Topics: Justin Baldoni, Celebrity, Blake Lively, US News, TV And Film
Justin Baldoni has shared photos after claiming he was 'held' in a basement during an It Ends With Us premiere.
The latest update in the Baldoni-Blake Lively ordeal follows the actor filing a $400 million lawsuit against her, her husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane and Sloane's PR firm Vision PR.
Lively had previously sued Baldoni herself, with her court filing alleging sexual harassment and a 'smear campaign' on the part of her It Ends With Us co star.
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And, as we know, Baldoni has now launched his own suit against Lively with a statement from his legal team claiming: "This lawsuit is a legal action based on an overwhelming amount of untampered evidence detailing Blake Lively and her team’s duplicitous attempt to destroy Justin Baldoni, his team and their respective companies by disseminating grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new and doctored information to the media.
"It is clear based on our own all out willingness to provide all complete text messages, emails, video footage and other documentary evidence that was shared between the parties in real time, that this is a battle she will not win and will certainly regret.
"Blake Lively was either severely misled by her team or intentionally and knowingly misrepresented the truth. Ms. Lively will never again be allowed to continue to exploit actual victims of real harassment solely for her personal reputation gain at the expense of those without power.
"Let’s not forget, Ms. Lively and her team attempted to bulldoze reputations and livelihoods for heinously selfish reasons through their own dangerous manipulation of the media before even taking any actual legal action.
"We know the truth, and now the public does too. Justin and his team have nothing to hide, documents do not lie."
Now, amidst the celebrities' ongoing feud, Baldoni has shared images of him 'being held' in a lower-level room with his family as part of the countersuit.
E! News has obtained a photograph cited in the documents of Baldoni, his wife Emily, and other family members sitting around a red table in a windowless space.
"In the middle of them, overflowing boxes of popcorn are lined up, as well as bottles of Coke and water," the outlet reports, adding that another photo showed Baldoni 'posed against pallets containing stacks of unopened packs of Dasani water bottles and Coke bottles, alongside seven of his female friends and relatives'.
Baldoni reportedly claimed he and his guests were 'ushered' inside and 'held' in the room where the photos were taken to 'avoid even a chance of interaction with Lively or her guests' once she arrived on the red carpet.
"They were confined to a makeshift holding area surrounded by concession stand stock, with only fold-out tables and chairs arranged in a square," Baldoni's suit continued.
"Surrounded by close friends, family, soda bottles, and a lot of love, the irony of being held in a basement on what was arguably one of the most important nights of Baldoni’s career thus far, was not lost on anyone."
Lively's legal team has since issued a statement following Baldoni's legal action.
A statement from Lively’s lawyers that was given to The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday afternoon (16 January) reads: "This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim.
"This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender."
Tyla has reached out to Blake Lively's representatives for further comment.
