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Blake Lively Accuses Justin Baldoni of Sexual Harassment

Blake Lively has made serious allegations against her director and co-star, Justin Baldoni, in relation to their collaboration on the film “It Ends With Us.” In a striking legal filing, she has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, asserting that he attempted to orchestrate a smear campaign against her. Lively claims that Baldoni’s actions caused her and her family “severe emotional distress,” as detailed in a legal complaint obtained by the New York Times. In response, Bryan Freedman, who represents Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, has vehemently denied Lively’s claims. He characterized the lawsuit as “shameful” and filled with “categorically false accusations.”

Details of the Allegations

The complaint lodged with the California Civil Rights Department outlines a meeting that took place during the filming of “It Ends With Us” to address Lively’s concerns regarding her treatment on set. Her husband, Ryan Reynolds, was present during this important meeting. The document claims that Lively made several demands, including prohibitions on showing nude videos or images of women, refraining from discussing Baldoni’s alleged “pornography addiction,” and avoiding any discussions concerning sexual conquests in the presence of herself or others. Additionally, the complaints extended to inappropriate inquiries about her weight, discussions regarding the genitalia of cast and crew, and even references to her deceased father.

Lively’s Additional Demands

Lively reportedly insisted that Baldoni not extend any scenes of a sexual nature beyond what had already been scripted and approved prior to filming. According to the complaint, while Sony Pictures, the film’s distributor, accepted Lively’s requests, it further alleges that Baldoni engaged in “social manipulation” and initiated a campaign intended to “destroy” Lively’s public image following their disputes.

The legal Back-and-Forth

Variety has reached out to both representatives for Sony Pictures and Lively for further commentary regarding the situation. The statement made by Baldoni’s lawyer includes pointed denial of all allegations, suggesting that Lively and her team are attempting to rectify any negative publicity that may have arisen from her own past comments and actions during the film’s promotional campaign.

Accusations of a Smear Campaign

Freedman’s statement condemns the accusations as “completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious,” claiming that their purpose is to inflict public harm and resurrect damaging narratives in the media. The assertion emphasizes that Wayfarer Studios made the strategic decision to hire a crisis management professional prior to the film’s marketing campaign due to the multiple demands and perceived threats made by Lively during production. They allege that these included threats against her participation in the film and its promotional activities, which could potentially jeopardize the film’s release.

A Toxic Work Environment?

Moreover, it is claimed that Lively employed her own public relations representative to disseminate negative information about Baldoni, well in advance of any marketing efforts. This scenario underscores the complicated dynamic between the two and suggests a deeply fraught production environment. In sharp contrast, Baldoni’s team maintains that no proactive measures were taken to engage the media in response to Lively’s demands. Instead, they focused entirely on internal strategy development to anticipate potential media inquiries.

Repercussions and Industry Impact

Rumors regarding interpersonal tensions between Lively and Baldoni circulated widely during the film’s promotional tour last August, especially since the two did not conduct any promotional activities together. Despite this controversy, “It Ends With Us” emerged as a significant box office success, grossing approximately $350 million globally. The film is rooted in a bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover, who has already released a sequel titled “It Starts With Us.” However, insiders have speculated that a movie adaptation of this sequel may be unlikely, given the strained relationship between Lively and Baldoni.

How AI legalese decoder Can Help

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