Blake Lively sues Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment amid “It Ends With Us” controversy

Blake Lively sued Justin Baldoni, the “It Ends With Us” director, for sexual harassment. 

The actress claims in a bombshell lawsuit that Baldoni tried to slander her and caused her and her family “severe emotional distress” (TMZ).

In a Variety statement, Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios lawyer Bryan Freedman responded to Lively’s claim. He termed the lawsuit “shameful” and “categorically false accusations.”

A meeting addressed Lively’s claims and demands for working on “It Ends With Us,” according to the lawsuit TMZ received. Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, reportedly attended the meeting.

According to TMZ, the demands included “no more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake, no more mention of Baldoni’s alleged previous “pornography addiction,” “no more discussions about sexual conquests in front of Blake and others,” “no more mentions of the cast and crew’s genitalia,” “no more inquiries about Blake’s weight,” and “no more mention of Blake’s dead father.”

Lively also allegedly told Baldoni not to add any more “sex scenes, oral sex, or on-camera climaxing” beyond what was in the script she approved before filming. According to TMZ, Sony Pictures granted Lively’s wishes, but the complaint accuses Baldoni of “social manipulation” and “destroying” Lively’s reputation later.

“It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its representatives in another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation, which was earned from her own remarks and actions during the film campaign; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time, and unedited, allowing the internet to generate their.

“These claims are completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media,” Freedman said.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 06: Blake Lively attends the “It Ends With Us” New York Premiere (Photo by Cindy Ord/ Getty Images via AFP)

Wayfarer Studios made the decision to hire a crisis manager prior to the film’s marketing campaign, partnering with their own Jonesworks representative, Stephanie Jones. This decision was made in response to Ms. Lively’s persistent demands and threats during production, which included threats to not show up to set, to not promote the film, and even to destroy the film during its release. Wayfarer Studios hired a crisis professional to initiate internal scenario planning after discovering that Ms. Lively had enlisted her own representative, Leslie Sloan from Vision PR, who also represents Mr. Reynolds, to spread negative and completely fabricated stories in the media before the film’s marketing began.

The letter continues that Wayfarer Studios representatives only replied to media inquiries to guarantee balanced and factual reporting and monitored social activity. The cherry-picked communication lacks evidence of proactive media or other actions, instead relying solely on internal scenario preparation and private correspondence for strategic planning, a common practice among public relations experts.

Lively and Baldoni never promoted “It Ends With Us” together, so rumors of a dispute arose during the press tour last August. Sony made $350 million globally from the picture. “It Ends With Us” is based on Colleen Hoover’s popular novel, including her sequel, “It Starts With Us.” After the film’s release, a source told Variety that there was probably no world where these two would work together again.