Blake Lively sues ‘It Ends With Us’ co-star Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment and smear campaign

American actress Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against her co-star and director of the movie “It Ends With Us”, Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and trying to destroy her reputation. Variety.

On trial, Lively, who is best known for her role Gossip Girlshe alleged that Baldoni launched a smear campaign against her and caused significant emotional distress to both her and her family.

Sony Pictures

This lawsuit follows a contentious press tour for the film, during which Baldoni was notably absent from promotional activities, while Lively faced criticism for allegedly taking a lax approach to promoting a film focused on domestic violence. Social media users speculated that Baldoni had been banned from promotional events due to disagreements with Lively, with some even claiming that he was the only cast member who really dealt with the issue of domestic violence.

Lively’s complaint alleges that Baldoni and Jamie Heath, the film’s producer, engaged in unprofessional conduct, which included sharing details of their past sexual relationships and discussing their past struggles with pornography addiction. Lively also alleged that Baldoni made disturbing comments, such as claiming to be able to communicate with the dead, including her father, Ernie Lively, who died in 2021. The complaint described these actions as inappropriate, stating, “It was a postponement and violation for Mr. Baldoni to claim a personal relationship with her recently deceased father.”

In a statement to The New York TimesLively hoped her legal action would expose “repugnant retaliatory tactics” used to target people who speak out about misconduct, adding that it would also help protect others who may face similar attacks.

The lawsuit further included a meeting in January 2024 to discuss Lively’s concerns and her terms for returning to work on the film, with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, reportedly in attendance. According to Variety, Lively raised several issues during the meeting, including Baldoni’s comments about her weight to her trainer, his attempts to pressure her about her religious beliefs and inappropriate discussions of his sex life.

The New York Times

The New York Times

In addition, Lively accused Heath, who is also the CEO of Wayfarer Studios, the film’s production company, of showing her a video of his wife giving birth. Lively claimed that both Baldoni and Heath entered her makeup trailer without permission, even while she was nursing her infant. The lawsuit states that these concerns were not limited to Lively but also to other female cast and crew members who had voiced similar complaints.

Lively reportedly requested that no more sex scenes be added beyond those already approved in the original script. The complaint states that Sony Pictures, the film’s distributor, agreed to her demands, but continues to accuse Baldoni of engaging in “social manipulation” and launching a campaign to damage Lively’s reputation.

The lawsuit included detailed records of a meeting where Lively asked Baldoni and Heath not to discuss their addiction to pornography, make inappropriate comments about their bodies or add any additional sexual content to the script. The complaint also said Lively insisted Baldoni stop claiming she could contact her late father.

Smear campaign

Baldoni and Heath reportedly hired a crisis PR specialist, and Lively’s lawsuit included subpoenaed text messages and emails that described their efforts to tarnish her image. The New York Timesthe first outlet to publish the full details of the lawsuit, revealed that those documents described a secret strategy to run a digital smear campaign.

PopBase on X

In a text message from August 2, a publicist working with the studio and Baldoni stated that “He wants to feel like he can be buried.” Another message described a reporter commenting on how “lucky” Baldoni was at the time, writing that he should be pressed about how lucky he was.

The lawsuit states: “Mr. Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer launched an elaborate press and digital plan to retaliate against Ms. Lively for exercising her legally protected right to speak about their misconduct on set, with the added goal of intimidating her and anyone else to reveal publicly what really happened.”

The campaign reportedly involved subcontractors using a “digital army” from locations across the country to create, share and promote content that appeared to be organic on social media and internet forums.

During the film’s promotional events, Lively faced backlash for her comments about the film, including encouraging people to “grab your friends, wear your flowers” and attend the screening, as well as repeatedly promoting her hair care line and Betty Buzz spirits brand. . She even threw a flower-themed party for the film’s release, which she posted on Instagram, drawing the ire of fans who found her behavior tone-deaf. Many criticized her for not taking the issue of domestic violence seriously.

Some netizens claimed that Baldoni was “the only person really speaking out against DV” during the promotional period.

Retaliation

Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, responded to the lawsuit, calling the allegations “disgraceful” and “categorically false.” He also claimed that Lively had made several threats, including refusing to appear on set and threatening to damage the film’s release if her demands were not met.

Friedman accused Lively of making “deliberately malicious” claims intended to publicly damage Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios. He also claimed that Lively and her team had spread negative information about Baldoni and the production company.

In response, Lively denied allegations that she or her representatives had planted or circulated damaging information about Baldoni or Wayfarer Studios, in a statement to The New York Times.

Feedback and Support

After the lawsuit was filed, talent and media agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) dropped Baldoni as a client, it said The Hollywood Reporter. Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, are both represented by the agency.

It ends with Us Author Colleen Hoover, whose novel inspired the film, voiced her support for Lively in the wake of the allegations. On Instagram, Hoover posted a photo of herself with Lively, writing, “You’ve been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the person you are. Never change. They never wither.”

Instagram/ @colleenhoover

Lively’s sister Robyn Lively also shared The New York Times revealed and urged her followers to read the article, highlighting the truth behind the situation and what Blake had endured during filming. She described Blake as “one of the kindest, most honest and loving people” she knew, stating that her sister had worked hard on the film despite “disgusting working conditions”.

Robin added that while audiences could criticize the film’s marketing choices, Blake shouldn’t be held solely responsible for them.

Lively’s co-stars from The Sisterhood of the Traveling PantsAmerica Ferrera, Alexis Bledel and Amber Tamblyn also expressed their solidarity with her. The trio posted on Instagram, stating: “Throughout filming It ends with Uswe saw her muster the courage to demand a safe workplace for herself and her colleagues on set, and we are horrified to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive attempt to discredit her voice that followed.”

They condemned exploiting the stories of domestic violence survivors to silence Lively, calling it hypocritical. The actors expressed their admiration for Lively’s courage and encouraged people to read The New York Times article for more details. The post was later reposted by Hoover.