Blake Lively has accused her It Ends With Us movie co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, of sexual harassment and retaliation in a complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department.
The actress alleges that Baldoni and his team orchestrated a “plan” to damage her reputation following her decision to speak out about misconduct on set.
The complaint, filed on Friday and obtained by The New York Times, claims that Lively raised concerns during filming about a “hostile work environment” caused by Baldoni. Her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, attended a meeting as her representative to address repeated instances of “sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour” by Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath.
Among the issues raised were allegations of inappropriate conduct, including exposing Lively and others to nude videos and images, making references to pornography, and engaging in crude conversations.
An agreement was reportedly reached to address the concerns, including a commitment to no longer display inappropriate content, refrain from offensive remarks, and ensure the presence of an intimacy coordinator during sensitive scenes involving Lively and Baldoni.
The filing also accuses Baldoni’s public relations team of launching a “social manipulation campaign” to tarnish Lively’s reputation in the media.
Evidence submitted includes screen captures of text messages and emails obtained by Lively’s legal team, which she claims show deliberate attempts to harm her image.
In a statement to CNN, Lively said, “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’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has denied the allegations, calling them “false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.”
He accused Lively of fabricating the claims to counteract her own public image challenges, which he attributed to her remarks and actions during the film’s promotional campaign.
“It is shameful that Ms Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations… as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation,” Freedman said in a statement.
He also claimed that Lively had made multiple threats during production, including refusing to promote the film unless her demands were met.
It Ends With Us, based on Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel, explores themes of domestic violence.
Despite tensions between the co-stars, the film was a commercial success, grossing over $350 million at the box office. However, reports of creative differences and conflicting messaging about the sensitive subject matter drew public scrutiny.
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