Emily Baldoni shows unwavering support for her husband, Justin Baldoni, amid his ongoing legal battle with Blake Lively. In a heartfelt tribute shared on Instagram for the "It Ends With Us" director's 41st birthday, Emily expressed her love and admiration for her partner of more than a decade.
"Happy birthday, my love," Emily wrote on January 24, alongside a candid photo of the couple kissing by the ocean, their children Maiya, 9, and Maxwell, 7, in tow. "Celebrating the man, husband, and father that you are. I'd choose you again and again."
The family-centric post marks Emily's first public acknowledgment of Justin since Lively filed a lawsuit against him in December, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation during the production of "It Ends With Us."
A Family United
Days before the birthday tribute, Emily and Justin were spotted with their children at LAX en route to a family getaway. In a video captured by TMZ, Justin expressed gratitude, saying he was "thankful to be with the family." Paparazzi later photographed the director in Hawaii, surfboard in hand, appearing to take a momentary reprieve from the ongoing legal drama.
The Legal Backdrop
Blake Lively's lawsuit, filed after a near-identical complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, alleges that she and other cast and crew members endured "invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior" by Justin on the "It Ends With Us" set. The "Gossip Girl" star also claims Justin retaliated by launching a PR campaign to tarnish her reputation.
Through his lawyer, Justin has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them "categorically false." In a countersuit filed in January, he is seeking $400 million in damages, accusing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, of orchestrating "a vile smear campaign" against him.
In a statement obtained by E! News, Lively's attorneys described Justin's lawsuit as "another chapter in the abuser playbook," labeling his actions as retaliatory against her harassment allegations.
Adding Taylor to the Mix
Taylor Swift, one of Blake Lively's closest and most famous friends, is now involved in the notorious case. New documentation supplied by Baldoni's legal team alleges that Lively relied on her celebrity friends and connections to ensure that her film version made it to the final cut.
The filing included screenshots of messages between Baldoni and Lively in which the name "Taylor" was mentioned. While the lawsuit doesn't specifically say it's Taylor Swift, Baldoni's team confirmed that she's the "Taylor" mentioned in the messages.
The filing alleges that Lively rewrote the "rooftop" scene. Baldoni claims Lively summoned him for a meeting with Reynolds at their New York penthouse, with a "megacelebrity," presumed to be Swift, arriving unexpectedly and praising Lively's scene. "Baldoni understood the subtext: he needed to comply with Lively's direction for the script," states the filing.