Justin Baldoni's Attorney Rips Publicist Stephanie Jones, Her Lawyers Clap Back
Justin Baldoni Legal Battle with Stephanie Jones Intensifies as Attorneys Exchange Accusations
Justin Baldoni’s legal team has filed amended counterclaims against publicist Stephanie Jones amidst their ongoing dispute. (Photo: Getty Images)
Table of Contents
- Justin Baldoni Legal Battle Escalates with New Filings
- Freedman’s Bold Statement Against Jones
- Allegations of a Coordinated Smear Campaign
- The “Van-sham” Lawsuit Controversy
- The Blake Lively Connection
- Jones’s Legal Team Strikes Back
- Implications for the Entertainment Industry
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Justin Baldoni legal battle with Stephanie Jones has reached a new level of intensity with both sides exchanging serious accusations through their legal representatives. The feud, which has captivated the entertainment industry throughout 2025, has now escalated with Baldoni’s attorney filing amended counterclaims against Jones, the publicist at the center of the dispute between Baldoni and actress Blake Lively.
Justin Baldoni Legal Battle Escalates with New Filings
Actor and director Justin Baldoni has ramped up his legal offensive against publicist Stephanie Jones through a series of amended counterclaims filed by his high-profile attorney Bryan Freedman. This legal maneuver comes in direct response to Jones’s legal team appearing on the entertainment news program “Extra” to discuss their perspective on the dueling lawsuits with host Billy Bush.
The Justin Baldoni legal battle with Stephanie Jones began when Jones, who runs the PR firm Jonesworks, allegedly played a pivotal role in the widely-publicized conflict between Baldoni and his “It Ends With Us” co-star Blake Lively. According to Freedman, Jones bears significant responsibility for instigating the entire controversy that has dominated entertainment headlines for months.
Bryan Freedman, Justin Baldoni’s attorney, has been vocal about his client’s position in the ongoing dispute. (Photo: TMZ)
Freedman’s Bold Statement Against Jones
In a strongly-worded statement provided exclusively to TMZ, Bryan Freedman intensified the Justin Baldoni legal battle with Stephanie Jones by asserting that new evidence against Jones is being uncovered “almost daily.” This evidence, according to Freedman, necessitated amendments to their existing counterclaims against both Jones and her company, Jonesworks.
“In light of new evidence being uncovered almost daily, it has become imperative to amend our counterclaims against Stephanie Jones and Jonesworks. We are not surprised at all that Ms. Jones would instruct her legal team to go on record and mischaracterize the circumstances surrounding the sham ‘subpoena’ and Vanzan lawsuit, so impressively uncovered by the passionate group of online sleuths.”
This statement suggests that Baldoni’s legal team believes they are gaining momentum in the case, with alleged new evidence strengthening their position. Freedman’s mention of “online sleuths” indicates that public investigation into the matter has potentially unearthed information beneficial to Baldoni’s case.
Allegations of a Coordinated Smear Campaign
Central to the Justin Baldoni legal battle with Stephanie Jones are allegations of a coordinated smear campaign. Freedman’s statement explicitly accuses what he refers to as the “Lively Parties” and Jones of collaborating with The New York Times in what he characterizes as the only actual smear campaign in the dispute.
According to Freedman: “We reiterate once again that there is not and has never been a smear campaign, except for the one being waged by the Lively Parties and Ms. Jones in collaboration with the New York Times.”
The attorney further emphasized their commitment to revealing what he describes as the truth behind the controversy: “We will continue the fight to expose and hold accountable the wrongdoers and uncover the truth.”
Key Developments in the Legal Dispute
- Amended counterclaims filed by Baldoni’s team against Jones and Jonesworks
- Allegations of new evidence being uncovered “almost daily”
- Claims of a coordinated smear campaign involving Jones, Blake Lively, and The New York Times
- References to a “sham subpoena” and “Vanzan lawsuit”
- Public accusations exchanged between high-profile attorneys
The “Van-sham” Lawsuit Controversy
A significant element in the Justin Baldoni legal battle with Stephanie Jones involves what Freedman refers to as the “Van-sham” lawsuit. According to Baldoni’s attorney, this lawsuit represents a deliberate attempt to circumvent normal legal procedures for improper purposes.
Freedman alleges: “A cursory reading of the ‘Van-sham’ lawsuit makes clear that the Lively Parties have been caught engaging in their own smear campaign, intentionally circumventing the normal procedures for clearly improper purposes by creating a farcical complaint with an unrelated plaintiff and no named defendants, ensuring that no one would know about or object to their attempt to obtain information they were not entitled to.”
This statement suggests that Baldoni’s team believes a lawsuit was filed under questionable circumstances, potentially to gather information that would otherwise be inaccessible through standard legal channels. The attorney’s use of terminology like “farcical complaint” and “unrelated plaintiff” implies allegations of legal impropriety.
The dispute between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively has evolved into a complex legal battle involving multiple parties. (Photo: TMZ)
The Blake Lively Connection
The Justin Baldoni legal battle with Stephanie Jones is inextricably linked to his highly publicized tensions with actress Blake Lively. Freedman’s statements directly implicate Lively and potentially her husband, Ryan Reynolds, in what he describes as an “insidious scheme.”
In his statement, Freedman specifically refers to “Vanzan (Lively and Reynolds)” in connection with the controversial lawsuit, suggesting that the couple is behind the legal action he characterizes as “secret” and a “joke.” He claims that the lawsuit absurdly suggests that Lively and Reynolds are “unaware of the identities of their own employees and contractual counterparties.”
Freedman concludes this point with a serious allegation: “We are just starting to scratch the surface of a much broader and more insidious scheme.” This statement hints at potential further revelations and escalations in the ongoing Justin Baldoni legal battle with Stephanie Jones and the associated disputes with Lively.
Jones’s Legal Team Strikes Back
In response to the escalating Justin Baldoni legal battle with Stephanie Jones, Jones’s attorneys have forcefully countered Freedman’s claims. Maaren Shah, one of Jones’s legal representatives, dismissed Baldoni’s legal team’s assertions, characterizing them as diversionary tactics rather than substantive legal arguments.
“This case will be decided on the mountain of evidence that demonstrates Wayfarer Studios and Ms. Abel deliberately breached their contracts with Jonesworks, which the defendants have conspicuously failed to rebut. The defendants’ weak attempt to assemble their own case against Ms. Jones amounts to nothing more than a few debunked conspiracy theories and media gimmicks that have no basis in fact or evidence. The indisputable fact remains: the defendants have yet to provide any substantive defense to Ms. Jones’s case. Everything else is just distraction and noise.”
Kristin Tahler, another attorney representing Jones, added to the criticism of Baldoni’s legal approach: “Reversing course, dropping previously touted claims, presenting zero new evidence, and putting out the world’s longest and most confusing statement – what a desperate ploy by a team who tonight all but admits they’re in trouble. Behind their empty gusto you’ll find not even an attempt to defend the misdeeds laid bare by the evidence. Quite telling.”
These responses suggest that Jones’s legal team remains confident in their position, viewing Baldoni’s amended counterclaims as lacking substantive merit and potentially indicative of a weakening legal position.
Implications for the Entertainment Industry
The Justin Baldoni legal battle with Stephanie Jones has broader implications for the entertainment industry, particularly regarding the relationships between celebrities, their publicists, and the media. This high-profile case highlights the potential for professional relationships in Hollywood to deteriorate into complex legal disputes with public reputations at stake.
The involvement of a major publication like The New York Times (as alleged by Freedman) and entertainment news outlets like “Extra” and TMZ demonstrates how these disputes can quickly become media spectacles. The case may potentially influence how celebrities approach their professional relationships with publicists and how carefully contractual obligations are defined and enforced in the industry.
As the Justin Baldoni legal battle with Stephanie Jones continues to unfold in 2025, entertainment industry professionals are likely watching closely, with many potentially reevaluating their own contractual arrangements and professional relationships in light of this high-profile dispute.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Justin Baldoni legal battle with Stephanie Jones about?
The legal dispute centers around allegations that publicist Stephanie Jones played a role in creating tensions between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively during their work on “It Ends With Us.” Baldoni’s team has filed counterclaims against Jones, while Jones has sued Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios for alleged breach of contract.
Who is Bryan Freedman in relation to this case?
Bryan Freedman is Justin Baldoni’s attorney who has been vocal in accusing Stephanie Jones of instigating the dispute between Baldoni and Blake Lively. He recently filed amended counterclaims against Jones and her company Jonesworks.
What is the “Van-sham” lawsuit mentioned in the article?
The “Van-sham” lawsuit refers to what Baldoni’s attorney describes as a questionable legal action allegedly filed by parties connected to Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds (referred to as “Vanzan”). Freedman claims this lawsuit was designed to improperly obtain information with “an unrelated plaintiff and no named defendants.”
How has Stephanie Jones’s legal team responded to Baldoni’s allegations?
Jones’s attorneys, Maaren Shah and Kristin Tahler, have dismissed Baldoni’s claims as “debunked conspiracy theories” and “media gimmicks.” They argue that Baldoni’s team has failed to address the substantive claims that Wayfarer Studios breached contracts with Jonesworks.
How might this case affect the entertainment industry?
This high-profile dispute could influence how celebrities manage relationships with publicists, how contractual obligations are defined, and how media involvement in celebrity disputes is handled. Industry professionals may reevaluate their own arrangements in light of this case.
The Justin Baldoni legal battle with Stephanie Jones continues to evolve with each legal filing and public statement. With both parties firmly entrenched in their positions and represented by outspoken attorneys, this case is likely to remain in the spotlight throughout 2025. As new evidence emerges and legal strategies develop, the entertainment world will be watching closely to see how this complex dispute ultimately resolves.
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