Blake Vigorous has been sued by Justin Baldoni’s disaster PR workforce amid the It Ends With Us costars’ ongoing authorized battle.
In keeping with paperwork obtained by Us Weekly, Vigorous, 37, was sued by Jed Wallace and his firm, Avenue Relations Inc. Vigorous named each events and Baldoni, 41, in her December 2024 criticism, the place she sued the It Ends With Us director for alleged sexual harassment. He has denied all allegations. (TMZ was the primary to report the information on Wednesday, February 5.)
Within the newest lawsuit, Wallace accused Vigorous of together with his agency within the accusations she made in opposition to Baldoni — however claimed she didn’t point out him or Avenue Relations within the lawsuit she filed days later. Wallace alleged that the “harm was finished.”
Wallace claimed that Vigorous requested a choose to authorize the taking of his deposition. He alleged that she falsely accused him of being a subcontractor to an organization referred to as TAG to “help them of their illegal retaliatory social fight marketing campaign” in opposition to Vigorous.
Wallace claimed that he suffered thousands and thousands of {dollars} of hurt and an extra sum of over one million within the projected loss to his firm.
“Blake Vigorous made false statements to the press by way of a non-public administrative submitting, claiming Mr. Wallace and Avenue Relations had sexually harassed her, retaliated in opposition to her, aided and abetted others who did the identical, breached a contract along with her and engaged in different improper conduct. Mr. Wallace, who’s a really personal individual, has by no means met or spoken to Ms. Vigorous. Ever,” Chip Babcock, a companion within the Texas regulation agency, Jackson Walker, LLP, advised Us in a press release. “He has not engaged in a smear marketing campaign in opposition to her at any cut-off date. The choice to file this lawsuit to rightfully shield himself and his household was made after Ms. Vigorous not solely filed in opposition to him first in Texas however, indicated she supposed to call him in one more lawsuit.”
Vigorous’s authorized workforce responded to the submitting in a press release to Us, which learn, “One other day, one other state, one other nine-figure lawsuit in search of to sue Ms. Vigorous “into oblivion” for talking out in opposition to sexual harassment and retaliation. This isn’t only a publicity stunt—it’s clear retaliation in response to allegations contained inside a sexual harassment and retaliation criticism that Ms. Vigorous filed with the California Civil Rights Division. Whereas this lawsuit will likely be dismissed, we’re happy that Mr. Wallace has lastly emerged from the shadows, and that he too will likely be held accountable in federal court docket.”
After Vigorous filed her preliminary swimsuit in December 2024, the director’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, referred to as the accusations “fully false, outrageous and deliberately salacious” in a press release to Us. He claimed that Vigorous filed the lawsuit to “repair her damaging repute” and “rehash a story” in regards to the film’s manufacturing.
Baldoni fired again together with his personal $400 million lawsuit in opposition to Vigorous, Ryan Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane. Vigorous’s authorized workforce reacted to the January lawsuit, sharing partially, “The technique of attacking the lady is determined, it doesn’t refute the proof in Ms. Vigorous’s criticism, and it’ll fail.”
Blake Vigorous, Justin Baldoni James Devaney;Gotham/GC Pictures(2)/Getty Pictures(2)
The newest lawsuit comes days after Vigorous and Baldoni’s legal professionals met for a pretrial listening to on Monday, February 3. Within the 90-minute session, Choose Lewis J. Liman famous that the March 9, 2026 trial date might be moved up if the complaints proceed to be “litigated within the press,” per Deadline.
In response to the primary listening to, Vigorous’s workforce advised Us in a press release, “We’re happy with the results of immediately’s listening to and keen to maneuver ahead instantly with discovery on this case. The Court docket granted our request that every one attorneys within the matter really comply with the rule of regulation and never make any statements that might prejudice a jury. This case offers with severe allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation. We are going to maintain the defendants accountable, and we’re assured that after all of the proof is submitted on this matter, Ms. Vigorous will prevail.”
Baldoni’s legal professionals, in the meantime, advised Us, “Our purchasers are devastated and need to transfer the case alongside as shortly as doable. We simply couldn’t be extra happy with how the case was dealt with immediately, the way it was managed. We’re going to maneuver as shortly as we probably can and show our innocence, in a world the place generally individuals choose you earlier than they provide you an opportunity. And we’re going to vary that.”
As for whether or not Vigorous and Baldoni will settle earlier than trial, lawyer Gloria Allred shared within the newest Us cowl story that it’s unlikely. “Often, legal professionals will attempt to settle the case with a confidential settlement previous to [trial]. That’s about shopping for peace, however a lawsuit is like beginning a [full-scale] battle,” she defined. “[The case] might also settle in some unspecified time in the future throughout this litigation, however it hasn’t to date, and I feel it’s probably to not settle within the close to future.”
