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“I think the Blake Lively–Justin Baldonithing is such a hot-button thing right now that even a mere mention of it will seem like I could be on the wrong side of things, even though I would never be,” Glaser, 40, told Yahoo! Entertainment on Thursday, January 2. “I also don’t want to give his name any [weight].”
She added, “I’m mad I even know his name, to be honest with you, so I don’t need to say it anymore.”
Lively, 37, named Baldoni, 40, in a December 2024 lawsuit, accusing him of sexual harassment and fostering a “hostile work environment” while filming 2024’s It Ends With Us. Lively also claimed that Baldoni caused her “severe emotional distress” and tried to mount a “social manipulation” campaign to destroy her reputation in an alleged attempt to protect his own image.
“I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,” Lively told Us Weekly in a statement last month.
Justin Baldoni and Blake LivelyJose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Baldoni vehemently denies the accusations and has since filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times for libel and false light invasion of privacy. He is also reportedly planning to file a separate suit against Lively.
“We plan to release every single text message between the two of them. We want the truth to be out there,” Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman told NBC News on Thursday. “We want the documents to be out there. We want people to make their determination based on receipts.”
Lively and Baldoni’s legal battle inspired a number of Hollywood stars, including Kate Beckinsale and Abigail Breslin, to come forward with their own stories of alleged misconduct in the industry.
Glaser, however, does not plan to include any controversial hot takes in her opening monologue on Sunday.
“There are certain people we all know who don’t have a sense of humor about themselves, and if I were to make that person laugh, it shows the people in the room, ‘OK, it’s safe to laugh,’” the comedian told Variety on Thursday. “I had a joke that I don’t think is going to make the final monologue: ‘The camera is going to be on you. Pro tip: Just laugh. It’s a really good way for the audience at home to like you.’”
Glaser added, “I don’t understand why publicists haven’t told them this. When you laugh at a joke about yourself, it makes you look so friendly, so cool, so personable. I’m trying to help you out. This way you don’t have to play Hip-Hop Hopscotch with Jimmy Fallon to look relatable.”
The 82nd annual Golden Globes airs live Sunday, January 5, 2025, on CBS at 8 p.m. ET. The ceremony will also be streamed live on Paramount+.
Meghan Markle has officially announced the release date for her forthcoming Netflix series With Love, Meghan and tons of stars are speaking out about the show.
“I have been so excited to share this with you! I hope you love the show as much as I loved making it,” Markle, 43, captioned an Instagram video on Thursday, January 2. “Wishing you all a fantastic new year! Thanks to our amazing crew and the team @netflix. Beyond grateful for the support — and fun!”
Netflix dropped the trailer for Markle’s highly anticipated series on Thursday, announcing that it’s set to premiere later this month. The show will feature the Duchess of Sussex (and maybe her husband, Prince Harry) along with some of her famous friends, a few of whom already reacted to the show via social media.
While it seems that Markle has garnered a positive response to her upcoming series, not everyone is happy with what’s to come.
Keep scrolling to see which stars reacted to the With Love, Meghan show news:
With Love, Meghan premieres on Netflix Wednesday, January 15.
Abigail Spencer
Markle’s longtime friend and former Suits costar — who will make some appearances in the show — was quick to share the With Love, Meghan trailer via Instagram.
“So elated for you @meghan! Happy New Year & 20twentythrive indeed! How lucky are we to get a glimpse into your heart-song, magical-thoughtfulness & deliciously-wonderful ways January 15th!” the actress wrote via Instagram Stories. “Can’t wait for all to fall in love with #WithLoveMeghan. Thanks for having me over & being truly the most wonderful friend a gal could get. Joy & bubbles abound. Here to learn. I’ll get the salt.”
Jamie Kern Lima
Courtesy of Jamie Kern Lima/Instagram
The podcast host praised the series and revealed that she celebrated the news with Markle, sharing a selfie with the Duchess of Sussex.
“I’m so excited for the world to experience even more of your joy, your heart, your kindness, your humor, your humility, your compassion, your many talents and your LOVE!” Kern captioned her post. “You’re an incredible friend to so many, including me, and I’m excited to cheer you on as you continue to build, create magic and FLY!”
Meghan McCain
While Markle’s friends were fully on board with the show, McCain was not.
“I was originally a Meghan Markle supporter, I thought she was cool, stylish and refreshing,” she shared via X, noting that her “opinion changed” after Markle and Harry left the royal family in 2020. McCain reposted the With Love, Meghan trailer and called it an “ill advised” move.
“All of this even in the trailer is highly curated, produced and out of touch,” she wrote, noting that America is in a period of “uncertainty” at the moment. “I would have told her to do a show helping bring fresh food to food deserts in low income neighborhoods. Do something to help people instead of your ego.”
Tracy Robbins
The fashion designer shared the trailer on her Instagram Story, writing that she was “so excited” for Markle.
Delfina Blaquier
The wife of Harry’s BFF Nacho Figueras was quick to show her support as well.
“Congrats for the love and hard work you put into this project of yours!” she captioned an Instagram Story post. “So grateful to be a part of it — I can’t wait to see all you have to share.”
The writer and grandson of former President John F. Kennedy trolled the internet on Thursday, January 2, when he claimed via X that he took on Baldoni, 40, as a client.
“I agreed to take on JUSTIN BALDONI as a client. Why? FAIRNESS,” wrote Schlossberg, 31. “EVERYONE is entitled to a FAIR TRIAL and ZEALOUS DEFENSE. Justin has NOTHING to hide, Justice will be his revenge. After BOSTON MASSACRE, John Adams represented the British at trial. Same s—, different day.”
Though Schlossberg was only joking, fans and media alike fell for it, with some outlets publishing stories claiming the Vogue political correspondent was, in fact, Baldoni’s lawyer.
Schlossberg passed the bar exam in 2023 and graduated from Harvard Law School the year prior. He added on Tuesday, “My personal feelings about Justin Baldoni are irrelevant. Justin is my client, I’m his lawyer. even the most heinous individuals have the right to counsel for their defense. I am not a hero. I’m just doing my job.”
Justin BaldoniGotham/WireImage
While those in on the joke had a good laugh, Baldoni’s actual lawyer Bryan Freedman told the Daily Mail that the stunt was “ridiculous.”
“Nobody on my team has spoken to him,” Freedman added.
Schlossberg took a victory lap on Instagram, sharing screenshots of news articles saying he was Baldoni’s lawyer via his Stories.
Baldoni is currently suing The New York Times for $250 million, alleging libel and false light invasion of privacy following a story it ran about Lively accusing him of sexual harassment. Freedman added in a Thursday interview with NBC News that he also plans to sue Lively, 37, on behalf of his client.
“We plan to release every single text message between the two of them,” Freedman said. “We want the truth to be out there. We want the documents to be out there. We want people to make their determination based on receipts.”
The same day Baldoni filed his suit against theTimes, Lively sued Baldoni, as well as his publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, and Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer. She is alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and lost wages.
“I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,” she said in a December 21 statement to Us Weekly.
In a Sister Wives sneak peek, Kody Brown reveals that after three failed marriages he only has eyes for his remaining wife Robyn Brown — but is she OK leaving polygamy behind?
“Will you accept me as a monogamist?” Kody, 55, asks Robyn, 46, in Us Weekly’s exclusive sneak peek at the Sunday, January 5, episode of the TLC series. “Is there a problem with that?”
A tearful Robyn takes a beat before answering her husband, promising, “I’m always going to stick with you.”
“I’m just having an identity crisis,” she adds.
Kody Brown and Robyn Brown.TLC
Robyn became Kody’s fourth wife in 2014 when they legally wed. At the time, Kody and his first wife, Meri Brown, legally divorced so he could adopt Robyn’s three children from a previous marriage. Kody then entered a spiritual union with Meri, 53, which was similar to that of the bond he shared with second and third wives, Janelle and Christine Brown.
The Brown family started to shatter in November 2021, when Christine, 52, left Kody after more than 25 years together. Janelle, 55, followed suit, announcing her separation from Kody in December 2022.
Meri confirmed in January 2023 that she and Kody had parted ways after navigating several rocky years. She swiftly asked their church to “terminate” the marriage, which played out on camera during season 19 of Sister Wives.
Robyn, for her part, has been vocal about the heartbreak she says she has endured as a result of her fellow sister wives leaving their family. She previously said she envisioned growing old with all three women and their respective kids — a future that is no longer an option.
“Yes, I’ll always stick with him, and I love him,” Robyn says of her husband in the preview for Sunday’s episode, admitting, “This is not what I wanted for my life.”
Courtesy of TLC
Robyn, who shares two children with Kody, proceeds to tell him in the video that she is “just sort of stuck” after all the upheaval in their family.
Kody, meanwhile, tells his spouse that he is ready for closure. “Whatever I’ve done in these marriages, they’re done,” he says. “Whatever happened between me and them, I’m done.”
The patriarch explains, “I’m not going to fix it with Meri,” adding, “I’m not going to try and fix it with Janelle anymore. She’s done with me.”
Robyn seems surprised by Kody’s comments regarding Janelle, who at the time of filming was the only one of his exes that still lived close by in Arizona. (Christine moved to Utah and married David Woolley in October 2023. Meri, for her part, had Kody help her relocate to her bed and breakfast in Utah at the beginning of this season.)
“She told you she’s done?” Robyn asks about Janelle. “Yes,” Kody replies. “Like [using] those words?” Robyn questions, to which Kody once again says, “Yes.”
The couple made headlines in 2020 when they officially announced their plans to step away from their roles as senior working members of the royal family. That same year, Harry and Meghan created their nonprofit organization, the Archewell Foundation. The goal of the charity is to “uplift and unite communities, both local and global, online and offline,” per the website.
The following year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed that their decision to step down as working royals was permanent. In March 2021, they moved to the United States to raise their children, Archie and Lilibet.
In addition to their charitable endeavors, the pair secured several business deals — including partnerships with Netflix and Spotify. In late 2020, Harry and Meghan signed a $20 million deal with the music streaming giant for their exclusive partnership with Archewell Audio.
The Suits alum’s first podcast series, “Archetypes,” debuted in August 2022 and was a hit among fans. It topped the leaderboard as the No. 1 podcast in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada within days of its premiere. In the show’s first season, Meghan sat down with a series of A-list guests including Mariah Carey, Serena Williams, Paris Hilton, Andy Cohen and more.
Despite the massive success of Meghan’s podcast, the project was not renewed for a second season. In June 2023, the duo revealed that their deal with Spotify had come to an end after three years.
Keep scrolling to see all of Harry and Meghan’s projects since exiting the royal family:
The pair founded their nonprofit organization Archewell shortly after stepping away from their roles as members of The Firm in early 2020. At the time of its creation, the charity’s website featured a note from Harry and Meghan explaining their goal for the organization.
"I am my mother's son. And I am our son's mother. Together we bring you Archewell. We believe in the best of humanity. Because we have seen the best of humanity. We have experienced compassion and kindness, from our mothers and strangers alike," the message read. "In the face of fear, struggle and pain, it can be easy to lose sight of this. Together, we can choose courage, healing, and connection. Together, we can choose to put compassion in action. We invite you to join us. As we work to build a better world, one act of compassion at a time."
In September 2020, Harry and Meghan signed a multi-year deal with Netflix to create original content including documentaries, movies, series and children’s programming. At the time, a source told Us that the duo were offered nearly $100 million for the partnership, which is titled Archewell Productions.
The first project released from their deal was their docuseries, Harry & Meghan. The six-part series gave viewers an inside look at the couple’s relationship from how they met to their infamous royal exit. The series debuted on the streaming service in December 2022.
After parting ways with Spotify in June 2023, rumors began to swirl that the pair’s deal with the streaming service was also on the rocks. However, a spokesperson for Netflix denied the claims, revealing that the company had plans to “continue to work together on a number of projects” with Harry and Meghan.
“We value our partnership with Archewell Productions. Harry & Meghan was Netflix’s biggest documentary debut ever, and we’ll continue to work together on a number of projects, including the upcoming documentary series Heart of Invictus,” Netflix told ET in a statement at the time.
The couple's other projects — Polo and With Love, Meghan — premiered in December 2024 and January 2025, respectively.
In addition to Netflix, Harry and Meghan signed a $20 million deal with the music streaming service for their exclusive partnership with Archewell Audio. Meghan released one season of her Archetypes podcast series in August 2022 before the plug was pulled on the project in June 2023.
Meghan invested in the women-owned coffee company after news broke in December 2020 that she sent a gift, which included the brand’s SuperLatte mix, to a friend. The wellness brand creates nutrient-riched lattes and donates a percentage of its monthly profits to organizations in the United States that fight for food justice.
In March 2021, Harry was announced as the chief impact officer of the wellness startup.
“During my decade in the military, I learned that we don’t just need to build physical resilience, but also mental resilience. And in the years since, my understanding of what resilience means — and how we can build it — has been shaped by the thousands of people and experts I’ve been fortunate to meet and learn from,” the Duke of Sussex said in a statement at the time, noting that his own experience working with a “truly awesome” BetterUp coach helped him find “a new perspective” on life.
One day after Harry was announced as the BetterUp CIO, it was announced that the Invictus Games founder would serve as one of 15 commissioners of the non-profit, which tackles misinformation in the United States.
In October 2021, Harry and Meghan teamed up with the financial services brand as impact partners. The company focuses on investing in combating environmental and social issues.
“[Harry and Meghan are] deeply committed to helping address the defining issues of our time — such as climate, gender equity, health, racial justice, human rights, and strengthening democracy — and understand that these issues are inherently interconnected,” per Ethic’s website. “So much so, in fact, that they became investors in Ethic earlier this year and have investments managed by Ethic as well.”
In January 2023, Harry released his highly anticipated tell-all, Spare. In the memoir, he opened up about his relationships with several members of the royal family, including Prince William, King Charles III and more. Harry reflected on his role of being the “spare” to William’s “heir” to the throne, the loss of their mother, falling in love with Meghan and the reason behind their decision to stop working for the royal family.
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Ryan Haddon and Dayle HaddonMonica Schipper/WireImage
Dayle Haddon’s daughter, Ryan Haddon, is thankful for the support she has received in the wake of her mother’s death.
“The reach of her spirit and kindness knows no bounds. I have felt overwhelmed hearing and reading all of your memories, reflections, impressions, and experiences of her,” Ryan, 53, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, December 31, 2024. “What really resounds so deeply and thoroughly is the consistency of her leading with her heart in all areas of her life, through decades of living.”
She added, “It’s been a wave of love to wade in, while we swim in the deep waters of her loss in the physical. So many of you are still feeling her energy around you, as are we. Whenever she and I spoke about death, which was often, with great curiosity and awe, she promised she’d send signs and messages when she passed. While deeply feeling her grace in this now, I look forward to her ‘higher realm guidance’ on the path ahead. An angel and guardian to us all.”
News broke on December 27, 2024, that Dayle had died at the age of 76. Local police officers confirmed that she had been found unconscious inside Ryan and her husband Marc Blucas’ Pennsylvania farmhouse after a suspected carbon monoxide lead.
“On behalf of myself, my husband and her beloved grandchildren, we thank you for your thoughts and prayers, which are not just words, but actions of devotion to another’s pain and suffering, and they are all deeply felt by us,” Ryan wrote on Tuesday. “Your words and love really do support and uplift. … We will be honoring her in a joyful celebration of life, in her beloved city of New York in the upcoming weeks.”
She added, “Wishing you a new year of love and life fulfilled. May we all intend to live this year heart-led, sharing small and large acts of kindness the way Dayle embodied to the fullest. It really does become our legacy.”
Dayle is survived by Ryan, whom she shared with ex Glenn Souham, and her four grandchildren. Ryan shares two daughters with Blucas, 52, and two older children with ex-husband Christian Slater.
“She always spoke about how she insisted on my soul and no other. Being my mother is what she said gave her the most meaning,” Ryan concluded. “Her role as grandmother, her favorite. I honor her today as the creator of my life into which she imbued so much depth and meaning.”
“I asked for equal pay with Tom and Ariana and for them to reimburse me for my treatment expenses. They refused to pay me equally,” Raquel alleged on Bethenny Frankel‘s “ReWives” podcast in August 2023. “I feel like when you pay your employees, it really shows how much you value them.”
“As people who are partially produced … Let’s just say that it’s real in a very unreal circumstance. So now you have one of the three characters that can’t even afford to pay for your treatment that you just went through,” the Real Housewives of New York Cityalum said while referring to Raquel’s stay in a mental health facility. “Because it’s my understanding that you get paid in a year less than my interns get paid.”
Raquel’s costars, however, were quick to slam Bethenny’s take. “I know for a fact [how much Raquel made] because she thanked me for getting her with the attorney she was with last season,” Scheana Shayshared on her “Scheananigans” podcast that same month. “He was able to negotiate her $19,000 an episode. For 19 episodes, that is $361,000.”
Scroll down for everything the Vanderpump Rules cast has said about their earnings over the years:
"They couldn’t release the show without my signature, and I honestly thought — because I was naive — that this will never see the light of day. That’s what I thought," the former SUR employee said on a Janaury 2025 episode of the "Vanderpump Rules Party" podcast. "I couldn’t pay my rent. I’m a single woman doing it all on my own. I had my own apartment and my own car. No parental help, financially. Working endless jobs and auditioning and testing. Completely depleted."
She continued: "So I signed it so I could get $500 to pay the rest of my rent for that month. And that’s what I made off of the show. No residuals. Nothing. And I had to go after them to get that $500. The cast all got paid, I think it was $8,000 for the first season. Jax [Taylor] and everyone else got like $8,000. The only reason I know that is because that’s all the money Jax had to his name. And I was like, 'Well, if they’re getting money, why can I get money?' They were like, 'OK, we’ll give you $500.'"
"No, you won't be seeing me," Madrigal confirmed on the "Bravo and Blaze" podcast in March 2024 about his absence from season 11. "It wasn't by my choice. I mean — I guess it was by my choice. In a sense. Basically, my choice was to come back to the show for free or not do it."
The SUR manager, who has made cameos on Vanderpump Rules since season 1, clarified that Bravo didn't ask him to work for free.
"I've been getting paid on this show since the inception of the show," Madrigal continued. "And then they asked me, 'Do it for free.' ... They didn't [actually] say for free. But they didn't have it in the budget — [they didn’t have] any payment for me in the budget."
He added: "That's the reason why I was like, 'Well, you know what? I'm not coming back ... I'm one of the biggest staples there. I'm still at SUR for the most part."
"They paid me little to nothing. As a new cast member, you don't make episodic pay. You don't get paid per episode, it is just a flat rate. It is not a lot at all, it just gets you by," Max claimed on the "Up and Adam!" podcast in August 2023. "It was $4,000 [or] something. It was around $4,000 and they also pay it to you in increments."
He added: "They give you half the check to make sure you stick around and film and then they give you the final check toward the end. It is not all up front. It is basically your rent and some groceries and then another check for rent and groceries."
"I didn't get paid my first season of Vanderpump Rules — until the very, very end. I was broke," Brittany, who started appearing as a guest on season 4 when she met Jax Taylor, shared on her and Jax’s "When Reality Hits" podcast in August 2023. "It took a lot out of me."
Jax subsequently recalled Brittany's excessive spending before she made the move to Los Angeles. "It was costing her. This is the beginning of the show and it was costing her $800 to $900," he said about Brittany flying in to see him while filming season 4. "She was in Kentucky [working at a bar and Hooters] and $800 is a lot of money [to spend on airfare]."
"One of the things that producers also told me is that you get paid based off of your performance from the season prior," Raquel claimed on Bethenny’s podcast in August 2023. "So that already set me up to want to perform well going into season 10. I was like, 'OK, this could be my season. I could really stand out and I'm single for the first time. Like, I wanna embrace that.' And I took direction well."
The Something About Her cofounder cleared the air after viewers questioned her financial success from Scandoval.
"I think a lot of people on the internet seem to think that I am rolling in money right now. I have a lot of places that that money has to go," Ariana, who received several partnership deals following her split from Sandoval, revealed on an episode of the "Scheananigans" podcast in August 2023. "I am not rich. I do not have millions of dollars."
After the OG Vanderpump Rules star quit the show at the end of season 3, she returned in a recurring role for season 4, which ended up costing her. (Stassi was later fired by Bravo after season 8 alongside Kristen Doute.)
“You’re paid by how many years you have been a lead or main cast member. I was making less money than a lot of people on the cast. Because I left," Stassi explained on her "Straight Up with Stassi" podcast in August 2023. “I was a year behind people. I never cared to fight it. If this is how you guys do it, that’s how you guys do it. I know my worth. It felt petty to me.”
"We had very little in our bank account," Kristen said about her season 1 paycheck on her "Sex, Love, and What Else Matters" podcast in July 2023. "It was $5,000 and if we became a primary, we got an additional $5,000."
Three months later, Kristen recalled making $15,000 for season 2 of Vanderpump Rules.
"I had nothing at that time so whatever we got ... [I felt like] I was rich. $5,000? I was paying $100 a week to live so I [thought] I could retire. When we were filming, I felt like, 'This is awesome,'" Jax noted while appearing on Kristen's podcast in July 2023. "I have been hustling my whole life and living paycheck to paycheck to paycheck. I would do a lot of jobs but by the time I got my paycheck I was so behind on my credit card bills."
Following her quick stint on the show in season 8, Dayna discussed what led to her exit.
“Anyone who starts out in reality TV, people are like, 'Oh, you make all this money.' They don’t pay you anything,” she claimed on the "Scheananigans" podcast in July 2023. “You get paid nothing starting out because it’s basically like, earn your keep. Like show that you have worth, that you add value to the show, which I kind of get, but they pay you nothing.”
Dayna continued: “So they basically wanted me to come back again, not making anything. And I’m like, 'Look, I’m not being a diva. I burned through my entire life savings during COVID and I’ve been unemployed trying to find work for a year. I can’t just keep doing this.'”
During an appearance on Jason Tartick's “Trading Secrets” podcast in February 2022, Lala recalled relying on her job at Lisa Vanderpump's SUR restaurant after originally joining the show.
“When you’re brand new, you definitely need that hostess job. I still was having to fit model. I still was having to be a hostess. Like, what I was making on the show was not covering much,” she shared at the time.
Lala went on to say that she received benefits based on her performance on the show, adding, “My show rewards me for confrontation and speaking up. I don’t want to say that I like confrontation, but I will say that I’m great at it. It’s not something where I leave feeling amazing after it happens, but I know what I signed up for and I’m being paid for my thoughts.”
According to Billie, her paycheck for seasons 6 and 7 left a lot to be desired. “They have a system on how they pay their newcomers and it starts out at a low scale,” she explained to Page Six in June 2020. “I was struggling to pay my bills, but I couldn’t tell anyone because here I am famous and on a show and as a trans activist, I’m supposed to represent this certain thing.”
As Justin Baldoni’s legal battle with Blake Lively continues, his attorney Bryan Freedman claims the actor didn’t approach the situation with any ill intent toward his costar.
In an interview with NBC News’ Liz Kreutz on the Friday, January 3, episode of Today, Freedman denied Lively’s claims that Baldoni coordinated a smear against her after the two butted heads on the set of It Ends With Us. “One hundred percent no,” he stated. “Justin Baldoni, from the get-go, said, ‘I don’t want to do anything negative toward her. I don’t want to hurt her.’”
Noting that he and Baldoni, 40, “absolutely” plan to countersue Lively, 37, Freedman also said they “plan to release every single text” between the former costars, claiming that text screenshots shared in Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni lacked context.
“I’m not asking anyone to not believe anyone,” Freedman said. “I am more than willing to take every single text message that exists out there, lay them out, put them on a website for the world to see, have them see the truth and determine the truth for themselves.”
When asked whether he acknowledges that uncomfortable behavior went down on the It Ends With Us set, Freedman replied: “I think there’s some behavior always that can make people uncomfortable, and I don’t think anybody has the intention to do that. The question, really, in this case is does it rise to the level of sexual harassment?”
Following online speculation that Lively and Baldoni struggled to work together while filming It Ends With Us, Lively accused her former costar of sexual harassment in a lawsuit filed late last month (and first published by The New York Times). Among her claims, Lively accused Baldoni of body-shaming her, attempting to add additional sex scenes into the movie, showing her pornographic images and videos, breaking character and continuing to kiss her while filming and launching a “social manipulation” campaign against her to “destroy” her reputation.
Courtesy Sony Pictures
Freedman called the allegations against Baldoni “completely false” in a statement to Us Weekly at the time, claiming that Lively instead threatened to not show up on set and not promote the film if her “multiple demands” were not met.
Baldoni and nine other plaintiffs later filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times on Tuesday, December 31, accusing the outlet of libel and cherry-picking in their reporting of Lively’s lawsuit. In the legal docs, obtained by Us, Baldoni continued to deny Lively’s claims of inappropriate workplace behavior, retorting several of her stories, including the aforementioned claims about pornography on set, working with an intimacy coordinator and more. He also alleged that she “kicked” him out of the editing process for It Ends With Us, despite his role as the movie’s director.
A New York Times spokesperson stood by the organization’s reporting in a statement to Us, sharing, “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. Those texts and emails were also the crux of a discrimination claim filed in California by Blake Lively against Justin Baldoni and his associates.”
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images; Taylor Hill/WireImage
Lively’s attorney also told Us Baldoni’s NYT lawsuit changed “nothing” about her accusations in her December 20 lawsuit or her federal complaint against Baldoni, publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, and Wayfarer Studios filed on Tuesday.
“I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,” Lively shared in a December 21 statement to Us.
Vanderpump Rules alum Laura-Leigh is finally speaking out about her time on the show — starting with how much she was paid to appear on season 1.
“We were all working at SUR. I was a new hire. All of that was true,” Laura-Leigh, 33, recalled on the Thursday, January 2, episode of the “Vanderpump Rules Party” podcast. “I was not going to do the show because my agency said they would drop me if I did a reality show.”
Laura-Leigh said she “wouldn’t sign the rights” to let herself be filmed, adding, “By [that] time, they had shot so much. They couldn’t release the show without my signature, and I honestly thought — because I was naive — that this will never see the light of day. That’s what I thought.”
The former reality star ultimately agreed to appear because she needed the money.
“I couldn’t pay my rent. I’m a single woman doing it all on my own. I had my own apartment and my own car. No parental help, financially. Working endless jobs and auditioning and testing. Completely depleted,” she noted. “So I signed it so I could get $500 to pay the rest of my rent for that month. And that’s what I made off of the show.”
Laura-Leigh hasn’t received any additional payment associated with her time on the series, despite the show’s massive success.
Laura-Leigh and Jax Taylor on ‘Vanderpump Rules.’Bravo
“No residuals. Nothing. And I had to go after them to get that $500,” she claimed. “The cast all got paid, I think it was $8,000 for the first season. Jax [Taylor] and everyone else got like $8,000. The only reason I know that is because that’s all the money Jax had to his name. And I was like, ‘Well, if they’re getting money, why can I get money?’ They were like, ‘OK, we’ll give you $500.'”
Viewers were introduced to Laura-Leigh when Vanderpump Rules premiered in 2013. During the first season, Laura-Leigh notably found herself in a love triangle with Jax, 45, amid his off-again, on-again romance with Stassi Schroeder.
Jax ultimately ended his relationship with Laura-Leigh after he accompanied her to an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting. Laura-Leigh told Lisa Vanderpump in the season 1 finale she was quitting her job at SUR because she booked a role alongside Jennifer Aniston in We’re the Millers. She has since appeared in The Client List, Blue Bloods, Under the Silver Lake and multiple short films.
“People were using your heart and your emotion and your reality [on Vanderpump Rules]. That’s not something I could do. It’s one thing when you’re acting,” she added on Thursday, referring to her time on the show. “When you’re dealing with real connections and relationships, I can’t be a part of the toxicity that was going on. And I was naive to all of it, obviously … And that’s the honest reason why I never went back.”
Laura-Leigh isn’t the only former castmate who has discussed her Vanderpump Rules paychecks. Kristen Doute previously revealed that she didn’t make much when she initially joined the show in season 1, either.
Laura-Leigh on ‘Vanderpump Rules.’Bravo
“We had very little in our bank account,” Kristen said on an episode of her podcast in July 2023. “It was $5,000 and if we became a primary, we got an additional $5,000.”
Brittany Cartwright, meanwhile, recalled being “broke” when she first appeared on the show. “I didn’t get paid my first season of Vanderpump Rules — until the very, very end. I was broke,” Brittany, 35, who started appearing as a guest on season 4 when she met Jax, shared on the “When Reality Hits” podcast in August 2023. “It took a lot out of me.”
Jax recalled Brittany’s excessive spending before she made the move to Los Angeles.
“It was costing her. This is the beginning of the show and it was costing her $800 to $900,” he said, referring to Brittany flying in to see him while filming season 4. “She was in Kentucky [working at a bar and Hooters] and $800 is a lot of money [to spend on airfare].”
While speaking with Kristen about their original paychecks, Jax said he was just grateful to get paid, adding on the July 2023 podcast episode, “I had nothing at that time so whatever we got … [I felt like] I was rich. $5,000? I was paying $100 a week to live so I [thought] I could retire. When we were filming, I felt like, ‘This is awesome.'”
He continued: “I have been hustling my whole life and living paycheck to paycheck to paycheck. I would do a lot of jobs but by the time I got my paycheck I was so behind on my credit card bills.”
During a recent vacation to the south of France, Amal Clooney stepped out in a chic, off-duty look we couldn’t help but admire. The wife and mother of two wore a seamless pair of navy leggings paired with a matching vest and neon top. We’re so obsessed with Clooney’s navy leggings that we found a similar pair for under $20 on Amazon!
Made from a polyester and spandex fabric blend, the $16 leggings feature plenty of stretch and tummy control for days when you want a slimming yet comfortable fit. The buttery soft material is ideal for exercising, running errands or vacationing Clooney style in the south of France.
The seamless leggings are available in two sizes: one size (ideal for those sizes small to large) and one size plus (equivalent to XL to XXL sizes). Earning over 40,000 (!!!) Amazon fans, the navy leggings are a wardrobe hero according to shoppers.
“These leggings have quickly become my favorite pair I own,” one five-star reviewer shares. “This is my first pair that is actually comfortable and has pockets. I have been looking for so long to find a pair that meets my needs. These leggings are super stretchy and they fit nicely over the stomach without compressing it too much. I use the pockets constantly for my phone and credit card. I will definitely be buying another pair of these soon!”
“I wear leggings almost daily, and I found these to be the most comfortable,” another shopper writes. “Softness is a big thing to me, and these did not disappoint. I ended up ordering several colors. Spoke highly of these and have had others order them because of it.”
“These are so soft and comfortable,” another five-star reviewer writes. “They don’t roll down like many others do. I have been ordering them for years. The stitching style has changed slightly but still the same fit.”
Head to Amazon now and snag a pair (or two) for yourself to mimic Clooney’s off-duty athleisure look!
When a true crime case is making headlines, there are usually multiple programs covering the same subject within months of each other.
Not every duel release is intentional, but topics such as Sherri Papini‘s kidnapping case and Erik Menéndez and Lyle Menéndez‘s infamous murder trial are great examples of multiple coverage on the same high-profile situation.
Papini made headlines in 2016 after she was allegedly abducted while going for a jog in her California neighborhood. She resurfaced 22 days later, which is when Papini claimed she had been beaten and branded by her captors. As new details emerged after her return, Papini was ultimately arrested in 2022 for orchestrating her abduction. She pleaded guilty to a federal judge later that year and was sentenced to 18 months in jail for committing mail fraud and lying to a federal officer about being kidnapped.
Papini’s case was explored in Hulu’s Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini, which debuted in June 2024. Sherri’s now-ex-husband Keith Papini and several of her family members and loved ones participated in the docuseries. One month after Perfect Wife started streaming, Investigation Discovery announced an upcoming docuseries where Sherri will speak out for the first time about the controversy. The show will debut in 2025.
Meanwhile, the Menéndez brothers were arrested in 1990 on two counts of first-degree murder after their parents — José and Kitty — were found shot to death in their home. Two trials resulted in Erik and Lyle being sentenced to life without parole while they maintained that their mother and father were physically, emotionally and sexually abusive.
Their case received renewed support in September 2024 after becoming the focus of Murphy’s Monsters series. Monsters came under fire for several scenes alluding to an incestuous relationship between Lyle and Erik. Less than one week after Monsters was released, Netflix announced that Lyle and Erik were interviewed for The Menéndez Brothers documentary. The October 2024 release includes footage from conversations with juror Betty Oldfield, Kitty’s sister Joan Vander Molen and prosecutor Pamela Bozanich.
Keep scrolling for more examples of dueling true crime projects:
‘The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist’ vs. ‘The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring’
Hulu ; Courtesy of Netflix
The Bling Ring — consisting of Rachel Lee, Nick Prugo, Alexis Neiers, Courtney Ames and Diana Tamayo — became infamous for stealing roughly $3 million in cash and belongings from Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Audrina Patridge, Rachel Bilson and many more celebrities’ homes from 2008 to 2009.
Following their 2010 arrests, the group was the inspiration behind Sofia Coppola‘s film of the same name and a book by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Jo Sales. There was a renewed interest in the case when Prugo and Neiers participated in Netflix’s 2022 docuseries The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist.
Lee broke her silence in a separate documentary on HBO titled The Ringleader. Lee was the main subject of the 2023 project as she offered her side of the story 15 years after the crimes originally made headlines.
‘Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini’ vs. Investigation Discovery’s Version
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
Sherri’s family and loved ones offered glimpses into her life since the kidnapping controversy in Hulu’s Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini and subsequent press interviews.
After serving time behind bars, Sherri remained tight-lipped about the situation. Investigation Discovery confirmed in 2024 that they were working on a documentary where Sherri would publicly address her legal issues for the first time.
“Sherri Papini drew worldwide attention when she went missing and then again, when she returned. While many perspectives have been told, there is one point of view that the world hasn’t heard and that is from Sherri herself,” President of ID Jason Sarlanis said in a statement at the time. “Investigation Discovery will present a new side of Sherri Papini’s case — told by her in her own words.”
‘American Murder: Laci Peterson’ vs. ‘Face to Face With Scott Peterson’
Peacock ; Netflix
Netflix and Peacock both revisited Scott Peterson‘s conviction for pregnant wife Laci Peterson‘s murder in two different documentaries.
Scott was arrested and charged with two counts of murder in 2003 after his wife disappeared. Laci, who was eight months pregnant at the time, was later found dead at age 27. After a high-profile trial, Scott, who denied any involvement, was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Laci and the second-degree murder of their infant son, Conner.
Scott was originally given a death sentence, but the ruling was overturned in 2020. One year later, he was re-sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His case made headlines again in January 2024 when the Los Angeles Innocence Project announced they were trying to help overturn Scott’s murder conviction.
In July 2024, Peacock announced its three-part docuseries, Face to Face With Scott Peterson, which featured Scott breaking his silence two decades after he was found guilty for the murder of Laci and their unborn child. One week later, Netflix followed suit with the news that American Murder: Laci Peterson would be covering the same true crime case — and was released days before Peacock’s version.
‘Scoop’ vs. ‘A Very Royal Scandal’
Peter Mountain/Netflix ; Christopher Raphael/Blueprint/Sony Pictures Television
Prime Video’s A Very Royal Scandalwas a fictional recreation of Prince Andrew’s 2019 interview in which he denied knowing Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault. The accusations were revealed after Andrew’s connection with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein went public.
The topic was previously covered in Netflix’s Scoop, which was another dramatization about the infamous interview.
‘Monsters’ vs. ‘The Menendez Brothers’
Miles Crist/Netflix ; VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty Images
The scripted version of Erik and Lyle’s story was released in September 2024 with Nicholas Alexander Chavez bringing Lyle to life while Erik was played by Cooper Koch. José and Kitty, meanwhile, were portrayed by Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny, respectively. Erik and other members of the Menéndez family slammed the series while Murphy stood by the production.
Diddy on Netflix vs. Diddy on Investigation Discovery vs. Diddy on Peacock
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
Sean “Diddy” Combswas indicted in September 2024 on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution, one day after he was arrested and taken into custody in Manhattan. (He pleaded not guilty to all charges before being denied bail.)
One day after he was indicted, Investigation Discovery announced an unnamed doc which will be “exploring the rise and influence of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and the allegations of violent behavior and illegal activity that have trailed the music mogul.”
50 Cent, meanwhile, teamed up with Netflix and director Alexandria Stapleton for a docuseries about Diddy’s alleged crimes. (50 Cent originally announced plans for the doc in December 2023, which was nearly a year before Diddy was arrested and sued by multiple women who accused him of sexual assault, which he has continued to deny.)
“This is a story with significant human impact. It is a complex narrative spanning decades, not just the headlines or clips seen so far,” 50 Cent and the director said in a statement that same month. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to give a voice to the voiceless and to present authentic and nuanced perspectives. While the allegations are disturbing, we urge all to remember that Sean Combs’ story is not the full story of hip-hop and its culture. We aim to ensure that individual actions do not overshadow the culture’s broader contributions.”
Peacock, meanwhile, announced their January 2025 documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, which features “never-before-seen footage and stories from those who know [Diddy] best,” exploring his “childhood, rise to fame and recent criminal allegations.”
Investigation Discovery made headlines in 2024 when directors Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz explored Nickelodeon’s past toxic work environment in Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. The docuseries specifically highlighted producer Dan Schneider’s time at the network with projects such as All That, The Amanda Show, iCarly, Victorious, Sam & Cat and more.
The five-part docuseries also featured Drake Bell breaking his silence about being the minor involved in a sexual abuse case against dialogue coach Brian Peck. (Peck was arrested in August 2003 for sexually abusing a then-unnamed child. Peck pleaded no contest to performing a lewd act with a victim around 14 or 15 years old and to oral copulation with a child under 16 years old, which resulted in a 16-month prison sentence.)
Child Star, meanwhile, came out later that same year with Demi Lovato at the helm of the storytelling as she appeared on and directed the documentary. The Hulu special featured Lovato sharing her experiences from child stardom while interviewing other actors about the pitfalls of fame such as substance abuse issues, money problems and more.
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