Blake Lively has taken legal action against her "It Ends with Us" co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment.
The lawsuit comes after months of speculation about tensions between the two on set. According to Lively, Baldoni's behavior caused her "severe emotional distress," according to CBS News.
Lively's legal filing, obtained by the outlet, lists Justin Baldoni, the production studio behind "It Ends with Us," and Baldoni's public relations team among the defendants. The New York Times broke the story, revealing that the complaint was officially submitted to the California Civil Rights Department last Friday.
The lawsuit details allegations from Lively, 37, accusing Baldoni of ongoing sexual harassment. According to the filing, Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, confronted Baldoni and a producer about the behavior during a meeting. In response, Baldoni and the studio allegedly "embarked on a 'multitiered plan' to damage her reputation following the meeting."
In a statement to the Times, Lively said she hopes her legal action "helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory actions to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted."
The lawsuit reportedly includes text messages from Baldoni's publicist to the studio's PR representative, stating that Lively "wants to feel like she can be buried. We can't write we will destroy her," according to the Times.
The complaint also states Baldoni "abruptly pivoted away from" the movie's marketing plan and "used domestic violence 'survivor content' to protect his public image."
"These claims are completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media," attorney Bryan Freedman told The Associated Press in a statement. Freedman represents Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its representatives.
Freedman denied Lively's claims of a coordinated effort against her, stating the studio hired a crisis manager "proactively" because of what he called "multiple demands and threats" from the actress during production. He alleged that Lively threatened to skip filming and promotional events if her demands weren't met, though the statement did not detail what those demands were.
Earlier this year, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Baldoni enlisted the help of veteran PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan amid reports of tensions surrounding the release of "It Ends with Us."
The rumors intensified after fans observed Baldoni's absence from joint press events and noted the lack of group photos with Lively at the New York premiere on Aug. 6.
Further, fans pointed out Lively and the rest of the cast were not following Baldoni on Instagram, although he followed them.
The decision to bring The Agency Group onboard follows negative press surrounding Baldoni, who has faced accusations of making Lively uncomfortable during filming.
Despite this, Baldoni has praised Lively's creative input in recent promotional efforts and interviews. He has also mentioned stepping back during production to allow female voices to lead given the film's focus on a woman's perspective and the sensitive topic of domestic violence.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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