Justin Baldoni is currently engaged in a legal battle against Blake Lively, his collaborator on It Ends with Us, which he directed and co-starred in. During this time, the actor/director – who’s denied allegations of sexual harassment and more leveled at him by Lively – was dropped by WME talent agency. The company’s head (and Baldoni’s former agent), Ari Emmanuel, recently defended Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, who are still his clients. Now, Baldoni’s lawyer is responding to the comments, specifically a “bologna” shot.
Ari Emmanuel, the CEO of Endeavor, participated in a recording of the Freakonomics Radio Live show. During the conversation, he declared that he was “ride or die” for Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, saying that it’s “disgusting” that they’re embroiled in a such a “fucked up, bad situation.” Emmanuel also mentioned his firing of Justin Baldoni, who he referred to as “Bologna.” Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer emailed a response to the name-related jab, which was shared with The Hollywood Reporter:
Mr. Ari Emanuel is notably one of the best agents, and clearly the most loyal, in Hollywood. As I understand it, Justin hasn’t been called ‘Bologna’ since the fifth grade. Perhaps Ari’s perspective would be different if they had ever met in the half decade they were clients of his agency.
Justin Baldoni was fired from WME after Blake Lively claimed, via a legal complaint, that he sexually harassed her and others on the set of It Ends with Us. The actress also alleged – via a story published by the New York Times – that the filmmaker worked with a crisis management firm to launch a smear campaign against her. Eventually, she sued him over the same claims listed in her original filing. Also included in the suit were Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios and other defendants.
After denying the claims, the Jane the Virgin alum filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times on the grounds of libel and more. He eventually filed a $400 million suit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and more, accusing them of defamation, extortion and other offenses. Among the claims he has leveled against the couple is the assertion that he was the basis for the character of Nicepool (who dies a graphic death) in Deadpool & Wolverine.
When it comes to Ari Emmanuel’s rationale on firing Justin Baldoni, he appeared to take issue with the notion that the star would allegedly use social media to tarnish the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants alum’s image. That includes Baldoni and the PR firm allegedly planting negative stories about the actress. (It should be noted that Baldoni and co. have denied having done that.) Emmanuel shared positive thoughts on the Lively/Reynolds family, who he called “good people.”
Blake Lively isn’t just contending with a lawsuit from her former colleague, as she’s also been sued by a PR company. Jed Wallace, who’s a part of Street Relations, filed suit against her for allegedly embroiling him in the lawsuits between her and her former scene partner. Lively accused Wallace of crafting artificial content on social media, which was supposedly used to attack her. As a result, Wallace is looking to receive $7 million as well as a court order stipulating that he didn’t harass or retaliate against the actress.
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively haven’t gone to court just yet, but a trial is tentatively set to begin sometime during March 2026. The public will have to wait and see how the situation continues to play out and whether it’ll “get nastier” as some theorize. At the same time, it remains to be seen whether other former colleagues will weigh in like Ari Emmanuel did.
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