Justin Baldoni's lawyer says the actor's upcoming lawsuit against Blake Lively will not only expose "the truth" but also expose "those who believe they are untouchable."
"This is not a response or a counterclaim, it's a deliberate pursuit of the truth," attorney Bryan Freedman says of Baldoni's upcoming lawsuit, which follows Lively's explosive complaint accusing Baldoni, 40, of sexual harassment on the set of the movie "It Ends with Us".
Freedman, a veteran Hollywood attorney, also says Baldoni's deposition will "expose" falsehoods in Lively's complaint, particularly a series of private messages that allegedly show Baldoni texting and e-mailing the PR executive. , Jennifer Abel and crisis management expert Melissa Nathan as they planned what Lively, 37, claims was a smear campaign orchestrated to "destroy" its reputation.
"This lawsuit will uncover and expose the false and destructive narrative that was deliberately created by a media outlet that relied on nefarious sources and neglected a thorough fact-checking process to confirm the validity of these messages," Freedman told PEOPLE magazine.
The article Freedman refers to, titled "We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Stain Machine," broke the news of Lively's complaint a day after she filed it in California.
"In more than three decades of legal practice, I have never seen such unethical behavior, driven by those who abuse their power and manipulate the truth," Freedman adds.
"Mainstream media have long weaponized their platforms to distort the truth, exploit vulnerabilities and destroy lives without accountability," the lawyer continues.
"These lawsuits will confront this system head-on, ensuring that no individual or entity, no matter how influential, can continue to perpetuate this cycle of fear and destruction."
"The truth will not only come out - it will shatter the illusions held by those who believe they are invulnerable," Freedman concludes.
The lawyer's latest statement comes on the heels of a Dec. 27 Daily Mail report that once the courts reopen in the new year, Baldoni plans to file a countersuit against Lively. Freedman told the British newspaper that the upcoming lawsuit will "shock everyone."
Lively first sued Baldoni on Dec. 20, alleging in an 80-page complaint that after she reported sexual harassment on the set of It Ends with Us, Baldoni (who starred, produced and directed the film) retaliated against her by orchestrating a smear campaign aimed at tarnishing her image.
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