Justin Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios co-founder and billionaire buddy Steve Sarowitz allegedly as soon as swore “to spend as much as $100 million to spoil” Blake Full of life in her battle along with her It Ends with Us co-star and director over what did or didn’t go down on the movie.
Nicely, a lawsuit filed this week in California state courtroom by the Paylocity founder, Baldoni and Wayfarer makes it look much more like Sarowitz truly meant he needed to spend another person’s cash. Lower than an 12 months out from going to trial with Full of life in NYC on her sexual harassment, defamation and retaliation motion, the Wayfarer crew now could be going after among the greatest insurance coverage corporations on the earth for denying them protection to battle the One other Easy Favor star.
Baldoni, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Film LLC, Wayfarer itself and CEO Jamey Heath are attempting to power New York Marine and Basic Insurance coverage Firm, QBE Insurance coverage Company, some underwriters at Lloyd’s and others to pay out polices that they insist they deserve. or pay up.
The Insurers offered Wayfarer and IEWUM insurance coverage insurance policies promising to defend and indemnify the Insureds towards, amongst different issues, lawsuits alleging defamation. After the Insureds had been sued by Blake Full of life in a lawsuit alleging defamation and numerous different claims, the Insureds notified the Insurers and requested that the Insurers defend them and in any other case honor their duties underneath their insurance policies. Nonetheless, as an alternative of doing so, the Insurers ignored their responsibility to defend whereas they presupposed to “examine.” They then denied protection, breaching their duties, refusing to honor of their duties to the Insureds. Due to this fact, the Insurers are answerable for breach of contract and tortious dangerous religion, and are liable to their Insureds for compensatory, consequential, and punitive damages.
Having seen Baldoni’s personal $400 million swimsuit towards Full of life, Ryan Reynolds, the famous person couple’s publicist, and the New York Occasions tossed out again in June, the Wayfarers themselves are additionally already dealing with a lawsuit filed in federal courtroom earlier this month over one other insurance coverage coverage.
Put within the docket on July 21, Harco Nationwide Insurance coverage Firm need a declaratory judgment towards Wayfarer. With New York Maine and Llyod’s absolutely paying numerous consideration now, Harco are in search of a courtroom judgement stating they don’t should shell out a dime to “defend or indemnify” Baldoni and his Wayfarters. The corporate’s argument is fairly easy: In obvious violation of the polices that Wayfarer had with Harco, the manufacturing firm didn’t inform the insurance coverage firm that “Full of life and others complained of sexual harassment throughout pre-production and manufacturing of the Movie.”
From left: Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath, Justin Baldoni, Steve Sarowitz and others on the It Ends With Us premiere in 2024 (Cindy Ord/Getty Photographs)
On this new battlefront with New York Marine and Lloyd’s, and possibly due to the Harco lawsuit, the besieged Baldoni gang appeared to take their time reacting to the insurance coverage firm’s chilly shoulder — till they didn’t.
“On July 28, 2025, the Insureds’ counsel responded to New York Marine’s Could 15, 2025, letter, explaining why New York Marine was improper in denying protection and asking New York Marine to withdraw its denial of protection, to conform to defend the Insureds, and to pay for the attorneys’ charges and prices that the Insureds have incurred, and proceed to incur, in protection of the Full of life Lawsuit. New York Marine has not assumed its responsibility to defend,” the breach-of-contact motion filed July 30 in L.A. Superior Court docket states.
It provides: “Wayfarer and IEWUM have been paying for the protection of Mssrs. Baldoni, Heath, and Sarowitz within the Full of life lawsuit. They’re entitled to be reimbursed for all such protection charges and prices they’ve paid.”
Reps for Baldoni and Wayfarer, in addition to New York Marine’s mum or dad firm, didn’t reply Friday to requests for touch upon the newest lawsuit. Spokespeople for Full of life and her authorized staff had no remark.
No precise sums are cited within the nine-claim LASC grievance, however having been brawling with Full of life, Deadpool star Reynolds, the Outdated Grey Woman and a rising and contracting solid of different defendants within the courts since December 2024, even the deep-pocketed Sarowitz have to be feeling the pinch. Or, put one other approach, Bryan Freedman doesn’t come low-cost.
Really, the Hollywood litigator isn’t representing Group Wayfarer on this swimsuit towards New York Marine and others. McGuireWoods LLP are performing the heavy lifting and lawyering right here. Heavy lifting and lawyering in a matter that may has an excellent probability of nonetheless being within the West Coast courtroom by the point Full of life and Baldoni face off over the principle case in Choose Lewis Liman’s East Coast courtroom on March 9.
