In a text exchange highlighted in the complaint, Nathan remarked Baldoni “wants to feel like [Ms. Lively] can be buried,” to which she reportedly added, “[Y]ou know we can bury anyone. But I can’t write that to him.”
The complaint further details how Baldoni and his associates manipulated media narratives, allegedly working with Nathan’s sister, a journalist, to publish critical stories about Lively. Articles in the New York Post and Daily Mail painted Lively as difficult and self-serving, sparking backlash on social media.
Financial Threats and Resource Allocation
The filing also accuses billionaire co-defendant Steve Sarowitz, Wayfarer Studios’ co-chairman, of pledging $100 million to ruin Lively’s life. According to the complaint, this financial backing allowed for an expansive and aggressive PR effort to intimidate Lively and others from exposing on-set misconduct.
“This plan went well beyond standard crisis PR,” the complaint asserts, claiming the campaign sought to silence Lively’s legally protected concerns.
Industry Implications
Lively’s legal team, including attorneys from Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, asserts that the alleged actions demonstrate a systematic abuse of power. The case could shed light on systemic issues in the entertainment industry and the use of PR firms to retaliate against those who speak up.
