Blake Lively Accuses 'It Ends With Us' Co-Star Justin Baldoni Of Sexual Harassment After Rumored Feud
By Favour Adegoke on December 21, 2024 at 9:15 AM EST
Updated on December 21, 2024 at 11:02 AM EST
Blake Lively has reportedly sued her "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment, claiming that he took part in a campaign to ruin her reputation.
According to the lawsuit, Lively had a list of demands for Baldoni, which implied he had made several unsavory comments at her during the filming of their movie, including remarks about her weight and his past "pornography addiction."
Justin Baldoni's team has swiftly responded to Blake Lively's lawsuit, calling it an attempt to repair her seemingly damaged reputation.
Blake Lively's Lawsuit Reveals Alleged Wild Behavior By Justin Baldoni
Lively and Baldoni's names were the subject of a heated debate months ago during the press run of their movie "It Ends With Us." At the time, fans noticed an icy air between the co-stars.
There were also rumors of an on-set feud, with sources claiming Lively felt disrespected by Baldoni's comments about her weight, amongst other things.
These claims have now seemingly been solidified by a lawsuit filed by Lively, in which she accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, stating that his behavior caused her "severe emotional distress."
Lively's lawsuit noted that things got so heated on set that they had a meeting where she gave a list of demands regarding Baldoni's conduct on the set of their movie.
Blake Lively's List Of Demands Highlights Justin Baldoni's Alleged Sexual Harassment
According to TMZ, Lively's demands included that she wouldn't be shown "nude videos or images of women" and no more mention of Baldoni's alleged past "pornography addiction."
She requested that Baldoni cease discussing his "sexual conquests" in front of her and others on set, no more mentions of the cast and crew's private parts, no more questions about Lively's weight, and that her late father's name should also never be mentioned.
Other demands in the suit included no more "adding of sex scenes, oral sex or on camera climaxing by BL outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project."
Sony Pictures, which is in charge of the movie's distribution, agreed to Lively's demands, per the lawsuit. However, the actress claims Baldoni orchestrated a "social manipulation" campaign to "destroy" her reputation.
Justin Baldoni's Lawyers Slam Blake Lively's Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, swiftly criticized Lively's lawsuit, calling it an attempt to "fix her negative reputation."
He also called the actress' allegations "false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt."
According to TMZ, Freedman further described Lively as a nightmare to work with, "threatening to not showing up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release."
Blake Lively Was Called Out By Fans For The Way She Promoted The Film In Her Interviews
A major gripe between Baldoni and Lively was reportedly about the marketing of the film, where Lively sought an "upbeat pitch" about the resilience of the character, while Baldoni wanted the marketing of the movie to focus on domestic violence.
Fans, in particular, didn't take it lightly on the "Savages" actress after she hosted an interview with her "It Ends With Us" co-stars Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer and the author of the novel Colleen Hoover, yet didn't discuss the theme of domestic violence in the film.
According to the Daily Mail, the four talked and laughed about several topics, including their zodiac signs and dream jobs. However, they did not mention domestic violence.
Lively had previously been criticized for her watered-down response to a reporter who asked her if people who understood "the themes of this movie" could talk to her about it if they saw her in person.
"Ask for my address or my phone number," Lively sarcastically replied. "Or I could just share my location with you and then we could."
Sources Claimed The Actress Was Worried About Her Reputation
Sources close to the "Gossip Girl" star revealed that she was scared for her career and reputation.
Lively allegedly believed her role in the movie would be "her moment to shine" but became worried that it would instead affect her career.
"Blake is definitely saddened by the hate she is getting and is trying not to let it affect her, but it is," the source said, per the Daily Mail. "She thought this was her moment to shine but is now looking at it like the end of her career. She's fearing no one will want to work with her after this."
"She really wants to continue producing and directing and acting but she knows she needs to take a step back for a minute to reassess the future," they added.