Zack Peter and Billy Bush discuss how throwing Stephanie Jones and Leslie Sloane "under the bus" is Blake Lively's only move in Justin Baldoni saga

On June 5, 2025, Zack Peter and Billy Bush discussed the recent updates of the ongoing legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

For the unversed, Blake Lively sued It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment and launching a smear campaign against her. Baldoni denied the allegations and filed a countersuit against Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloane for defamation.

According to the South China Morning Post, Justin Baldoni has also filed a lawsuit against his ex-publicist Stephanie Jones, claiming she maliciously leaked his text messages. Zack Peter and Billy Bush speculated that Lively's only strategy left was to throw Stephanie "under the bus" and announce that she was mislead by Jones.

"If Blake Lively throws, you know, Stephanie Jones under the bus like apparently Tom Brady just did, and some others, it might be a good move, her only move," Bush stated.

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More about the legal drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni

According to Variety, on June 2, 2025, Blake Lively attempted to withdraw two allegations against Justin Baldoni, which include intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The action comes in response to a request by Baldoni’s lawyers to have access to her therapy notes and medical records, a routine motion in cases having to do with emotional injury claims.

Rather than complying, Lively’s lawyers decided she would drop the claims for emotional distress altogether. However, they insisted the withdrawal be without prejudice, which would allow them to file it again later. Baldoni’s lawyers fought back, denouncing the move as an attempt to dodge scrutiny.

"Ms. Lively wants to simultaneously: (a) refuse to disclose the information and documents needed to disprove that she suffered any emotional distress and/or that the Wayfarer Parties were the cause; and (b) maintain the right to re-file her IED Claims at an unknown time in this or some other court after the discovery window has closed,” Lively's legal team stated.

Lively’s attorneys Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb called Baldoni's rebuttal “a press stunt,” saying that they dropped the claims to simplify the case. They noted that Lively was still claiming emotional distress under other counts, such as sexual harassment and retaliation.

However, on June 3, 2025, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman said Lively could no longer present evidence backing her emotional distress claims unless she consented to hand over medical records.

The legal battle has also ensnared high-profile publicists Stephanie Jones and Leslie Sloane. According to Variety, Jones, Baldoni’s former PR rep, is accused of leaking private text messages that allegedly fueled Lively’s claims. Baldoni and his crisis PR manager, Jennifer Abel, have sued Jones, claiming that she illegally took Abel’s phone and gave Lively’s team private communications.

As per AOL, Jones has denied wrongdoing but has filed a motion to dismiss the counterclaims, describing them as a smokescreen to deflect from Baldoni's alleged misconduct. Her legal team insisted her texts were obtained legally through a subpoena and that the real problem was Baldoni’s behavior, not her actions.

Meanwhile, Blake Lively’s long-time publicist Leslie Sloane also found herself in Justin Baldoni’s crosshairs. According to Deadline, his lawsuit claims she had conspired with Lively and The New York Times to cast him as a villain by using leaked messages.

Sloane countered, characterizing Baldoni’s allegations as baseless and an attempt by him to rope her into the case as a distraction from Lively’s harassment claims.

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The trial between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is scheduled for March 2026.