Actress Blake Lively has accused her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment during the filming in a legal filing.
Lively, 37, further alleges that 40-year-old Baldoni along with the studio connected to the production hatched a subsequent “multi-layered scheme” to tarnish her reputation.
The filing, lodged on Friday with the California Civil Rights Department as reported by the New York Times, precedes a lawsuit and lists Baldoni, the studio, and his publicists as defendants.
The documents indicate that Lively asserts the assault on her reputation was initiated following complaints made by her and her spouse, Ryan Reynolds, 48, regarding “persistent sexual harassment and other unsettling behavior” from Baldoni and a producer involved in the film.
The complaint suggests that the strategy involved creating rumors on online forums, orchestrating a social media campaign, and disseminating negative news articles about Lively.
A lawyer representing Justin Baldoni (depicted) refutes the allegations. Pic AP
Additionally, it is claimed that Baldoni “suddenly shifted away from” the marketing strategy for the film and “utilized domestic violence ‘survivor content’ to safeguard his public persona.”
Bryan Freedman, the attorney representing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its representatives, stated: “These allegations are entirely false, outrageous, and deliberately sensational with the intent to publicly harm and revive a narrative in the media.”
He added that the studio had “proactively” employed a crisis manager due to “the numerous demands and threats made by Ms. Lively during the filming process.”
Mr Freedman also mentioned that Lively threatened to refrain from appearing on set and promoting the film “if her conditions were not satisfied,” although those conditions were not disclosed.
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Lively refuted any allegations of disseminating or promoting negative information regarding Baldoni and the studio to the New York Times.
“I hope that my legal actions will help expose these malevolent retaliatory tactics aimed at harming individuals who speak out against misconduct and assist in safeguarding others who might be targeted,” she communicated to the publication.
The August premiere of It Ends With Us, based on Colleen Hoover’s acclaimed 2016 novel, was clouded by speculation surrounding tensions between the leading actors.
Baldoni took a subordinate role in promoting the film while Lively took the spotlight alongside Reynolds, who was simultaneously engaged in the media circuit for Deadpool & Wolverine.
