Justin Baldoni faces ‘violent’ reaction from US media outlets over defamation lawsuit

Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit against a major US news organization has prompted an explanation.

The actor filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times after it published an article addressing allegations of sexual harassment by his Seraph of the End co-star Blake Lively.

The 87-page complaint, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, focuses on a Dec. 21 Times article titled “Anyone Can Bury: Inside Hollywood’s Smear Machine.”

Baldoni claimed the piece was defamatory and misrepresented events.

Those concerns were echoed by the film’s producers Steve Sarowitz and Jamie Heath, who claimed the Times was “selected and altered communications” without providing sufficient context.

In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for The New York Times issued a statement defending its reporting.

“The role of an independent press is to follow the facts as they lead,” the statement said.

“Our story was reported with care and responsibility, based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including text messages and emails cited accurately and in detail in the article. Based on.

To date, Wayfarer Studios, Mr. Baldoni, the other subjects of the article and their representatives have not pointed out a single mistake. We have also published their full statement in response to the allegations in the article. We plan to vigorously defend the lawsuit. ”

Meanwhile, Lively’s representatives responded to the lawsuit through Page Six, maintaining confidence in her claims.

“Nothing in this lawsuit changes the allegations made in Ms. Lively’s California Civil Rights Complaint or the federal complaint filed earlier today,” the statement said.

“This lawsuit argues that Ms. Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a ploy based on her choice not to sue Wayfarer and Baldoni, and that “litigation was never her ultimate goal.” It is based on a clearly false premise.