Justin Baldoni’s legal team has responded to Blake Lively over her claims of “financial and reputational harm,” related to the alleged smear campaign.About Blake Lively’s brand failureAt a pretrial hearing on Tuesday, Baldoni’s lawyers claimed the actress had a record of unsuccessful ventures, including her beverage brand.
They linked the brand’s failure to its unpopularity, rather than any “smear campaign”.Lawyer Amir Kaltajarad told the court that the company “did not succeed in vain and had nothing to do with the defendants,” noting that Lively’s private accountant, Jeffrey Kinrich. According to the documents, Lively’s side appears to support part of this claim: “Management had doubts about the profitability and sustainability of Betty Buzz for reasons unrelated to online manipulation.”These arguments come as both parties prepare for a civil trial scheduled for May 18.Justin Baldoni claims Blake Lively is ‘unlikable’Baldoni’s legal team also cited Blake Lively’s previous public behavior, noting her criticism of the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, before the film’s 2024 release.Lively is known to have dug up the digitally altered family photo of Kate which caught global attention in March 2024.
In response to the post, Lively shared an edited photo of herself. Days later, the princess publicly revealed her cancer diagnosis, prompting Lively to issue an apology.Justin Baldoni is challenging Blake Lively’s multi-million dollar claimsBaldoni’s lawyers also challenged Lively’s claim for financial losses, which reportedly include $143 million in lost profits, $132 million in lost profits, and several million more from endorsements.Blake Lively’s earnings lawyerKaltegrad called the numbers “pie in the sky” and noted that Lively earned nearly $21 million from four film projects in the eight years leading up to “It Ends With Us.” In contrast, her expert witness, entertainment attorney Richard Marks, estimated that she could have earned US$142 million in the five years after the film’s release. Kaltajarad criticized this prediction, noting that it was based on an “unrealistic assumption.”
“Blake Lively to take the standHowever, Lively’s legal team maintained that she had suffered significant financial and reputational damage. Speaking outside court, Lively’s lawyer, Sigrid McCauley, said: “Blake’s hope is that she can make her voice heard in the courtroom, and that’s what we’re focused on now.”McCauley added: “Blake has been ready for this trial. It’s the moment she’s been waiting for for so long, for her voice to be heard in this court. She feels really good… She’s finally at a point where she’s going to be able to tell her side.”Earlier this month, Judge Louis J. Lehman 10 of the 13 lawsuits Lively filed against Baldoni. The case will now continue with three remaining claims: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation.
