Blake Lively’s longtime publicist, Leslie Sloane, is pushing back against her involvement in Justin Baldoni’s massive $400 million countersuit.
On Thursday, February 20, Sloane’s attorney officially filed a motion in a New York federal court, requesting that both Sloane and her PR firm, Vision PR, be removed from the legal battle between Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and Lively.
According to the filing, Sloane’s legal team argues that she was unfairly “dragged” into the lawsuit as a distraction from the core allegations Lively has made against Baldoni. The motion states that there is no legitimate basis to claim that Sloane spread false stories or orchestrated a smear campaign against Baldoni.
Her attorneys also pushed back against Baldoni’s extortion claims, arguing that he failed to provide evidence showing when or how any alleged extortion took place—or how Sloane could have personally benefited from it.
Beyond just clearing her own name, Sloane’s lawyers also defended Lively, 37, against Baldoni’s characterization of their professional disagreements while filming “It Ends With Us”.
The motion dismissed Baldoni’s claims as “sexist,” stating that Lively—who served as an executive producer—was merely offering input on the script, wardrobe, and editing, yet was unfairly labeled as “tyrannical” and “aggressive” for doing so.
The legal dispute between Lively and Baldoni has been escalating since December 2024, when Lively first sued her It Ends With Us co-star and director. In her lawsuit, she accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and lost wages.
Baldoni fired back with his own $400 million countersuit, accusing Lively, Sloane, and even Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy, among other claims.
Lively has firmly denied Baldoni’s allegations, with her legal team calling his countersuit “another chapter in the abuser playbook.”
The case took another turn on February 18, when Lively filed an amended complaint, claiming she wasn’t the only woman on set who had raised concerns about Baldoni, his producing partner Jamey Heath, and Wayfarer Studios.
According to Lively’s spokesperson, even a Sony representative had confronted Baldoni about the allegations. Baldoni’s legal team dismissed the new filing, calling it “unsubstantiated hearsay” and insisting that depositions will reveal the truth.
“Since documents do not lie and people do, the upcoming depositions of those who initially supported Ms. Lively’s false claims and those who are witnesses to her own behavior will be enlightening,” Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman stated.
Despite the intense legal battle, neither Lively nor Baldoni have agreed to settle through mediation. The case is now set to go to trial on March 9, 2026.