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Harvey Weinstein is using Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively‘s legal drama to take shots at the New York Times. The disgraced film director and convicted sex offender called out the news outlet in a heated statement. He compared their coverage of his sexual allegations to Baldoni’s scathing allegations, claiming they deceived the public.
NYT reported Lively’s sexual harassment and smear campaign allegations against Baldoni over their time on It Ends With Us. In response, the movie’s director filed a $400 million defamation lawsuit against the actress and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. Baldoni accused NYT of using “cherry-picked” details and altering key communications to “deliberately” mislead readers.
Weinstein jumped on his argument, claiming he suffered similar unfairness during his 2017 fall from grace. He noted Baldoni’s stance against NYT “hit him hard,” as he wished he fought against the outlet’s alleged manipulation. “It brought back everything I experienced when The Times reported on me in 2017,” Weinstein told TMZ, adding:
“They did the same thing: cherry-picked what fit their story and ignored critical context and facts that could have challenged the narrative.”
Harvey Weinstein Showcases Support for Justin Baldoni Over Blake Lively
Weinstein stressed that he wasn’t over the trauma he suffered from NYT’s alleged manipulation of the truth. He implied that he wanted Baldoni to win his lawsuit against Lively and the news outlet. According to the incarcerated film producer, the case “matters to anyone who’s ever been on the receiving end of a media takedown.”
Coincidentally, the reporter who covered Weinstein’s 2017 rape and assault allegations was involved in Baldoni’s article. Megan Twohey was one of the bylines on NYT’s scathing take on the Jane The Virgin star. As for Weinstein’s claims about the outlet, a rep for NYT refuted his stance.
“Mr. Weinstein acknowledged his misconduct in a statement that was published in full in The Times. He’s since been criminally convicted of rape and sexual assault,” the rep argued. They stressed that their coverage of Weinstein’s case involved a “comprehensive investigation” with facts that weren’t “in dispute.”
Harvey Weinstein Is Facing a Third Rape Trial
Before weighing in on Baldoni and Lively’s legal drama, Weinstein made waves for his issues with his brother. We covered the story, reporting that he filed a lawsuit against his sibling in 2017 for allegedly stealing money from his company. The producer’s business filing for bankruptcy led to a pause in the case in 2018.
The lawsuit resurfaced in 2023 when AI International Holdings agreed to dismiss it. However, they allowed Weinstein’s lawyers to pursue a separate suit using the same information. The case featured two defendants: Harvey’s brother, Bob Weinstein, and David Glasser, a prominent film executive.
The pair’s alleged theft was described in the suit as the “looting of a burning house.” Besides his face-off with his brother, Weinstein will return to court in April for his third rape trial. He scored the retrial after the Court of Appeals in Manhattan overturned his conviction in 2024. However, he is still serving 16 years for a Los Angeles rape judgment.
Will Justin Baldoni be happy to have someone as controversial as Harvey Weinstein in his corner?
