Blake Lively has accused her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation in a complaint filed with the California Department of Civil Rights.
The actress alleges that Baldoni and his team orchestrated a “scheme” to damage her reputation following her decision to report his misconduct on set.
The complaint, filed 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 behavior” 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 rude conversations.
An agreement was reportedly reached to address concerns, including a commitment to no longer display inappropriate content, refrain from offensive comments, 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.
The evidence presented includes screenshots of text messages and emails obtained by Lively's legal team, which she claims show deliberate attempts to damage her image.
In a statement to CNN, Lively said: “I hope that my legal action will help lift the curtain on these sinister retaliation tactics to harm people who report misconduct and help protect others who may be targeted.”
Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, has denied the allegations, calling them “false, scandalous and intentionally lewd.”
He accused Lively of making up the claims to counter her own public image challenges, which he attributed to her comments and actions during the film's promotional campaign.
“It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives made such serious and categorically false allegations… 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 the best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover, explores themes of domestic violence.
Despite tensions between the co-stars, the film was a commercial success, grossing more than $350 million at the box office. However, reports of creative differences and conflicting messages on a sensitive topic attracted public scrutiny.
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