close
close

Blake Lively is accusing ‘It All Ends With Us’ co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and reputational revenge, but he denies it.

Blake Lively is accusing ‘It All Ends With Us’ co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and reputational revenge, but he denies it.

Blake Lively has accused her It All Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation in a civil rights lawsuit, claiming he and his team hatched a “plan” to “destroy” her reputation.

In a complaint filed with the California Division of Civil Rights on Friday and received The New York TimesLively claims that a meeting was held during the filming of “It All Ends With Us” to address a “hostile work environment that nearly derailed the production.” Lively expressed concern about “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior by Mr. Baldoni.” The complaint states that her husband, actor and producer Ryan Reynolds, who was Lively’s chosen one, was present at the meeting.

According to the complaint, the parties “discussed in detail the inappropriate conduct of Ms. Lively, her staff and other cast and crew by Mr. Baldoni” and the film’s producer, Jamie Heath. They then agreed that Lively and her staff would no longer be shown nude videos or images of women, no more mention of the couple’s alleged pornography addiction, “no more descriptions of their own genitalia” and no more disparaging comments sent to Lively or her staff, according to complaints They also agreed that an intimacy coordinator would be present the entire time Lively was on set for scenes with Baldoni.

It’s All Over Us is based on Colleen Hoover’s hit 2016 novel of the same name and centers on domestic violence in a couple portrayed on screen by Lively and Baldoni.

The complaint, which is a precursor to the lawsuit, names Baldoni as a defendant, as well as his production company, Wayfarer Studios, his publicist, Heath, and his crisis public relations manager.

Lively, who is also a producer of the film, “is committed to clarifying the situation, holding the Wayfarer parties and partners accountable, and shining a light on this new form of retaliation so that it is not used against others who try to stand up and speak out against sexual harassment,” – the complaint states.

Brian Friedman, an attorney for Baldoni, Heath and Wayfarer Studios, denied the allegations in a statement to CNN.

“These statements are completely false, outrageous and intentionally obscene to publicly offend and reframe the media narrative,” Friedman said.

“It is disgraceful that Ms. Lively and her representatives are making such serious and blatantly false allegations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and their representatives as another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation, which,” Friedman added, “was derived from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities observed publicly, in real time and without editing, that allowed the Internet to generate its own views and opinions.’

Wayfarer proactively hired a crisis PR manager, Friedman said, because of “numerous demands and threats” made by Lively during the film’s production, alleging that she threatened “not to show up on set” and “not to promote the film, which ultimately led to her death at the time of dismissal, if her demands are not met.”

Baldoni’s lawyer also accused Lively’s team of spreading “negative, completely fabricated and false media stories” about Baldoni before the film’s release.

In a statement to CNN, Lively said, “I hope my lawsuit will help pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about wrongdoing, and help protect others who may be targeted.”

It All Ends With Us was a commercial success, grossing over $350 million at the box office. However, there are reports of creative differences and on-set tension between Lively and Baldoni. They did not promote the film together, and there was an online debate about how they dealt with the issue of domestic violence, a central element of the film’s plot, in their individual promotional work for the film.

The-CNN-Wire & 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.