Lawyers for Justin Baldoni’s production company argued in a pre-trial hearing Tuesday that Wayfarer Studios is not responsible for the loss of Blake Lively’s career, saying she was a “bully” and had a track record of lackluster business ventures.
According to the Daily Mail, lawyers for the “It Ends with Us” director say Lively’s unpopularity is due to her failed campaign, including her Betty Buzz Drinks, rather than a smear campaign, which Lively accuses Baldoni of orchestrating.
The co-stars gave evidence in court ahead of a scheduled May 18 trial stemming from a December 2024 sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Mr. Baldoni and his firm.
Ms. Baldoni’s lawyers argued that the $132 million figure her team estimated she would have earned over the next five years was inaccurate because she only worked sporadically.
According to the Daily Mail, Baldoni’s lawyer Amir Kaltgrad said Lively had a “sporadic work history” as “evidence that she didn’t want to work full-time” and argued that she only made $21 million from several film projects in the eight years leading up to the 2024 domestic violence drama.
Baldoni’s lawyers also argued in court that Lively’s “bullying” over Duchess Kate’s Photoshop drama in 2024 was evidence of a pattern of negative behavior, and that the incident caused Lively’s self-inflicted reputational damage.
Lively, 38, appeared to mock the Princess of Wales at the time after the royal family released an image of her family that was clearly Photoshopped, and the Gossip Girl alum then shared the photo, which had been altered to look like a cartoon, on her Instagram.
After Middleton’s cancer diagnosis was revealed days later, Lively was forced to apologize, calling it a “stupid post that capitalized on the ‘Photoshop fails’ craze” and admitting the incident had “humiliated” her.
Court documents filed earlier this month revealed that the “Mean Girls” campaign against Ms. Lively ended up costing her $300 million in lost profits and potential revenue, much of it in lost opportunities that included studio films, independent projects and limited television series between August 2024 and August 2029.
She first claimed in November 2025 that Baldoni’s alleged smear campaign cost her $161 million.
Mr. Baldoni has always vehemently denied any wrongdoing. A $400 million counterclaim he filed in January 2025 was dismissed by a judge in June of the same year.
Representatives for Lively and Baldoni did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment on Tuesday.
In a devastating blow, a judge earlier this month dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 claims, leaving charges for breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation on the table for a May 18 trial.
According to the Daily Mail, Lively’s lawyer Sigrid McCauley said the “A Simple Favor” actress is looking ahead to trial.
“Mr. Blake’s hope is that he will be able to have his voice heard in court and that is what we are focused on right now,” McCauley said outside court, adding: “We look forward to being on the stand.”
“She’s feeling great…she’s finally at the point where she can tell her side,” the lawyer added.
Asked if other celebrities embroiled in the drama, including former BFF Taylor Swift, were likely to testify, McCauley said the actress “tried really hard to protect her friend.”
“This is really about her and what she went through. That’s the core of this case.”
