21 Dec: Actor Blake Lively has filed a legal complaint accusing her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, of sexual harassment and orchestrating a campaign to tarnish her reputation. The complaint, lodged with the California Civil Rights Department on Friday, also names the studio behind the movie and Baldoni’s publicists as defendants.
Lively, 37, alleges that Baldoni, 40, and a producer on the film engaged in “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior” during production. She claims that after she and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, 48, addressed these issues, a “multi-tiered plan” was devised to harm her reputation.
According to the complaint, this plan involved spreading theories on online forums, launching a coordinated social media campaign, and planting critical news stories about Lively. Additionally, it alleges Baldoni “abruptly pivoted away from” the movie’s marketing strategy, instead using domestic violence survivor content to safeguard his public image.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has denied the allegations, describing them as “false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.” In a statement, Freedman asserted that the studio hired a crisis manager to manage what he described as “multiple demands and threats made by Ms. Lively during production.” Freedman further claimed Lively had threatened not to appear on set or promote the film unless unspecified demands were met.
The legal action marks a significant escalation in what has been a contentious behind-the-scenes relationship during the making of It Ends With Us.
