Hollywood power agent Ari Emanuel poked fun at Justin Baldoni’s last name when asked about the ongoing legal feud between the actor and his former “It Ends With Us” co-star Blake Lively.
“It is a f–ked up, bad situation with what Bologna … Baldoni … whatever his name is … is doing,” the Endeavor CEO, 63, said at a taping for “Freakonomics Radio Live” at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Page Six has reached out to Baldoni’s rep for comment but did not immediately hear back.
However, his lawyer Bryan Freedman told the Hollywood Reporter Friday, “Mr. Ari Emanuel is notably one of the best agents, and clearly the most loyal, in Hollywood.
“As I understand it, Justin hasn’t been called ‘Bologna’ since the fifth grade. Perhaps Ari’s perspective would be different if they had ever met in the half decade they were clients of his agency.”
“Freakonomics” host Stephen Dubner reportedly also mentioned on his show that Baldoni, 41, had been dropped as a client from the talent agency WME, whose parent company is Endeavor.
Per THR, Emanuel confirmed he “fired” the “Jane the Virgin” alum and went on to gush about Lively, 37, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, saying he’s known them for a decade and they are “incredible people.”
“In Hollywood, they have been incredibly successful,” the billionaire reportedly added.
“People work with them, they’ve never had any bad mojo out there or treated people badly. They are charitable — we help them with their foundation — they’ve given tons of money away.”
Despite Emanuel’s claims, an assistant director who once worked with “Lively” on “A Simple Favor” in 2018 just spoke out this week, claiming the actress was “cruel” and pushed her to tears many times.
“I know I cried my way home many nights because you try so hard to please someone who is never pleased and puts you down constantly,” Barbara Szeman wrote in a since-deleted Instagram comment.
“I can’t believe it’s actually getting back at her. Karma is real.”
Ahead of the release of “It Ends With Us” last summer, Lively was also called out for making an entertainment reporter want to quit her job after being a total “nightmare” during a press junket.
The “Gossip Girl” alum has alleged in a California Civil Rights Department complaint and subsequent lawsuit that all of the bad press she has gotten is due to a “smear campaign” that Baldoni and his team allegedly launched to “destroy” her reputation.
She included in the filings texts from one of the director’s publicists, who stated she can “bury anyone.”
Lively also accused the “Con Man” star of sexual harassment and is suing him for retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, among other claims. Baldoni has denied any wrongdoing.
He has filed his own lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds, 48, for extortion and defamation, and is seeking $400 million in damages. He has released a website with raw behind-the-scenes footage from the making of “It Ends With Us” and private text messages between the co-stars in an effort to prove his innocence.
Emanuel reportedly slammed Baldoni’s legal strategy on “Freakonomics,” saying, “[Baldoni’s team] should just stop, since they think they’re innocent, and let the process play itself out.”
He also said that what if is in Lively’s lawsuit is true then Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath, who is also named as a co-defendant, are “really bad people” and said Lively and Reynolds are “good people.”
Lively has stood by her claims about Baldoni and said his suit “is another chapter in the abuser playbook.”
She added via her lawyers, “This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim.”
A trial date for the cases has been set for March 9, 2026. The parties agreed earlier this week to be exempt from the court’s mediation program.
The post Justin Baldoni’s last name mocked by Hollywood agent who dropped him as a client amid Blake Lively feud: ‘Bologna’ appeared first on Page Six.
