Prominent LA attorney accused of orchestrating online smear campaign against model

Paige Jimenez says attorney Bryan Freedman, who represented Justin Baldoni in his legal fight against Blake Lively, created a website accusing her of drug dealing and prostitution.LOS ANGELES (CN) — A model and former Master Chef contestant accused Los Angeles attorney Bryan Freedman of orchestrating an online smear campaign against her at the behest of her boyfriend’s parents.In the complaint, Paige Jimenez claims that Freedman called her in 2024 and told her that he had been hired by the wealthy parents of her then-boyfriend, Kaiko Manson.Freedman, now widely known for representing Justin Baldoni against Blake Lively, reportedly told her to “get out of her boyfriend’s apartment immediately and end the relationship.” An irked Jimenez threatened to go public with Freedman’s demand on social media.According to a screenshot included in the complaint, Freedman texted back: “I would tag the LAPD, DEA, IRS and Osamu along with the multitude of drug dealers you’ve been seen with over the past week or so. You can post it to www.paigejimenez.com.”The eponymous website, very much not created by Jimenez, called her “the real ketamine queen” and said she was “wanted for questioning related to the death of Matthew Perry,” the ‘Friends’ actor who died of a ketamine overdose in 2023.The crudely made website referred to Jimenez’s past relationships, including that with her ex-husband, and accused her of engaging in prostitution and tax evasion. It also disclosed her real address, Jimenez writes, “making her fear for her safety.”After the exchange, Jimenez says, her relationship with Manson began to deteriorate. He insisted his parents had nothing to do with the website.“Jimenez did not know what to believe,” she writes in the complaint, filed in LA Superior Court on Monday. “She was traumatized, devastated and scared, leading to negative changes in her mental state and a psychiatric hospitalization.”Jimenez later discovered a series of eerily similar smear websites, including those aimed at musician Amanda Ghost, model Jessica Serfaty and most famous of all, Lively.Jimenez accuses Freedman and two public relations representatives — Melissa Nathan and Jed Wallace — of masterminding all these campaigns.“Importantly,” Jimenez writes in her lawsuit, “there are connection between the site aimed at Ms. Jimenez and other smear sites that are still available online. These connections include what appear to be online commenters linking in posts and articles to the site aimed at Ms. Jimenez, with other ‘commenters’ linking to other smear websites also allegedly made by named defendants.”Jimenez’s attorney, Meredith Drukker Stratigopoulos, said in an email: “Paige hopes that by coming forward, what happens to her will not happen to others and that those behind the smear campaign will be held accountable”A spokesperson for Nathan’s public relations and crisis management firm, The Agency Group, said in a written statement: “The Agency Group has never had any contact with Paige Jimenez or provided services to anyone relating to her. To the best of our knowledge, no one at The Agency Group was familiar with Ms. Jiminez, had any information relating to Ms. Jimenez or even know of her existence prior to the filing of the lawsuit.”Freedman did not respond to an email requesting a comment on the lawsuit; nor did a spokesperson for Wallace’s PR firm, Street Relations.The now-famous feud between Blake Likely and director Justin Baldoni was the first scandal to shine the light on what one trade publication called “Hollywood’s secret smear machine.”According to the Hollywood reporter, Freedman, Nathan and Wallace were also involved in aggressive legal and PR campaigns on behalf of Rebel Wilson, Scooter Braun, and wellness guru Andrew Huberman.Wilson has been suing Ghost over a bitter feud that started while make the movie “The Deb,” which Wilson directed and Ghost co-produced.Ghost has claimed Wilson, Freedman, Nathan and Wallace were all involved in creating a website smearing Ghost. The site called Ghost “the Indian Ghislaine Maxwell, " as well as a “con artist, a thief and a pimp” who worked “procuring young women for the pleasure of the extremely wealthy.”Categories / EntertainmentSubscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads