Justin Baldoni¡¯s legal team slams Blake Lively-linked lawsuit as ¡®a complete joke¡¯ used to access phone data
Justin Baldoni¡¯s legal team has accused Blake Lively¡¯s camp of staging a fake lawsuit to secretly obtain private phone data. Lawyer Bryan Freedman called the move ¡°a complete joke¡± and part of a broader scheme, escalating the ?320 million legal battle tied to the film It Ends With Us.
What started as a flashy PR dispute over the upcoming It Ends With Us film is now spiralling into a full-blown legal thriller, with accusations of secret lawsuits, stolen phone data, and a headline-grabbing cast that includes Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and Justin Baldoni.
Justin Baldoni sparks fresh allegations against Blake Lively
Justin Baldoni has alleged that a lawsuit filed last year by a mysterious company called Vanzan was nothing more than a sham ¡ª staged by Lively¡¯s team to gain subpoena access to private data. The lawsuit, filed in September 2024 and dismissed just three months later, didn¡¯t name any defendants and was never assigned a judge ¡ª raising eyebrows among legal watchers.
Baldoni¡¯s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, claims the suit was crafted to appear legitimate but was designed purely to extract sensitive information from the confiscated phone of publicist Jennifer Abel, who had previously worked with Jonesworks ¡ª the PR firm at the centre of this drama.
Freedman insists that Vanzan is closely tied to Lively and Reynolds, calling the idea they didn¡¯t know their own contractors ¡®a complete joke.¡¯ He accuses Jonesworks founder Stephanie Jones of misconduct and claims the entire operation was part of ¡®a much broader and more insidious scheme.¡¯
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively during the set of It Ends With Us. (Credit: X)
Jonesworks agency accused of misconduct
At the heart of the allegations is Jonesworks, run by Stephanie Jones. The firm, once representing Baldoni, is now accused of unethical behaviour and manipulating legal channels. Freedman alleges Jones even warned an employee not to work with Abel, hinting her business ¡°wouldn¡¯t be around much longer¡± ¡ª on the very day the Vanzan lawsuit was filed.
The firm, once representing Baldoni, is now accused of unethical behaviour and manipulating legal channels. (Credit: X)
Lively¡¯s side fires back, calling claims ¡®desperate¡¯
Kristen Tahler, representing Jones and Jonesworks, has hit back hard, dismissing the new claims as weak and attention-seeking. She accused Baldoni¡¯s team of reversing course, offering no new evidence, and presenting ¡°a long and confusing statement¡± that reveals the cracks in their case.
With a trial date set for March 2026 and a ?320 million defamation suit in play, this once-private PR clash is now a full-blown legal spectacle. Baldoni¡¯s team vows to keep digging, saying the truth is only just beginning to surface.
Kriti Shukla is a lifestyle journalist with over two years of experience, writing about celebrity fashion, beauty, and culture. She covers trends both on and off the red carpet, with a sharp editorial eye and a knack for spotting what¡¯s current. Based in Delhi, Kriti blends her love for glamour and culture with a deep understanding of the zeitgeist.
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