Entertainment
‘Moron’ Justin Baldoni slammed by marketing executive
Justin Baldoni is facing renewed scrutiny after newly unsealed emails revealed sharp criticism from a Sony Pictures marketing executive over comments he allegedly made while promoting It Ends With Us.
The messages, now public as part of Blake Lively’s ongoing legal battle with Baldoni, show internal frustration over how the film was being discussed in the press.
An email dated August 5, 2024, and attributed to Danni Maggin, a senior marketing executive at Sony Pictures Entertainment, took direct aim at Baldoni’s remarks during an interview.
In the message, Maggin wrote, “… Justin is basically alluding to ‘[assualting]’ Atlas out of Lily when talking to the Dallas Morning News. We cut the tape but he is a moron.”
The email has been unsealed in court filings connected to Lively’s lawsuit.
Maggin’s message also appeared to reference Josh Greenstein, who was then president of Sony Pictures’ Motion Group, suggesting concerns were escalating internally.
According to the email, Greenstein allegedly felt Baldoni “shouldn’t do any more press but he has a lot left so maybe we can talk asap.”
The controversy centers on Baldoni’s description of a key scene in the film, in which his character Ryle assaults Lily, played by Lively.
Maggin quoted Baldoni’s alleged explanation from the interview, where he said, “For me what that scene was more about was Ryle feeling like he had lost all power and feeling so insecure and jealous that the only way in his mind that he could show her how much he loved her was um and I won’t say the word that we used in developing it, but what was essentially to force any love she had for Atlas out of her.”
He allegedly continued, “So Ryle’s motivation, if you’re talking about character motivation, or why he did what he did, from the filmmaking perspective and from the actor perspective, was um he was trying to, in his twisted mind, love… Atlas out of her. There’s another word we used and I’m sure in your imagination you can go there.”
Behind the scenes, the emails point to tension over how It Ends With Us should be marketed.
Sony’s promotional strategy, which was included in Lively’s lawsuit, instructed cast members to avoid making the film sound “sad or heavy,” framing it instead as “a story of hope.”
The team specifically asked the cast to focus on Lily’s strength and resilience rather than emphasising domestic violence.
Lively’s attorneys argue that Baldoni ignored this approach.
In her lawsuit, they claim, “In the days leading up to the Film’s release, Mr. Baldoni abruptly pivoted away from the Film’s Marketing Plan and the types of publicity activities in which he had previously participated.”
Baldoni has pushed back against that claim.
His legal team, in a countersuit that has since been dismissed, said the strategy described by Lively was “never the plan Baldoni ‘agreed to.’”
They stated that Baldoni had always intended to openly address domestic violence, adding that he “did not ‘go rogue,’ as Lively alleges,” and that he resisted pressure from the distributor to soften the message.
The unsealed records also revealed blunt and profane language used internally at Sony about Lively herself.
Andrea Giannetti, Sony Pictures’ executive vice president of production and senior creative, acknowledged during a deposition that she referred to Lively as a “f—ing terrorist” in a message to Wayfarer Studios producer Jamey Heath.
This allegedly happened after Lively threatened to leave the film unless her “17-point list” of demands was met.
Additional messages from March 2024 show Sanford Panitch, president of Sony’s Motion Picture Group, writing “she is a terroridt [sic]” while discussing Lively’s involvement in her own edit of the film.
After the movie’s release in August 2024, Panitch also criticised the timing of Lively’s haircare brand launch, calling it “epic-level stupid” and adding, “She wouldn’t listen. She knows better.”
A source later told PEOPLE that the launch had been scheduled with Target months earlier and could not be changed, and that the film’s release date was what shifted.
Despite the private criticism, Sony publicly supported Lively. On August 14, Tony Vinciquerra, then chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said in a statement, “Blake’s passion and commitment to advancing the conversation around domestic violence is commendable. We love working with Blake, and we want to do 12 more movies with her.”
Lively sued Baldoni in December 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliation. Baldoni has denied the allegations. The case is currently scheduled to go to trial in May 2026.
Entertainment
Ferne McCann reveals simple secrets behind her body transformation
Ferne McCann cut a sensational figure as she posed in a tiny blue bikini after shedding two stone.
The former TOWIE star, who is a mum to daughters Sunday, eight, and Finty, two, recently shared a photo of herself, showing off her physique in before and after images, revealing the secrets behind her weight loss.
The clip began with her displaying her post-baby body in a string two-piece shortly after giving birth to her youngest daughter Finty, two.
Revealing the secret behind her weight loss, she insisted that it ‘wasn’t anything drastic’, but was the result of changing up her dietary habits.
The reality star said she made sure to stay in a calorie deficit and got enough protein, while also drinking up to 3 litres of water daily, emphasising that ‘consistency’ was the key.
Ferne penned: ‘The things that actually changed my body shape and helped me lose weight… It wasn’t anything drastic.
‘It was: Following a simple nutrition plan. Sticking to my breakfast meal replacement shake (high nutrition, low calories). Drinking 2–3L of water a day.
‘Staying in a calorie deficit. Hitting my protein target. Daily movement. Accountability (this is a big one!!! being surrounded by women doing the same as you).’
‘Nothing extreme. Nothing restrictive. Just consistency with the basics… and that’s where the results come from’, she concluded.
Ferne has been candid about her weight loss journey and revealed last year she had shed 2.5 stone after overhauling her lifestyle with a focus on nutrition and high-intensity interval training.
Entertainment
Royal family ‘hides’ senior member cancer struggles: Shocking details out
Royal family maintained silence over the cancer struggles of a senior member as new, surprising details emerged.
An author, Hugo Vickers, talked about the royal figure’s health scare that was not disclosed by the firm at the time of his death.
The royal commentator wrote that Queen Elizabeth II had been informed that Prince Philip had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer eight years before his death.
At the age of 91, the Duke of Edinburgh’s medical team shared with the royals about his inoperable form of the disease in June 2013.
Following the diagnosis, “there was a view that [Philip] might not be seen in public again”, but “the duke outwitted the pessimists,” Hugo shared, as per The Times.
The royal expert opened up about Prince Philip’s last days of life, stating there were “moments of tranquillity.”
“On the last night of his life, he gave his nurses the slip, shuffled along the corridor on his Zimmer frame, helped himself to a beer and drank it in the Oak Room,” he penned.
Hugo added, “The following morning, he got up, had a bath, said he did not feel well and quietly slipped away. By this point, he had lived with pancreatic cancer for nearly eight years — far longer than the usual survival time from diagnosis.”
It is important to mention that the Queen was not with her husband when he passed away.
For the unversed, Prince Philip passed away in Windsor Castle in 2021 just before his 100th birthday.
As per the death certificate, his cause of death was mentioned as “old age,” hinting that the Palace wanted to keep it a secret.
The cancer shock returned in the royal family after King Charles and Princess Kate were diagnosed with the disease in 2024.
Catherine is in remission from cancer after completing her preventive chemotherapy. Whereas the monarch is still undergoing cancer treatment.
Entertainment
Will Prince George secure his place on the throne?
There’s no doubt that the monarchy has been facing unexpexted crisis since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and King Charles is doing his best to steer the Firm out of the storm.
Amid the turbulence, there is speculation that Prince George’s father Prince William may be the last ruling British monarch.
A British writer and historian previously claimed that Prince George will never be the king.
According to Hilary Mantel, The British monarchy may be abolished before Princess Kate and William’s eldest son George has the chance to reign the Firm.
King Charles, was formally announced as the new monarch following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, and he was official croned with his wife Queen Camilla in May 2023.
The develovement made a major shift in royal roles also means William, who was given the Prince of Wales title, is now first in line to the throne, and his eldest son George, is second.
In an old interview to The Times, Hilary said: “I think it’s a fair prediction, but let’s say I wouldn’t put money on it. It’s very hard to understand the thinking behind the monarchy in the modern world when people are just seen as celebrities.”
There are also predictions that the monarch, 77, who’s still underging cancer treatment, would abdicate the throne for his son William due to his advanced age.
While, few fortune tellers previously claimed that William won’t take his his place due to some mysterious reason.
Meanwhile, Jemima Packington, who predicted the Queen’s death, says Charles will eventually hand over the reign to William.
In his first speech as monarch, Charles appeared quashing the rumours about the monarchy’s future, saying he would serve the nation for life.
On the other hand, the reign on William will look different from that of King Charles, who has faced many challenges since becoming king.
He has faced a turbulent period marked by his own cancer diagnosis, the Princess of Wales’s battle with cancer, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s never-ending drama and now Andrew’s controversy surrounding his past ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
William is said to be determined to introduce meaningful but careful changes within the monarchy.
The Prince of Wales wants to modernise how the institution runs. There is a clear acknowledgment that the issues surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have had an effect on public trust and there is united willingness to change that.
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