Blake Lively ‘ready to tackle explosive New Year’ as she files new lawsuit against Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively is reportedly preparing for the challenges the new year brings and has formally filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni just weeks after her sexual harassment allegations against him became public.

The Gossip Girl star, 37, filed her lawsuit on New Year’s Eve, the same day Baldoni launched a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the New York Times over its explosive coverage of Lively’s initial complaint.

Lively has accused Baldoni of creating a toxic work environment during the production of It Ends With Us, allegations that Baldoni has firmly denied.

On Friday, DailyMail.com exclusively reported that Baldoni plans to file an “explosive countersuit” once the courts reopen after the New Year holidays.

Yet Lively shows no signs of backing down.

That’s according to a source he spoke to People The actress has been in regular contact with her legal team on Tuesday and “knows she will start the new year on an explosive note.”

According to a source who spoke to People on Tuesday, the actress has been in regular contact with her legal team and is fully prepared for the coming storm; (Baldoni in December)

“She still believes she’s doing the right thing. She is ready to tackle whatever comes her way,” she added.

For now, the source shared that Lively finds strength in her loved ones and feels “very fortunate to be surrounded by the most loving family and supportive friends” — including her husband Ryan Reynolds and their four children.

“Ryan goes above and beyond on a daily basis to relieve her stress and be supportive,” the 48-year-old Reynolds insider added.

In her 80-page lawsuit, Blake accuses Justin of inappropriate behavior on the set of It Ends With Us, including entering her makeup trailer while she was topless, showing her explicit photos and an explicit birth video, discussing his porn addiction,” commenting on his own genitals, and even biting and kissing her during an improvised scene, insisting on multiple takes.

Rumors of tension between the two began circulating over the summer when they appeared to be avoiding each other during the film’s promotional tour, escalating into a full-blown legal battle after Lively’s lawsuit was filed last week.

Now Baldoni is preparing to file a countersuit once the courts reopen after the New Year.

The counterclaim will allege that Lively’s team, not Baldoni, is behind the smear campaign.

It will also question the authenticity of emails, text messages and WhatsApp messages from Baldoni’s publicists, claiming they have been misinterpreted.

“She knows she’s going to start the new year on an explosive note,” the insider revealed; (seen in December)

Based on the 2016 bestseller by Colleen Hoover, It Ends With Us was released in August and was a box office hit, grossing more than $350 million against a production budget of $25 million.

In addition, the counterclaim will accuse Lively’s high-powered publicist Leslie Sloane of pushing damaging stories about Baldoni into the media.

Lively said in her complaint that Baldoni and select associates conspired to mount a negative public campaign at her expense with the intent to damage her reputation.

“I hope my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak out about wrongdoing and protect others who may be targeted,” Lively told the New York Times.

Baldoni has denied all allegations in Lively’s lawsuit.

Since the legal filing, Baldoni has faced several fallout, including a lawsuit from a former publicist and a retraction by the WME agency, which also represents Lively and Reynolds.

On December 24, Vital Voices announced that it had withdrawn the Voices of Solidarity Award given to Baldoni earlier that month.