Ari Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor and star agent, has expressed his support for Blake Lively in her legal battle against director Justin Baldoni. The two have been embroiled in a heated dispute over allegations of sexual harassment and reputational damage.
Emanuel was asked about the situation by Stephen Dubner at the Freakonomics Radio Live show. He described Baldoni’s actions as “a fucked up, bad situation,” citing Lively’s previous success with her husband Ryan Reynolds as evidence that they are good people.
The dispute began after Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni accusing him of sexual harassment and using a crisis management company to create a smear campaign against her. WME, the agency representing Lively and Reynolds, dropped Baldoni as a client in December.
Emanuel’s comments suggest that he believes Lively is telling the truth about the situation, and that Baldoni and his producer Jamey Heath are responsible for the negative media attention she received. He also expressed concern about the use of social media to intimidate and harm individuals, which he claims Baldoni and Heath did in this case.
The dispute has escalated into lawsuits between Lively and Baldoni, with a trial expected to begin next year.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/ari-emanuel-blake-lively-baldoni-fight-1236136859