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Former Hollywood film producer and convicted s*x offender Harvey Weinstein issued a statement to TMZ on April 9, 2025. Weinstein compared his situation to that of It Ends With Us actor Justin Baldoni, referring to the time when The New York Times exposed him for allegations of s*xual misconduct by over 80 women.
The controversy stems back to December 2024, when The New York Times published 'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine. The article contained screenshots of text messages between Justin Baldoni and his team. These texts and other details allegedly suggested that Justin Baldoni had been plotting against Blake Lively to damage her reputation.
In return, Justin Baldoni filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times, claiming that the messages were taken out of context and were "cherry-picked".
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Relating himself to Justin Baldoni, Harvey Weinstein told TMZ,
“Watching Justin Baldoni take legal action against The New York Times and its reporters — accusing them of manipulating communications and ignoring evidence that countered Ms. Lively’s claims — hit me hard."
Harvey further reflected on his case, stating:
"They did the same thing: cherry-picked what fit their story and ignored critical context and facts that could have challenged the narrative."
Weinstein's comment quickly made headlines, including a striking Vanity Fair article, titled:
"Congratulations, Justin Baldoni: Harvey Weinstein is on your side"
However, after a representative for Harvey clarified to Page Six that he was not taking any sides in the matter and had only the "kindest and warmest interactions" with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Vanity Fair changed the headline of their original title to:
"Congratulations, Justin Baldoni: Harvey Weinstein is NOT on your side"
YouTubers Melanie King and Zack Peter called out Vanity Fair for retracting their original article on an X post made on April 11, 2025.
Melanie King and Zack Peter's reactions to Harvey Weinstein's support for Justin Baldoni
Zack Peter further shared his thoughts on Vanity Fair retracting their original article in a YouTube Short on April 11, 2025.
Peter responded to the Vanity Fair article headline, noting that this made it seem as though Weinstein was supporting Justin Baldoni. He showed contempt for Weinstein's backing of Baldoni, remarking:
"Nobody wants a Harvey Weinstein endorsement".
He further speculated that Weinstein himself felt the headline gave the idea of his support for Justin Baldoni and urged Vanity Fair to change the title.
Zack Peter also pointed out the shift in the tone of the article and said,
"Let's talk about the vibe shift from Chris here at Vanity Fair, cuz the tone went from a sarcastic tone like "Congratulations Justin Baldon Harvey Weinstein's on your side." And even in their header, they mention that Harvey has been convicted".
Zack went on to talk about the retracted title,
"But suddenly the vibe completely shifts, and now it's not such a bad thing to have a Harvey Weinstein endorsement, because it's clear that he's endorsing Blake Lively, which is what his new statement basically says, and notice in this header they don't mention that Harvey is convicted".
Zack speculated that Harvey's statement was just a strategic attempt for people to believe that he was in support of Justin Baldoni. Peter finds it convenient because Blake's publicist Leslie Sloan had already worked with Weinstein.
He further speculated:
"Then I think what happened is, once Harvey caught wind of the headlines making it seem like he was aligned with Justin Beldoni, I think he probably went rogue and this is why there was a new statement that was issued to Vanity Fair specifically, where Harvey makes it clear that he's always had good interactions with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds."
Peter continued,
"I think he thought that he was doing Blake a solid the same way Blake did him a solid when she backed him up".
Melanie King, meanwhile, posted on X on April 1, sarcastically mocking Vanity Fair for retracting the controversial headline.
"Vanity Fair tried to tie Harvey Weinstein and Justin Baldoni together but had to retract after this. HW does not support Justin but has the warmest and fondest memories of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds".
In response to Harvey Weinstein's claims about The New York Times, a rep for the publication told TMZ,
"Our comprehensive investigation into the allegations of se*xual harassment and abuse against Mr. Weinstein was rigorously reported over many months and based on on-the-record interviews, legal settlements paid to accusers, and other documents".
They continued,
"None of the facts in our coverage are in dispute. Mr. Weinstein acknowledged his misconduct in a statement that was published in full in The Times. He's since been criminally convicted of r*pe and se*xual assault."
In 2020, Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in New York for r*pe and se*xual assault and was sentenced to 16 additional years in prison in Los Angeles for more serious crimes. His new trial starts on April 15, 2025, as reported by TMZ.
