Tensions are high as Blake Lively has launched a lawsuit against her co-star Justin Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment.
This follows the pair’s work on the film “It Ends With Us” over the summer, which became fraught with rumors of conflict.
The film, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, premiered in August. However, fans noticed an unusual absence of joint press appearances by Lively and Baldoni.
Recently, Lively has legally accused her fellow actor of attempting a smear campaign against her, which she claims has caused profound emotional distress for her and her family.
Baldoni’s legal representative, Bryan Freedman, strongly contests the lawsuit’s claims as ‘categorically false.’
According to allegations, there was a prior meeting involving Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, where they addressed Lively’s conditions for working on the film.
They included stipulations such as: refraining from showing videos or images of nudity, discontinuing mentions of Baldoni’s alleged past with pornography, avoiding conversations about sexual conquests before Lively and others, ceasing to bring up cast and crew’s private matters, steering clear of queries regarding Lively’s weight, and refraining from mentioning the subject of Lively’s late father.
Among her reported demands, Lively insisted that Baldoni avoid incorporating additional intimate scenes in the movie script. Sony Pictures reportedly agreed to these terms as per Lively’s lawsuit.
Lively further alleges that Baldoni has engaged in “social manipulation” with the intention of tarnishing her reputation. In response, Freedman released a public statement rebuking the allegations as an attempt by Lively to mend her own public image, which he claims was adversely affected by her own conduct and statements during the film’s promotional activities.
“Wayfarer Studios,” according to Freedman, “opted to employ a crisis manager ahead of the film’s marketing campaign, collaborating with Jonesworks, managed by Stephanie Jones.
This decision was due to Lively’s numerous threats and demands during production, including refusal to appear for filming and promotion unless demands were met.
Allegedly, Lively commissioned her representative, Leslie Sloan of Vision PR, to disseminate negative and fabricated stories about the production to the press, prompting the studio to plan for crisis management.”
Among the lawsuit’s revelations are text messages obtained by subpoena. One intriguing message came from publicist Jennifer Abel, reportedly hired by Baldoni in August, which implied Baldoni’s desire to “bury” Lively’s career.
In response, crisis management consultant, Melissa Nathan, warned against explicitly stating harmful intentions, hinting at potential legal risks while strategizing professionally.
Further messages unveiled Abel’s strategy to plant negative stories about Lively’s professionalism to preempt potential fallout. A message dated August 5th shows Baldoni referencing a social media controversy concerning another female figure, suggesting a similar approach against Lively, highlighting particular focus areas like Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok to sway public opinion.
By mid-August, conversations within Nathan’s team suggested a shift in public sentiment becoming more favorable towards Baldoni. Nathan’s commentary noted an unexpected level of support for Baldoni that even she found surprising.
Lively has shared, “I hope my legal action will illuminate retaliatory strategies aiming to undermine those speaking out against misconduct, ensuring those targeted can find protection.”
