Justin Baldoni is suing the New York Times after it reported that he and his public relations team were behind a smear campaign against his It Ends With Us costar Blake Likely.

In the 87-page complaint filed on Tuesday, Dec 31. and obtained, Baldoni and a group of nine other plaintiffs, including his production company Wayfarer Studios, business partners and public relations team, are suing the Times for $250 million. They allege libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud and breach of implied-in-fact contract.

After Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, the Times published “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine” on Saturday, Dec. 21.

The plaintiffs, including Baldoni and It Ends With Us producers Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, along with Jed Wallace, and publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, accuse the Times of using “‘cherry-picked’ and altered communications stripped of necessary context and deliberately spliced to mislead” in the article.

In response, the New York Times defended its article as “meticulously and responsibly reported.”

“The Article’s central thesis, encapsulated in a defamatory headline designed to immediately mislead the reader, is that Plaintiffs orchestrated a retaliatory public relations campaign against Lively for speaking out about sexual harassment—a premise that is categorically false and easily disproven,” read the complaint.

The complaint then lists multiple examples refuting claims that were allegedly made out of context.

For example, the Times article wrote that “[Baldoni] repeatedly entered [Lively’s] makeup trailer uninvited while she was undressed, including when she was breastfeeding.”

However, Baldoni’s complaint shows alleged text messages from Lively that read, “I’m just pumping in my trailer if you wanna work out our lines.” Baldoni responded, “Copy. Eating with crew and will head that way,” which the lawsuit claims shows Baldoni did not enter uninvited.

The complaint also contains text messages between Baldoni’s PR team showing concerns over reports they were “planting stories.” The plaintiffs claim these exchanges disprove there they manufactured a smear campaign against the actress. The complaint claims that Baldoni “consistently expressed his desire to avoid harming Lively and protect the Film but also recognized a legitimate need for public relations protection in light of Lively’s false and damaging claims.”

“In this vicious smear campaign fully orchestrated by Blake Lively and her team, the New York Times cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful ‘untouchable’ Hollywood elites, disregarding journalistic practices and ethics once befitting of the revered publication by using doctored and manipulated texts and intentionally omitting texts which dispute their chosen PR narrative,” Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, said in a statement to PEOPLE.

Freedman continued: “In doing so, they pre-determined the outcome of their story, and aided and abetted their own devastating PR smear campaign designed to revitalize Lively’s self-induced floundering public image and counter the organic groundswell of criticism amongst the online public.”

In a statement, a New York Times spokesperson said they plan to “vigorously” defend against Baldoni’s lawsuit.

“The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead,” the Times spokesperson said. “Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article. To date, Wayfarer Studios, Mr. Baldoni, the other subjects of the article and their representatives have not pointed to a single error. We published their full statement in response to the allegations in the article as well.”

Lively’s 80-page complaint included allegations that Baldoni sexually harassed her and developed a retaliatory public smear campaign against her.

The actress alleged that she was caused “grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety” as a result of Baldoni’s alleged behavior, including showing her explicit images and videos, asking her about her personal sex life and attempting to add intimate scenes to the film that she had not originally agreed to.

The actress also claimed that Baldoni, alongside his publicist Jennifer Abel and crisis firm TAG PR’s Melissa Nathan, was attempting to manipulate social media and work alongside the press to “destroy” her reputation.

On Tuesday, Dec. 31, Lively’s attorneys filed a federal complaint against Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni and other parties in the Southern District of New York.

“Ms. Lively previously sent her California Civil Rights Department Complaint in response to the retaliatory campaign Wayfarer launched against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns,” Lively’s attorney said in a statement to PEOPLE. “Unfortunately, Ms. Lively’s decision to speak out has resulted in further retaliation and attacks. As alleged in Ms. Lively’s federal Complaint, Wayfarer and its associates have violated federal and California state law by retaliating against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns.

Now, the defendants will answer for their conduct in federal court. Ms. Lively has brought this litigation in New York, where much of the relevant activities described in the Complaint took place, but we reserve the right to pursue further action in other venues and jurisdictions as appropriate under the law.”

Will Smith starred in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for six years before the iconic show came to an end. During that time, Smith helped inspire Queen Latifah’s own popular 90s television series.

Potentially, Smith also made other artists feel they could do the same. Queen Latifah would follow in his footsteps when she starred in her sitcom, Living Single, which enjoyed somewhat similar success. The ensemble sitcom lasted for five seasons, from 1993 to 1998, and showed Queen Latifah’s own promise as an actor. But she credited Smith for showing that there was another career path for her in the first place.

“I’ve got to give Will [Smith] a shout out,” Queen Latifah said in an interview with Variety. “It was because of Will that that we did Living Single. As rappers, I toured with Will, and when Will got [The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air], we were like, ‘Oh, if Will could do a show, we could do a show.’ So that was where it all began, with us starting to beat the pavement to try to create a sitcom.”

Additionally, The Equalizer star felt the sitcom was a pivotal moment for the hip hop genre in general.

“Living Single spoke to our generation,” she said. “It showed the hustle that we had, the desire to achieve and entrepreneurship. It showed hip-hop being validated, not as this passing fad, but an actual culture that involved many facets — not just the music, the graffiti, the breakdancing or the DJ-ing, but the fashion and the writing of magazines, films, and clubs and so many things that could be created. There was so much money that was being generated based off this thing called hip-hop.”

Queen Latifah felt Will Smith changed her life

Queen Latifah also shouted out Smith for giving the “U.N.I.T.Y” singer her first acting role, too. Despite her success in the rap industry, Queen Latifah always had aspirations to branch out into other fields.

“There were too many facets to my being to be kind of nailed all into one place,” Latifah said in an interview on In The Envelope. “There were no blueprints for a lot of what I was doing. I mean, there were blueprints, but they applied to a different kind of car.”

She was one of many musical guests who tested out her acting chops when she starred in the Fresh Prince episode “Walking Out.”

“Coming to do The Fresh Prince, I had never even acted on anything on television ever. Thank God he had a dope director in Ellen Falcon at the time, who kind of showed me what to do, how to hit a mark, and here’s how you do this,” Queen Latifah told People. “And she later became our director on Living Single. So, she pretty much taught me how to act, because I was using instincts, but I didn’t know what I was doing. I was using whatever high school play skills I had.”

Afterward, Queen Latifah became a part of a class of rappers who successfully transitioned into acting. Although she and Smith haven’t collaborated on a project since his Fresh Prince days, they’ve still kept in touch. Recently, however, it was announced that the pair will be teaming up again for a potential Queen Latifah biopic.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez made waves when the media caught wind of their divorce in August 2024. While Lopez served Affleck divorce papers after two years of marriage, the exes seemed on good terms. Affleck and Jennifer Garner reportedly spent time together on Christmas. However, Affleck and Lopez allegedly swapped a “few small” gifts to celebrate the holidays. Here’s what to know.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez reportedly exchanged gifts for Christmas in 2024 despite their divorce

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s reconnection in 2021 had Bennifer fans hoping for a happy ending. The couple tied the knot in 2022, and Lopez documented their incredible love story. Unfortunately, they couldn’t make their marriage work. Lopez and Affleck never publicly explained why they decided to permanently part ways. According to sources, they enjoy different lifestyles that make them incompatible.

Affleck and Lopez are still on speaking terms as they process the end of their marriage. An insider told Page Six that they exchanged gifts the Sunday before Christmas. “The gifts were mostly for each other’s kids, but they did exchange a few small things for each other as well,” an insider explained. “It was nothing over the top, but more so a gesture to celebrate the holidays. Ben and Jennifer have remained amicable despite the ongoing divorce proceedings.”

Mystery Pier Books owner Louis Jason told the publication that Affleck bought “a few books” from his bookstore on Sunset Boulevard, one of which was “an autographed Marlon Brando book” for Lopez.

“Ben gifted Jennifer with the book because she’s a fan, plus her Super Bowl bodysuit was inspired by Marlon Brando,” the source said.

Another source previously told Page Six that Lopez and Affleck still consider themselves to have a “blended family” due to the closeness of their children. Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s kids, Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12, developed friendships with Lopez’s twins, Max and Emme Muñiz, 16.

“Ben and Jennifer remain amicable whenever they do see each other,” the insider noted. “They’re still close with each other’s children, and even though they don’t have a co-parenting type of relationship, they still feel like a blended family in a lot of ways.”

Ben Affleck’s holiday time with Jennifer Garner helped him feel ‘good about himself,’ a source said

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez might’ve exchanged Christmas gifts. But they didn’t spend the holiday together. Affleck opted to spend Christmas with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, and their three kids. He also spent Thanksgiving with Garner.

A source told OK! Magazine that Affleck’s holiday time with Garner has him feeling “good about himself” amid the divorce proceedings.

“Now that Ben’s getting back to his old routine, he’s feeling good about himself,” the source alleged. “Spending time with Jen Garner and the kids over the holidays has helped him to feel that everything’s all right in his world again.”

A source previously told Page Six that Garner “offered to spend Christmas” with Affleck and the kids if that’s what he wanted. “Christmas is one of Jen’s favorite holidays, and she would love for the family to be together as often as possible for these occasions,” the source claimed. “Jen and Ben have a really friendly co-parenting relationship, and she knows the kids had a wonderful time being together with both parents on Thanksgiving.”

Jennifer Lopez shared Instagram photos and clips of her Christmas

Jennifer Lopez didn’t spend Christmas crying over Ben Affleck. She posted photos and clips to Instagram showing her wonderful holiday.

The post showed her bundled in a winter coat with a fur hood and fur boots in the snow while holiday a to-go coffee cup. She has one of her twins on one side of her and another young girl on the other side. More clips show snow falling and Christmas morning at her place, complete with a Christmas tree and gifts.

Lopez added another post to celebrate Christmas Eve. The clip shows her focusing the camera on herself first and then panning it around to show her beautifully decorated living room with the fireplace lit and a tall Christmas tree covered in white lights. She looks happy and relaxed as she spends time with her family.