What are the allegations against Blake Lively's PR rep? Publicist denies accusations about Justin Baldoni in response to counter-suit report

The Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni legal drama continues with Lively's publicist denying allegations of planting stories during the It Ends with Us press tour. For the unversed, Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni on December 20, accusing her co-star of sexual harassment and attempting to damage her reputation with a smear campaign.

The actress' 80-page legal complaint reportedly derailed Baldoni's inappropriate behavior while on set for It Ends With Us, which both of them starred in while Baldoni also acted as director. On December 28, however, The Daily Mail reported that Baldoni's camp, headed by his attorney, Bryan Freedman, was preparing to file a counter-suit once the courts reopen after the New Year Break.

The said plan for a counter-suit allegedly will name Leslie Sloane, Blake Lively's Vision PR team boss. As per the reports, Baldoni's attorney will claim that Sloane started a smear campaign against the actor and not the other way around, as Lively claimed in her lawsuit.

However, before Justin Baldoni's team could officially file the counter-suit, Sloane had already spoken about the allegations. She told People in an article published on Saturday, December 28, that Baldoni's camp's allegations were false. She added:

"I was contacted on 8/11 by Sara Nathan (Melissa Nathan's sister) forwarding an anonymous tip that Page Six received, regarding allegations of HR complaints on the set of It Ends with Us."

Melissa Nathan was Baldoni's crisis rep and was named in Lively's complaint, alleging that she was one of the people who reportedly played a hand in tarnishing Lively's name. Sloane further noted that other press outlets reached out to her about HR complaint allegations, which she said she referred to Wayfarer and Sony for information. She said:

"It's clear that Mr. Baldoni and his Wayfarer Associates are suggesting that I originated press stories about HR complaints on set, which is false."

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More on Justin Baldoni's impending suit against Blake Lively

After news circulated that Justin Baldoni would be counter-suing Blake Lively, his main attorney, Bryan Freedman, spoke about their next move. However, he said he would neither confirm nor deny that the counter-suit will be filed as soon as January 2, which Daily Mail initially claimed, saying to Deadline:

"I am not going to speak to when or how many lawsuits we are filing, but when we file our first lawsuit, it is going to shock everyone who has been manipulated into believing a demonstrably false narrative."

That said, initial reports of the counter-suit, per Daily Mail, allege the following:

• Lively’s Vision PR team, led by company boss Leslie Sloane, was responsible for smears against Baldoni, not the other way around as is claimed in her legal filing.
• WhatsApp messages from Baldoni’s team have been presented out of context in a way that alters their meaning.
• Lively’s own publicist planted stories painting Baldoni in a bad light with news organizations.
• Lively’s legal move is designed to rebuild her public image after she received bad press during the promotional campaign for the film.

Freedman also mentioned that their suit will come with "real evidence" and will "tell the true story." He also teased spectators to "standby," likening the legal battle between Blake Lively and his client to the same "level of unethical behavior fueled through media manipulation" that NBC allegedly tried to do to Megyn Kelly and Gabrielle Union.

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This is a developing story. Stay tuned for more news and updates on the Lively vs. Baldoni lawsuit.