Blake Lively is taking legal action against her It Ends with Us co-star Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and planning a smear campaign against her. The lawsuit, which highlights serious allegations of misconduct, claims that Baldoni created a “hostile work environment” on the sets of It Ends With U. This legal battle has sparked significant attention, with many curious to know what happened between Lively and Baldoni.
Here’s all you need to know about Blake Lively‘s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.
What happened to Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni?
Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment and a subsequent campaign to “destroy” her reputation. According to Lively, Baldoni, who also directed It Ends With Us, created “a hostile environment” on set.
In her complaint, she describes experiencing “grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety” due to Baldoni’s alleged behavior. The lawsuit outlines a series of demands made by Lively to ensure her safety, including the hiring of a full-time intimacy coordinator and restrictions on alleged inappropriate discussions about personal matters, including Baldoni’s alleged past struggles with “pornography addiction” (via PEOPLE).
Following the meeting to address these issues, which Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds attended, Lively claims that Baldoni initiated a smear campaign designed to publicly undermine her.
According to the lawsuit, texts subpoenaed from Baldoni’s crisis PR team show plans to manipulate social media, including spreading damaging rumors. Lively stated in her filing that the “emotional impact” of the alleged harassment and the smear campaign has been “extreme,” affecting both her and her family.
Lively also said in a 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” (via BBC).
While Lively hopes the lawsuit will highlight the alleged toxic behavior she faced and protect others from similar retaliation, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman has strongly denied the allegations. He claimed that Lively’s accusations are false and part of a plan to “fix her negative reputation.” Freedman also accused Lively of causing disruptions on set by threatening to not show up or promote the film, which allegedly hurt the project’s release.
