Lawyers for Justin Baldoni\u2019s production company insisted Wayfarer Studios is not to blame for Blake Lively\u2019s career losses, claiming she is a \u201cbully\u201d and has a track record of lackluster business ventures during a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
According to the Daily Mail<\/a>, attorneys for the \u201cIt Ends With Us\u201d director said Lively\u2019s unpopularity was to blame for unsuccessful efforts, including her Betty Buzz drinks, rather than a smear campaign \u2014 which Lively has accused Baldoni of orchestrating.<\/p>\n The co-stars submitted evidence in court ahead of a planned May 18 trial stemming from a December 2024 sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit<\/a> against Baldoni and his firm.<\/p>\n Baldoni\u2019s lawyers claimed that because she only works sporadically, the $132 million her team says she would\u2019ve earned over the next five years isn\u2019t accurate. <\/p>\n Per the Daily Mail, Baldoni\u2019s attorney Amir Kaltgrad\u00a0said Lively had a \u201cscattered work history,\u201d citing alleged \u201cevidence she didn\u2019t want to work full time,\u201d and claimed she only earned $21 million from several film projects in the eight years leading up to the 2024 domestic violence drama.<\/p>\n Lawyers for Justin Baldoni, seen above in 2024, accused Blake Lively of \u201cbullying\u201d in a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday. Getty Images for Vital Voices Global Partnership<\/p>\n According to the Daily Mail, lawyers for Baldoni also cited Lively\u2019s alleged history of lackluster businesses as proof lost earnings are not Baldoni\u2019s fault. Lively is seen above last month in Wales. Getty Images<\/p>\n Baldoni\u2019s attorneys also asserted in court that Lively\u2019s \u201cbullying\u201d of Kate Middleton\u2019s photoshop drama in 2024 was proof of a pattern of negative behaviors \u2014 and that the incident caused Lively self-inflicted reputational damage. <\/p>\n Lively, 38, seemingly mocked the Princess of Wales at the time after the royal shared an apparently photoshopped image of her family, with the \u201cGossip Girl\u201d alum subsequently sharing a cartoonishly altered photo on her own Instagram. <\/p>\n Lively was compelled to apologize<\/a> after Middleton\u2019s cancer diagnosis was revealed<\/a> days later, calling it \u201ca silly post around the \u2018photoshop fails\u2019 frenzy\u201d and admitting the incident \u201cmortified\u201d her. <\/p>\n Court docs filed earlier this month revealed that Lively\u2019s claims that a \u201cmean girl\u201d campaign waged against her<\/a> ultimately cost her $300 million in lost profits and potential income, with a majority in lost opportunities \u2014 including studio films, independent projects and a limited TV series \u2014 between August 2024 and August 2029.<\/p>\n She initially claimed in November 2025 that Baldoni\u2019s alleged\u00a0smear campaign cost her $161 million<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tWant more celebrity and pop culture news?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with Page Six Daily.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Baldoni\u2019s lawyers said Lively\u2019s criticism of Kate Middleton over a 2024 photoshop fail contributed to her lack of popularity. Baldoni is seen above in 2024. Nathan Congleton\/NBC via Getty Images<\/p>\n Lively has claimed Baldoni\u2019s alleged smear campaign has cost her $300 million in lost income. She\u2019s pictured above in August 2024. Getty Images for Sony Pictures<\/p>\n Baldoni has consistently and vehemently denied wrongdoing. A $400 million countersuit filed by him<\/a> in January 2025 was tossed by a judge<\/a> that June.<\/p>\n Reps for Lively and Baldoni did not immediately respond to Page Six\u2019s request for comment on Tuesday. <\/p>\n