Blake Lively’s Publicist Asks to Be Removed From Justin Baldoni’s $400 Million Lawsuit

Blake Lively’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, has requested to be removed from Justin Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit.

A motion to dismiss was filed in New York federal court by Sloane’s attorney on Thursday, February 20, Us Weekly can confirm. Sloane’s lawyer asked the court to remove Sloane and her company, Vision PR, from Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios' countersuit.

According to the filing, Sloane’s team claimed they were "dragged" into the legal battle as a "smoke and mirrors exercise to distract from" Lively's accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation, the filing alleges. They argued there's no "basis" for accusing Sloane of planting "malicious stories" or launching a "smear campaign."

Sloane's attorneys also argued for the extortion claims, Baldoni's lawyers don't "identify where or how the alleged extortion occurred" nor how Sloane "received anything of value because of that extortion."

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In addition to asking to be removed from the lawsuit, Sloane's lawyers defended Lively, 37, against Baldoni’s claims about the pair’s struggles while working together on It Ends With Us.

"Baldoni’s allegations about the creative issues are irrelevant and tellingly sexist,” the filing reportedly 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."

Us has reached out to Baldoni’s attorney for comment.

Lively and Baldoni’s legal battle began in December 2024 when the actress filed a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us costar and director. In the filing, Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and lost wages.

Baldoni denied the allegations and subsequently filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, Sloane and Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds. Baldoni accused the group of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy and other claims.

Lively, for her part, has denied the allegations and referred to Baldoni’s lawsuit as “another chapter in the abuser playbook,” via a statement from her lawyers.

On Tuesday, February 18, Lively filed an amended complaint claiming that she was not the only woman on set who raised sexual harassment concerns regarding Baldoni, his producing partner Jamey Heath and Wayfarer Studios.

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“The new filing also details that a Sony representative spoke to Baldoni about the concerns, and that Baldoni responded, including by reaching out to one of the other women who complained to reassure her that he heard her and promised to make adjustments,” a spokesperson for Lively told Us in a statement on Tuesday.

Baldoni’s legal team slammed Lively’s new allegations in a statement to Us.

“Her underwhelming amended complaint is filled with unsubstantial hearsay of unnamed persons who are clearly no longer willing to come forward or publicly support her claims,” Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman said in a statement to Us on Wednesday, February 19. “Since documents do not lie and people do, the upcoming depositions of those who initially supported Ms. Lively’s false claims and those who are witnesses to her own behavior will be enlightening. What is truly uncomfortable here is Ms. Lively’s lack of actual evidence.”

Baldoni and Lively have refused to settle the lawsuit through mediation. A trial is scheduled for March 9, 2026.