Blake Lively has filed a federal lawsuit in New York against Justin Baldoni, his crisis managers Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, and Wayfarer Studios, the production company behind the film “It Ends with Us.” The suit alleges sexual harassment, inappropriate behavior on set, and a subsequent campaign to damage Lively’s reputation. This action mirrors a previous complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Commission, detailing similar allegations.
The lawsuit alleges that the on-set environment became so hostile that an emergency meeting was held, attended by Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, to address Lively’s concerns. These concerns, according to the complaint, included the exhibition of nude images and videos of women, discussions of Baldoni’s purported past pornography addiction, inappropriate sexual comments, and disrespectful remarks about Lively’s weight and deceased father. While the studio reportedly agreed to cease these behaviors, a dispute arose over the film’s marketing strategy. Lively advocated for a focus on her character’s resilience, while Baldoni reportedly prioritized the themes of domestic violence, deviating from the agreed-upon marketing plan.
Lively’s suit claims that Baldoni and his associates then launched a “social manipulation” campaign to discredit her, citing text messages between Baldoni’s and the studio’s publicists expressing a desire to “bury” Lively. The California complaint asserts this campaign caused significant business harm and severe emotional distress to Lively and her family.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, vehemently denied the allegations, characterizing them as a false attempt to improve Lively’s public image and describing them as “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.” Lively’s attorneys, in a statement to TMZ, countered that the lawsuit is a response to continued retaliation for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns, and that the defendants will now face legal consequences for their actions in federal court. The choice of New York as the venue for the suit reflects the location of many of the alleged activities. TMZ has reached out to Baldoni’s representatives for comment but has yet to receive a response.