Baldoni, Wayfarer & Others Sue The New York Times

A group of individuals and companies including Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, Wallace, and Street Relations filed a lawsuit against The New York Times on December 31, 2024.

Accusations Against The New York Times

In the lawsuit obtained by E! News, The New York Times is accused of libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud, and breach of implied-in-fact contract for its article about a retaliatory smear campaign the plaintiffs allegedly conducted against Lively after she voiced concerns about purported misconduct on set.

The plaintiffs deny the accusations, stating that the report was “false” and based on Lively’s CRD complaint. They claim that the messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context.

Defense by Plaintiffs

The lawsuit states, “Despite its claim to have ‘reviewed these along with other documents,’ the Times relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative, lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives.”

They also allege that “it was Lively, not Plaintiffs, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign,” a claim that Lively denies.

The New York Times Response

The New York Times plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit,” standing by their reporting methods. They stated, “The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead. Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported, based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article.”

For further information or questions related to this lawsuit, please reach out to the respective parties involved.