Blake Lively sues Justin Baldoni for harassment and reputation destruction during film production

Actress accuses co-star of sexual harassment and a campaign to ruin her reputation during ‘It Ends with Us’ filming.

Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against her former ‘It Ends with Us’ co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and a coordinated effort to destroy her reputation. 

The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, claims that Baldoni’s behavior created a hostile work environment during the film’s production. Lively alleges the situation became so severe that an all-hands-on-deck meeting was called to address the issues, with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, among the attendees.

Lively’s legal team outlines a series of demands she made in response to Baldoni’s alleged conduct, including requests for no more showing of nude videos or images of women, cessation of discussions about Baldoni’s alleged pornography addiction, and no further comments about her weight or deceased father. She also requested that no additional explicit scenes, including sex or oral sex, be added to the script without her approval. According to the lawsuit, these demands were approved by the studio.

Despite these actions, the lawsuit claims the film’s marketing became a point of conflict. Lively wanted the film to focus on her character’s resilience, while Baldoni favored emphasizing the theme of domestic violence. Lively alleges that Baldoni and his team then orchestrated a "social manipulation" campaign to damage her reputation, causing both personal and professional harm. The suit includes texts from Baldoni’s publicist discussing how to "bury" Lively’s image.

In response, Baldoni’s legal team has vehemently denied the allegations. Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, described the claims as "false, outrageous," and an attempt to salvage Lively’s public image. He further argued that Lively was difficult to work with on set, allegedly threatening to not show up or promote the film, contributing to its poor reception. Freedman also addressed accusations that Baldoni asked about Lively’s weight, claiming it was due to concerns over his own back issues, not fat-shaming.

This ongoing legal battle has sparked significant media attention, with both sides accusing each other of misconduct.