Blake Lively accuses It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni of a smear campaign

Blake Lively has filed a legal complaint against It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment and a campaign to “ruin” her reputation.

According to legal filings, she accused Mr. Baldoni and his team of attacking her public image after a meeting in which she brought along her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, to address “harassment” persistent sexual and other disruptive behavior” by Mr. Baldoni and a producer. on film.

Mr Baldoni’s legal team told the BBC the allegations were “completely false” and said they had hired a crisis manager because Ms Lively had threatened to ruin the film unless required Her request was met.

In this romantic drama, Lively plays a woman in a relationship with a charming but abusive boyfriend, played by Mr. Baldoni.

The meeting between Ms Lively and Mr Baldoni, along with others involved in the film’s production, took place on January 4 this year and was aimed at addressing a “hostile work environment”, legal filings say. on set.

Lively’s husband, Deadpool star Mr. Reynolds, who does not appear in It Ends With Us, joined her at the face-off, according to the legal complaint, which is a step before a lawsuit.

Mr. Baldoni, 40, attended the meeting as co-chairman and co-founder of the film’s production company, Wayfarer Studios. He is also the director of the film.

In the legal complaint, Ms. Lively’s lawyers allege that both Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer’s chief executive, Jamey Heath, engaged in “inappropriate and unwelcome conduct toward Ms. Lively and others.” on the set of It Ends With Us”.

In a filing with the California Department of Civil Rights, a list of 30 demands related to the pair’s alleged misconduct were presented at the meeting to ensure they could continue production on the film.

Among them, Ms. Lively, 37, asked that no further mention of Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath’s former “pornography addiction” to Ms. Lively or other crew members, not be described. further description of their own genitalia to Ms. Lively, and “no more.” BL adds scenes of sexual intercourse, oral sex or orgasm on camera [Blake Lively] is outside the scope of the BL script approved when signing the project,” the complaint said.

Ms. Lively also asked Mr. Baldoni to stop saying he could talk to her dead father.

Ms Lively’s legal team also accused Mr Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios of leading a “multi-layered scheme” to destroy her reputation.

She alleges this was “the intended result of a carefully crafted, coordinated and resourced retaliation plan to silence her and others from speaking out about the hostile environment that Mr. and Mr. Heath created”.

Responding to the legal complaint, Mr Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said on Saturday: “It is disgraceful that Ms Lively and her representatives make such serious and clearly false allegations to Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives.”

Mr. Freedman accused Ms. Lively of making numerous demands and threats, including “threats not to appear on set, threats not to promote the movie,” which would ultimately “lead to the movie being shut down.” within the release period, if her request is not met”. .

He alleged that Ms Lively’s statements were “deliberately obscene with the intention of publicly hurting and republishing a story in the media”.

In a statement through her lawyer to the BBC, Ms Lively said: “I hope that my legal action will help lift the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics aimed at harming those who speak out about misconduct and help protect others who may be targets.”

She also denied that she or any of her representatives planted or spread negative information about Mr. Baldoni or the Traveler.

The film was a box office success, although some critics said it romanticized domestic violence.

Shortly after the August release, another co-star, Brandon Sklenar, hinted in an Instagram post at rumors of a rift between Ms Lively and Mr Baldoni.

Rumors of a rift only grew stronger when they did not appear together on the red carpet.

It Ends With Us tells the story of Boston flower girl Lily Bloom, played by Lively, as she navigates a love triangle between her charming but abusive boyfriend, Ryle Kincaid, played by Mr. Baldoni role, and her compassionate first love, Atlas Corrigan, was played by her. Mr. Sklenar.

It is based on the best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover. The 45-year-old author previously said her inspiration was the domestic abuse her mother endured.

In an interview with the BBC at the film’s premiere in August, Lively said she felt “a responsibility to serve people who care a lot about the source material”.

“I really feel like we delivered a story that was emotional and fun but also funny, painful, scary, tragic and inspiring,” the actress said. That’s life, it has every color.”

Ms Lively, who is also credited as a producer, told the BBC she felt the film was made “with a lot of empathy”.

“Lily is a survivor and a victim and although they are big names, this is not her identity,” Ms Lively said. “She defines herself and I think that’s deeply empowering when no one else can define you.”