Following
differences
in
how
the
film—based
on
the
Colleen
Hoover
novel
about
a
woman
surviving
domestic
violence—should
be
marketed,
the
suit
states,
Baldoni
took
part
in
a “social
manipulation”
campaign
to “destroy”
Lively’s
reputation,
negatively
impacting
her
business
and
causing
her
family “severe
emotional
distress.”
However,
Baldoni’s
attorney
Bryan
Freedman,
has
fired
back
at
Lively’s
lawsuit,
claiming
it’s
an
attempt
to “fix
her
negative
reputation”
and
noting
it’s “false,
outrageous
and
intentionally
salacious
with
an
intent
to
publicly
hurt.”
In
a
statement
to
The
New
York
Times,
Freedman
also
alleged
that,
behind
the
scenes,
Lively
was “threatening
to
not
showing
up
to
set,
threatening
to
not
promote
the
film,
ultimately
leading
to
its
demise
during
release.”
In
her
own
statement
to
the
newspaper,
Lively
said, “I
hope
that
my
legal
action
helps
pull
back
the
curtain
on
these
sinister
retaliatory
tactics
to
harm
people
who
speak
up
about
misconduct
and
helps
protect
others
who
may
be
targeted.”
She
also
denied
that
she
or
any
of
her
representatives
planted
or
spread
negative
information
about
Baldoni,
The
New
York
Times
said.
E!
News
has
reached
out
to
Lively
and
Baldoni’s
teams
for
comment
and
has
not
heard
back.
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