Justin Baldoni Pushes Back At Blake Lively Lawsuit, Dismissing Allegations As ‘Minor Grievances'

Justin

Baldoni’s legal team is seeking to have Blake Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit dismissed ahead of the federal trial scheduled for next March, arguing that her allegations lack legal merit and stem from exaggerated workplace grievances.

Lawyers Call Allegations “Minor Grievances”

In a motion for summary judgment filed Wednesday night, Baldoni’s attorneys argued that Lively’s claims amount to a “litany of minor grievances” and do not meet the threshold for a harassment suit.Lively has accused her It Ends With Us co-star and director along with the film’s producers and publicists of retaliating against her after she raised concerns about on-set behaviour. She says she became the target of a social media “smear campaign,” where Instagram users called her a “bully” and a “mean girl.”

Defense Argues No “Adverse Employment Action”

Baldoni’s lawyers contend that such online criticism does not qualify as an “adverse employment action,” a requirement to establish retaliation under federal law.They also maintain that any steps taken by Baldoni and his team were purely defensive, aimed at protecting their reputations in response to Lively’s accusations.“Baldoni sought the advice of a crisis-management public relations firm, as any responsible person in his position would do,” the motion states. “He did so for the benefit of both his professional reputation and the newly released film. He relied on media professionals to boost his image and assure that any coverage would be balanced and accurate. None of that is against the law.”ALSO READ: Blake Lively LOSES Case After Justin Baldoni, Actress’ Lawsuit Against Social Media Strategist DISMISSED

Monitoring and PR Strategy Under Scrutiny

Lively’s team has referenced text messages among Baldoni’s publicists showing they closely tracked online reactions and attempted to “boost” posts supportive of Baldoni and critical of Lively.Baldoni and his associates previously filed a defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, but it was dismissed on the basis that one cannot sue someone merely for suing them.

Jurisdiction Issues in Related Lawsuits

The summary judgment motion cites evidence obtained during discovery, though much of it is redacted due to confidentiality designations.Separately, social media consultant Jed Wallace sued Lively in federal court in Texas, alleging she harmed his reputation by suggesting he was involved in the smear campaign. His complaint was dismissed Wednesday after a judge found the court lacked jurisdiction over Lively, who resides in New York.Likewise, Lively’s claims against Wallace were dismissed in New York last week, with the court ruling it had no jurisdiction over Wallace, who is based in Texas.