Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and orchestrating a campaign to destroy her reputation. The lawsuit, filed with the California Civil Rights Department, cites a hostile work environment and retaliatory tactics.

Hostile Work Environment Allegations

According to court documents, a meeting was held during filming to address Blake Lively’s concerns about inappropriate on-set behavior. She alleged that this behavior included displaying nude images to her and others, referencing Justin Baldoni’s alleged pornography addiction, making comments about sexual exploits and cast members’ genitalia, inquiring about her weight, and mentioning her deceased father. Lively stated that these actions created a hostile work environment, prompting her to demand improved conduct on set.

Claims of Retaliation and Smear Campaign

The lawsuit alleges that Baldoni and his crisis management team engaged in a coordinated effort to undermine Lively’s credibility. Text messages reportedly show Justin Baldoni sharing a Twitter thread about Hailey Bieber with his PR team. This suggests a strategy for their campaign against Blake Lively. Documents reveal strategies to plant negative stories online, including narratives about the “weaponization of feminism.” Alleged text messages from Baldoni’s PR team suggest they celebrated favorable public narratives about him.

A series of text message exchanges between PR representatives allegedly involved in Justin Baldoni’s crisis management. The messages reveal discussions about implementing a “social combat plan,” celebrating the success of public narratives favoring Baldoni, and referencing the lack of pickup on negative articles about him. The text emphasizes confusion among the press and strong public support for Baldoni on social media.
Text messages allegedly from Justin Baldoni’s PR team discussing a coordinated campaign to manipulate public narratives Blake Lively. The team celebrates confusion in the press and positive public support for Baldoni.

Baldoni hired crisis manager Melissa Nathan, known for her role in Johnny Depp’s legal battle, to handle the fallout. His talent agency, WME, has since dropped Baldoni. Amid these claims, journalist Kjersti Flaa denied involvement in any smear campaign. Flaa recently went viral for reposting a 2016 interview with Lively titled “The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job.” In response to speculation, Flaa stated, “I have nothing to do with it.”

Related | Justin Baldoni’s $400 Million Lawsuit Against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Dismissed

Statements From Both Parties

Lively said in a statement that she hopes her legal action “pulls back the curtain” on retaliatory tactics in Hollywood. “This lawsuit is about protecting others who may be targeted for speaking up,” she added.

Image featuring Blake Lively with a quote from her statement: “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.” The image includes Lively’s name and mentions the context of her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.

Baldoni’s lawyer called the claims “categorically false” and described the lawsuit as a “desperate attempt” by Lively to rehabilitate her reputation. He also accused her of making demands during filming, including stipulations against discussing specific topics or unannounced entry into her trailer.

It Ends With Us, based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, premiered in August, surpassing box office expectations. However, tensions between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni fueled speculation during the film’s release. The lawsuit has ignited wider conversations about workplace conduct, power dynamics, and the prevalence of retaliation in Hollywood. Allegations of a coordinated smear campaign against Lively further shows the lengths individuals or teams may go to discredit those who speak out, raising questions about accountability and ethics within the entertainment industry.

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