Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni legal battle takes shocking turn as publicist seeks exit

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' publicist, Leslie Sloane, has requested to dismiss her involvement in the $400 million lawsuit filed by actor-director Justin Baldoni, as per MailOnline.

For those unaware, the lawsuite began from Lively's sexual harassment allegations against Baldoni during the filming of It Ends With Us. In response, Baldoni countersued Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane for defamation.

According to court documents, Salone's attorney Sigrid McCawley denies all the allegations of leading a smear campaign against Baldoni.

"Baldoni's allegations about the creative issues are irrelevant and tellingly sexist,” he stated.

"Because Ms. Lively — an executive producer on the film — dared to offer input on the script, wardrobe and editing, Baldoni blasts her as "tyrannical" and "aggressive," among other coded terms.”

“When Ms. Lively bravely spoke up about Baldoni's predatory behavior, he and his team used every weapon in their arsenal to blame, embarrass and silence her, going so far as to hire a crisis PR manager who promised to 'bury' Ms. Lively and 'destroy' her life,” the lawyer added.

However, Baldoni's team disputes these claims, pointing out the absence of any official HR complaints. Justin Baldoni maintains that the allegations have damaged his career, with his lawyer confirming significant work losses.

Despite the high stakes, both parties have declined mediation. A trial date has been scheduled for March 2026.