Blake Lively's publicist Leslie Sloane files a motion to be removed from Justin Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit

Leslie Sloane, the publicist for Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, has filed a motion to be dismissed from Justin Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit. Baldoni, known for his role in It Ends With Us, initiated the lawsuit in January, alleging that Lively and Sloane orchestrated a smear campaign to wrest creative control of the film.

Leslie Sloane's attorney, Sigrid McCawley, submitted the motion on February 20 in a New York federal court, asserting that Sloane and her firm, Vision PR, were unjustly "dragged" into the legal fray.

The filing contends that Baldoni's accusations lack a factual basis and serve as a "smoke and mirrors exercise to distract from" Lively's serious allegations of s*xual harassment and retaliation against Baldoni, as reported by People.

---

Leslie Sloane defends Blake Lively

Central to Justin Baldoni's lawsuit is the claim that Leslie Sloane spearheaded a malicious public relations assault against him. However, Sloane's motion refutes this, highlighting the absence of evidence supporting such claims.

The motion additionally mentioned Justin's portrayal of Blake Lively's contribution to the film's production. Lively reportedly provided valuable suggestions on creative aspects of the film, including editing, wardrobe, and script as an executive producer.

Baldoni's characterization of her contributions as "tyrannical" and "aggressive" is challenged in the filing, which describes these labels as "irrelevant and tellingly s*xist." The motion claims that such characteristics are coded terms used to discredit a woman's authority and professionalism in the industry, as reports People.

Further intensifying the dispute, Blake Lively has amended her original complaint, introducing new allegations that Baldoni's behavior made other female co-stars "uncomfortable." On February 18, an updated filing to the case included new supporting documents along with unshared messages that strengthened the allegations about the said misconduct.

According to Blake Lively's legal team, the added details in her complaint support her initial accusations while establishing a fresh defamation claim against Baldoni and his associate Wallace.

In response, Baldoni's legal representatives have dismissed Lively's amended complaint as "underwhelming," arguing that it lacks substantial evidence. They contend that the allegations are hearsay and question the credibility of the unnamed witnesses cited in Lively's filing. Baldoni's team maintains that the lawsuit is an attempt to publicly damage his reputation and career.

---

Leslie Sloane's professional background

Sloane serves as a publicist for popular Hollywood clients including Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds together with Chris Rock.

Leslie Sloane has worked in public relations since at least the 1970s through her position as co-president for public relations firm Baker Winokur Ryder (BWR). She reportedly left the PR firm BWR in 2014 to start Vision PR.

Soap Central reports that Sloane forged her status as one of the top publicists in Hollywood by representing actors like Megan Fox, Lindsay Lohan, and Britney Spears as well as a wide range of other famous clients.

As the case progresses, Leslie Sloane seeks not only dismissal from the lawsuit but also reimbursement for legal fees incurred.