Blake Lively has sued her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, for sexual harassment, alleging that he caused her “severe emotional distress” during the film’s production and later attempted to damage her reputation.
Details of the lawsuit were made public on Saturday, December 21st, in a report from TMZ, which claims that tensions were so high during filming that a crisis meeting was called for.
During that meeting (which was also attended by Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds), several requests were made in regards to Baldoni’s inappropriate behavior on set, including: that Baldoni cease showing nude videos and images of women to Lively; that there be no further mention of Baldoni’s sexual activities and “pornography addiction;” that the cast and crew’s genitals would no longer be discussed; and that there would be no more adding of sexually explicit scenes that Lively had not already approved when she signed onto the project.
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Additionally, Lively also asked for no further discussion of her late father, and for no further inquiries into her weight.
Allegedly, the requests made during that crisis meeting were “embraced and approved” by Sony Pictures, but tensions between Lively and Baldoni lingered, and only worsened during the marketing of the film. Lively, reports say, wanted the vibe around the film to be more uplifting, focusing on the resilience of her character, whereas Baldoni wanted a more somber tone to reflect the subject of domestic abuse.
Over the summer, Lively indeed faced some online backlash for the way she promoted the film, with critics saying she seemingly didn’t take the theme of domestic abuse seriously enough. Now — though no specific claims have been outlined — her lawsuit alleges that Baldoni used “social manipulation” in an effort to “destroy” her reputation.
In a statement to the New York Times, Lively explained, “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”
Baldoni has denied the allegations, with his lawyer issuing a statement describing them as “false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.” The lawyer further suggested that the lawsuit was part of an effort by Lively to “fix her negative reputation.”
It Ends With Us premiered this past August, and was based on the novel by the same name by Colleen Hoover. Lively, who stars as Lily Bloom in the film, also has a producer credit.
