Latest news with #Wayfarer
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Blake Lively drags Justin Baldoni to court (again) to shield Taylor Swift from the legal crossfire
In the legal saga that refuses to be quiet, Blake Lively has now taken her battle with It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni to a whole new level—she is asking a judge to block his team from prying into her private conversations with none other than Taylor Swift. Taylor and Blake | Credit: X/blakelive Blake Lively's legal team submission against Justin Baldoni According to a fiery court letter submitted by Lively's legal team, Baldoni's lawyers have been aggressively demanding Lively's messages with the pop megastar, even after they previously withdrew a subpoena for Swift's records. So, why the obsession with Taylor? Lively's side says it is nothing short of a media stunt. Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in It Ends with Us | Credit: Netflix Justin Baldoni's team has weaponised Swift's fanbase Her attorney, Esra Hudson, argued that Baldoni's team has weaponised Swift's celebrity and fanbase as part of a 'tactic' to distract from their own legal missteps. The letter claims Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties flagged Swift's name in their internal PR crisis documents as far back as August 2024—clearly planning to leverage the Swiftie army as a distraction tool. A spokesperson for Lively did not mince words, calling the latest move a desperate ploy: Baldoni and his team 'are still demanding access to Taylor Swift's private communications, despite having already said they got all they needed.' The statement called out Baldoni's attempt to draw Swift into the headlines once more as a 'public unraveling of epic proportions.' Marvel wants out of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's battle | Credit: X What is Blake Lively upto? Meanwhile, in another twist worthy of a prestige TV finale, Lively is preparing to subpoena Scooter Braun and HYBE, seeking details on the crisis PR manager Melissa Nathan, who has been entangled in both the Lively and Swift universes. Braun, infamously locked in a years-long feud with Swift over her masters, now finds himself (once again) orbiting her legal universe. Blake Lively | Credit: X This courtroom drama comes just days after Baldoni's eye-watering $400 million countersuit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane, and The New York Times was completely dismissed. Lively's legal team called it a 'total victory,' while Baldoni's lawyer hit back, claiming the dismissal was 'unfair' and that Baldoni is just 'waiting for his day in court.' But for now, it is Blake who is stepping into the spotlight, not for a movie role, but to protect her bestie Taylor Swift from being dragged into a Hollywood legal circus.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Blake Lively's legal battle with Justin Baldoni is upended as he makes surprising legal move
The theater of battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni just narrowed with the announcement that he will not be amending the claims in his $400 million defamation lawsuit. The lawsuit that Baldoni, 41, filed against the 37-year-old actress, her husband Ryan Reynolds and her publicist was dismissed by a judge earlier this month, but Baldoni was left with the option to amend some of the complaints in the lawsuit to refile it. But on Tuesday, his attorney Bryan Freedman announced that Baldoni would not be amending any of his complaints in the tossed-out lawsuit. In statement to Freedman said: 'The Court's decision on the motion to dismiss has no effect whatsoever on the truth that there was no harassment nor any smear campaign, and it does not in any way affect our vigorous defense against Ms. Lively's claims. 'Discovery is proceeding and we are confident that we will prevail against these factually baseless accusations,' he continued. 'Instead of revising the existing claims, our clients will be pursuing additional legal options that are available to us.' Despite her initial legal win when Baldoni's lawsuit was dismissed, Lively hasn't been letting up on her own lawsuit, and she recently sent out a bevy of new subpoenas. A spokesperson for Lively also responded to the news that Baldoni was stepping back from his failed attempt to countersue her in a statement to 'The Court dismissed the frivolous $400 million Baldoni–Wayfarer lawsuit in its entirety,' they said. 'In the days that followed, Baldoni's lawyer said the judge's decision to dismiss their case was not a big deal as they promised to amend and refile it. As per usual, that was not true,' her spokesperson continued. 'The Court's dismissal of Baldoni's sham lawsuit was a total victory after all.' Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni's lawsuit two weeks ago, but he left the Jane The Virgin star a second opportunity to amend the suit by June 23. However, the judge ruled that he could only amend the allegations 'relevant to the claims of tortious interference with contract and breach of implied covenant.' The 132-page opinion broke down why the allegations in Baldoni's lawsuit were without merit, including the accusation that Lively, her husband and her publicist Leslie Sloane engaged in 'civil extortion.' 'The Wayfarer Parties cannot recover for Lively's alleged actions to steal creative control of the film from Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties. Regardless of the propriety of these actions, they do not constitute civil extortion under California law,' the judge says. 'California courts have recognized claim for civil extortion in situations where a plaintiff gives a defendant money or property under threat and seeks to have it returned. 'However, the Wayfarer Parties have not adequately alleged that Lively's threats were wrongful extortion rather than legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions. Additionally, the Wayfarer Parties have not shown that some of Lively's allegedly extortionate acts damaged them.' When summarizing the extortion claim, the judge wrote: 'Lively, Sloane, and Reynolds have the better of the argument.' The judge also denied requests from Reynolds, Sloane and Vision PR for an award of attorney's fees and costs, in addition to a request from Lively for an award of attorney's fees, treble damages and punitive damages. The above motions were denied without prejudice in accordance with the ruling. Wayfarer Studios was founded by Baldoni and billionaire businessman Steve Sarowitz in 2019. A statement obtained at the time by from Blake Lively's attorneys read: 'Today's opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times. 'As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it. 'We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.' In a statement obtained by a spokesperson for The New York Times said of the dismissal: 'We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit against The New York Times for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting. 'Our journalists went out and covered carefully and fairly a story of public importance, and the court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism. We will continue to stand up in court for our journalism and for our journalists when their work comes under attack.' Liman also weighed in on the demands Lively sought on the set of It Ends With Us in order to prevent further discomfort on the set, with his opinion stating: 'Even if they turn out to be unneeded, an employee can insist on protections at workplace for sexual harassment without being accused of extortion. If an employer accedes, it cannot later claim to be a victim of the employee's wrongful threats.' Additionally, Liman said of the allegation that Lively threatened to not promote the film unless her cut was released, among other requests: 'There also is no allegation that Lively had a contractual obligation to promote the film; if not, there is no basis to assume that the value that she conveyed in terms of her willingness to promote represented anything other than a fair trade for the Wayfarer Parties' willingness to use her cut.' The court said that although statements made by Reynolds and Sloan were 'extraneous' or outside of the complaint, Baldoni failed to allege facts that they were made with actual malice, or that Reynolds and Sloane either knew their statements were false or acted in reckless disregard of their veracity. Another party that can breathe a sigh of relief after Baldoni's lawsuit was thrown out is Marvel Entertainment, LLC. Baldoni had subpoenaed the studio to get it to preserve any documents related to the Deadpool & Wolverine character Nicepool, which his legal team claimed was designed 'to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate or bully' Baldoni. But after throwing out Baldoni's lawsuit, Liman agreed to Marvel's request to 'quash the subpoena issued to Marvel from [Baldoni's] Wayfarer Parties and for a protective order prohibiting the disclosure of Marvel's confidential documents.' Baldoni's team had send a letter requesting documents be retained to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Bob Iger, CEO of its parent company Walt Disney, on January 7. The legal battle between Lively and Baldoni officially erupted last year after rumors of tension between the two, with the actress accusing her co-star of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign, allegations Baldoni denied. In her lawsuit, Lively named a number of Baldoni's collaborators, including his company Wayfarer Studios, the studio's CEO and financial backer, and PR personnel Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel. 'I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,' Lively told The New York Times the day after she filed the complaint. Baldoni has denied the allegations brought about by Lively, while Lively, Reynolds and Sloane have denied the accusations made in litigation by Baldoni. Baldoni's team has released a website which includes private communications such as text messages that were included in court filings detailing his interactions with the Hollywood power couple over the making of the romantic drama. He claimed in court filings they made efforts to usurp and undermine his input as the director of It Ends with Us. Baldoni's team previously said that the communications shared in court filings on the website makes things clear about the motives of both parties. The website, which is live online at comes amid a spate of high-profile litigation between the collaborators on the film, which was a hit at the box office last August. Lively filed an 80-page civil rights complaint with the California Civil Rights Department against Baldoni on December 20, before officially filing a federal lawsuit on December 31. In her lawsuit, the Gossip Girl alum accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her in multiple ways — including body shaming her — and orchestrating a smear campaign against her to damage her reputation. Baldoni told the court the trio had concocted 'false accusations of sexual harassment' against him. Baldoni and his reps have said in response to the lawsuit that Lively twisted the meaning of text messages and mislead the public about their interactions while making the motion picture. On June 3, revealed Lively, 37, dropped a claim of intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress against Baldoni. Baldoni subsequently sued the newspaper for $250 million in a defamation claim over a December 21 story titled '"We Can Bury Anyone": Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine ;' the newspaper has denied the allegations. Since Lively's complaint was filed, Baldoni has faced a number of professional consequences, including a lawsuit from a former publicist ; and being dropped by the agency WME , which also reps Lively and Reynolds. WME has denied claims that Lively and Reynolds leaned on them to release Baldoni from their client roster, according to Variety. It Ends with Us, which also starred Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar and Kevin McKidd, arrived in theaters August 9 and was a hit with audiences. The film, adapted from the 2016 Colleen Hoover novel, earned $148 million in domestic box office, and $350 million globally, according to Box Office Mojo. Lively broke out with the 2005 movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants opposite Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel and America Ferrera. That led to her high-profile role on the TV show Gossip Girl, which she starred on from 2007-2012, playing lead character Serena van der Woodsen. She has also appeared in movies such as 2010's The Town, 2016's The Shallows, 2018's A Simple Favor and 2020's The Rhythm Section. Prior to It Ends with Us, Baldoni was best known for playing the role of Rafael Solano on the TV show Jane the Virgin from 2014–2019. He also has directed films including 2019's Five Feet Apart and 2020's Clouds, and penned the 2021 book Man Enough, which tackled misconceptions of contemporary masculinity.
Hypebeast
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
A$AP Rocky 以 Ray-Ban 創意總監身份首推「Wayfarer Puffer」形象企劃
繼今年 2 月Ray-Ban宣佈A$AP Rocky出任品牌史上首位創意總監後，這位向來酷愛墨鏡的饒舌巨星，近日終於將其親自操刀的首個 Ray-Ban 形象企劃正式帶回成長地 Harlem。 此前，A$AP Rocky 曾以「Black Out Collection」為其打響頭炮，隨後他將焦點放在 Ray-Ban 標誌性 Wayfarer 框型上，並先後於 Met Gala 及 Cannes 紅毯上，佩戴全球獨一無二的「Wayfarer Puffer」特別版——該版本鑲嵌 18K 金標誌、天然鑽石與各色寶石。如今，Ray-Ban 與 Flacko 正式揭曉 Wayfarer Puffer 新系列及其於 Harlem 取景的形象大片。作品揉合 Flacko 的文化背景、社區情感與個人品味，多位當地藝術家與街坊在 Flacko 成長的街頭戴上「充氣」鏡框，完美詮釋「Rooted in Harlem. Designed for the world.」的標語 。 雖然市售版 Wayfarer Puffer 並未鑲嵌 18K 金或天然鑽石，但同樣提供紅、藍、粉、黃、綠、黑及白等亮澤色調，每副售價為 $202 美元。立即滑動上方圖庫，率先欣賞 Rocky 親自操刀的 Ray-Ban 首個形象企劃。 >YOASOBI 攜手 PlayStation、F.C. Real Bristol 推出「PLAYERS」聯名球衣 >Salehe Bembury 攜手 Mitchell & Ness 推出 New York Knicks 全新聯名系列 >WACKO MARIA 與塗鴉藝術家 NECK FACE 推出全新聯乘系列
Hypebeast
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
A$AP Rocky's First Ray-Ban Campaign As Creative Director Is Homegrown in Harlem
Summary WhenA$AP Rockywas appointed asRay-Ban's first-ever creative director back in February, it seemed like a logical level-up for the eyewear aficionado rapper. After unveiling the 'Black Out Collection' as his debut delivery in the role, Rocky fixated on Ray-Ban's signature Wayfarer silhouette, stepping out to this year'sMet Galain a one-of-a-kind version of the 'Wayfarer Puffer' sunglasses featuring an 18-karat gold logo, natural diamonds, and gemstones. He followed up the next week with a similar one-of-one Wayfarer pair for his Red Carpet walk at the Cannes Film Festival. At long last, Ray-Ban and Rocky have officially unveiled the Wayfarer Puffer and its Harlem-shot campaign. An encapsulation of the rapper's culture, community and personal style, the shoot features a street-cast of local artists and neighbors donning the inflated frames on the blocks Flacko grew up on; a visual testament to the silhouette's tagline: 'Rooted in Harlem. Designed for the world.' While the Wayfarer Puffers don't exactly land in 18-karat gold or emblazoned with natural diamonds, they instead land in a sleek selection of polished hues, including red, blue, pink, yellow, green, black, and white. Each pair runs for a price of $202 USD. Peep Rocky's first creative-directed Ray-Ban campaign in the gallery above.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Lively loses motion shielding Taylor Swift texts from Justin Baldoni
NEW YORK — Justin Baldoni scored a legal win Wednesday when a New York judge denied Blake Lively's motion to keep her communications with Taylor Swift out of the actors' legal battle. Judge Lewis J. Liman denied 'Lively's motion for a protective order' meant to shield all communications between the reportedly estranged A-list pals from the case, according to the ruling obtained by Deadline. But Liman ruled the Swift-Lively communications regarding 'It Ends With Us' — which Baldoni, 41, directed and starred in alongside 37-year-old Lively — 'are relevant. 'Lively herself has identified Swift as someone likely to have knowledge about complaints or discussions regarding the working environment on the set of 'It Ends With Us,' said Liman. He also challenged Lively's legal team's position that the communications would be 'duplicative' after Baldoni's lawyers withdrew their subpoena of Swift 'and made public statements that they had 'everything that they needed.' Rather, said Liman, 'The Wayfarer Parties have not yet received any communications between Lively and Swift.' However, Liman did narrow the scope of Baldoni's initial sprawling request to only permit communications about the film or the ongoing case, as 'Lively has represented that Swift had knowledge of complaints or discussions about the working environment on the film, among other issues.' Baldoni and the rest of the Wayfarer Parties were also cautioned against 'leak[ing] the requested communications to the press,' per a court-issued protective order. 'The mere fact that the request has been discussed in the press does not render it illegitimate.' In late December, Lively filed a complaint and lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment on the film's set and a retaliatory online smear campaign. He filed a $400 million defamation and civil extortion countersuit against the actress, her husband Ryan Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane — which Liman dismissed last week. The judge simultaneously dismissed Baldoni's $250 million libel action against The New York Times' reporting of the allegations. Baldoni has until next week to amend the claims for breach of implied covenant and tortious interference with contract. The case is slated for trial next March.
