojo or treated people badly.
06:30As for Baldoni's version of events regarding the controversy on the set of It Ends With
06:34Us, Ari says he just doesn't believe it.
06:36Ryle, wait.
06:37Ryle, please.
06:38What was he doing in the bathroom?
06:39Lively, what was he doing in the bathroom with you?
06:40I saw my eye, and I think I saw your hand, and he knows it was an accident.
06:44Justin Baldoni's Phone Records Subpoenaed
06:46Blake Lively's legal team has issued subpoenas to major U.S. phone carriers requesting Justin
06:50Baldoni's telephone records.
06:52They have also sought records for his publicists, Jennifer Abel and Melissa Nathan, in an effort
06:57to further uncover what they allege was a coordinated smear campaign against Lively.
07:02Lively's legal team issued a subpoena for Baldoni's phone records, claiming his side
07:06worked to destroy and bury her reputation and family over the past year.
07:12Speaking with Us Weekly, Lively's representative shared their belief that the records are crucial
07:16in determining, quote, how their retaliation plan was devised and carried out.
07:21I mean, she's subpoenaing two and a half years of Justin's phone records, not just his, but
07:25his producers' too.
07:27Would you call this scorched earth?
07:28She and her legal team are absolutely going scorched earth.
07:32In response, Baldoni's lawyer acknowledged that subpoenas are a routine part of litigation,
07:36but criticized the scope of Lively's requests as excessive.
07:40He claims that they are demanding access to every call, text, data log, and even real-time
07:45location data from the past two and a half years.
07:48He says that this, quote, broadfishing shows that they are desperate.
07:52From his perspective, he says they must need more because they don't have anything now.
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08:13Ryan Reynolds Jokes About Legal Battle
08:15During a star-studded Q&A with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler at the SNL 50th Anniversary Special,
08:21Ryan Reynolds appeared to make light of the ongoing legal drama that he and his wife are
08:25embroiled in.
08:26When asked how he was doing, Reynolds quipped,
08:28"...Great!
08:29Why, what have you heard?"
08:31His remark prompted hearty laughter from the audience.
08:34Aside from Kevin Costner, Blake Lively, seated beside him, maintained a mostly neutral expression
08:39throughout the comedic exchange.
08:41And despite the ongoing controversy, Reynolds and Lively, who have been married since 2012
08:46and share four children, also walked the red carpet prior to the event.
08:51Are you following the public feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni?
08:54Share your thoughts in the comments below.
08:56There was a possible off-ramp here.
08:58This was the off-ramp, but neither side wanted to take it, neither is ready yet to back down.
09:21Here's what's next!
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