As many of you know, Justin Baldoni recently filed a lawsuit against the New York Times, accusing the publication of biased and inaccurate reporting. He’s joined by nine other individuals, including his producer and some publicists, who are also named in the lawsuit. Essentially, Baldoni argues that the New York Times manipulated text messages and took quotes out of context to create a false narrative about him. I’ve read through the entire 70-page lawsuit, and I have some thoughts.
But before we get into that, let me clarify something. As I’ve mentioned in previous videos, I used to be a teacher, and I always encouraged my students to think critically. It’s something I think is really lacking in today’s world, especially on social media, where everyone is quick to pick a side without actually knowing all the facts. It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon, but I encourage you to take a step back, look at both sides of the story, and make your own informed judgment. In this case, there’s a lot of conflicting information, and you should be reading the lawsuits and analyzing the facts yourself rather than relying on hearsay.
Now, regarding Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit, it’s important to note that he hasn’t sued Blake Lively yet, although many people believe that will come soon. Blake has also filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, which was officially filed in federal court yesterday. This came after her earlier complaint, filed just before Christmas, which was more of an initial step. This new lawsuit is more formal and carries more weight. It’s clear that things are escalating.
One major issue in this whole situation is the narrative that we should always “support women” who speak out. While I completely agree that women should be supported when they come forward with their stories, it’s also essential to recognize that not every situation is as it seems. There’s no perfect hero or villain in this case. For example, Blake Lively worked with Woody Allen on a film, despite the public accusations of abuse from Allen’s stepdaughter, Dylan Farrow. While many people distanced themselves from Allen due to these allegations, Lively chose to continue working with him. To me, this raises questions about her stance on supporting other women who speak out against abuse.
Moreover, Blake’s publicist, Leslie Sloan, started her own company in 2014, and it turns out that she was financially backed by none other than Harvey Weinstein. This is something that a lot of people forget to mention when they talk about supporting women. Lively worked with a company that was funded by a man who’s been accused of sexual harassment and assault by multiple women. It’s important to look at all these details before jumping to conclusions.
There are also rumors circulating about me, specifically the claim that I was told not to mention Blake Lively’s pregnancy during my interview with her. Let me clear this up: this is completely false. No one told me to avoid mentioning her pregnancy, and I wouldn’t have risked my career for something so trivial. Blake had already been very open about her pregnancy before the interview, so there was no reason for her to react the way she did when I congratulated her. These rumors have been spreading, but I want to set the record straight so that people don’t keep repeating false stories.
Moving on to the New York Times article, I have to say I’m very concerned about how the publication handled the situation. The reporting seems rushed and heavily biased, with significant holes in the story. For example, one of the accusations against Justin Baldoni was that he entered Blake Lively’s trailer without permission while she was breastfeeding or pumping. However, Baldoni’s lawsuit shows that Lively invited him into the trailer while she was pumping. He declined at first, saying he was having lunch with the crew, but the idea that he violated her privacy seems unsubstantiated. The text messages don’t add up to what Lively’s lawsuit claims.
Additionally, there’s the issue of the “no-do list,” which Lively mentioned in her lawsuit. This list supposedly outlined things Baldoni shouldn’t do on set, but Baldoni claims he had never seen such a list before the New York Times article. If this list existed, there should be documented proof—emails or other evidence—but none has been provided. It raises even more questions about the credibility of the New York Times report.
Another point of contention is that Baldoni was not invited to the premiere of the movie he directed, nor was he shown the final cut before its release. This is highly unusual, as directors typically have input on the final product, especially when they are one of the main characters. It’s clear that there were tensions on set, but the reasons behind these tensions are still unclear.
In all of this, it’s important to take a step back and acknowledge that there’s no simple “good guy” or “bad guy” here. Everyone involved has made mistakes, and there are conflicting stories. The truth will eventually come out, and I encourage everyone to read both sides of the lawsuits and not just believe what you hear on social media. There’s so much misinformation out there, and people are quick to jump to conclusions without doing their research.
So, please, be critical, fact-check, and don’t just follow the herd. It’s important to know all the facts before forming an opinion. I’ve been receiving a lot of hateful messages online, and while I try not to engage in negativity, I also want to say that online bullying is never the answer. Spreading hate only fuels more conflict, and I don’t think anyone benefits from that.
Thank you for taking the time to watch this video. Please make sure to subscribe to my channel, hit the notification bell, and leave your thoughts in the comments. I’ll be back with more updates as this story develops. Happy New Year, and I’ll see you in the next one!
