Blake Lively has accused Justin Baldoni, her co-star and director on “It Ends With Us,” of sexual harassment. Lively also claims Baldoni orchestrated an online smear campaign to tarnish her reputation.
Court documents obtained by The New York Times detail a meeting addressing Baldoni’s behavior. Attendees reportedly included Lively’s husband, actor Ryan Reynolds.
Key issues raised in the meeting included hiring a full-time intimacy coordinator and banning Baldoni from referencing his past pornography addiction during interactions with Lively. According to the complaint, Baldoni also requested Lively’s trainer to disclose her weight without her consent.
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Lively further alleges inappropriate behavior from producer Jamey Heath, who reportedly showed her a personal video of his wife giving birth.
The accusations extend to Baldoni attempting to add graphic scenes to the script without Lively’s approval. Texts and emails obtained through a subpoena reveal Baldoni’s team plotted to smear Lively if she went public with her concerns.
Evidence of a smear campaign
In one text dated August 2, a publicist working with Baldoni stated his intention to “bury” Lively. Another exchange suggested modeling the campaign after a viral social media thread accusing a celebrity of bullying. The strategy reportedly wanted to focus on platforms like Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram.
Jed Wallace, described as a “hired gun,” allegedly led the digital strategy. Messages between Wallace and Baldoni’s crisis management team indicate positive efforts in “shift[ing] the narrative” on social media.
Lively’s career impacted
Lively’s team says the alleged smear campaign has reportedly affected her career. She canceled a Target corporate event for her haircare company and withdrew from hosting Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary premiere in September.
In a statement, Lively said, “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct.”
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, denied the allegations, calling them “false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.” Freedman accused Lively of threatening to boycott the film’s promotion unless they met her demands.
Since the filing, Baldoni has been dropped by WME Talent Agency. Lively remains on as a client.
[kennedy felton]
Blake Lively is accusing her co-star, Justin Baldoni, of sexual harassment on the set of the movie “It Ends With Us,” as well as coordinating an elaborate online smear campaign against the actress.
The studio and Baldoni, who also serves as the film’s director, allegedly orchestrated efforts to “destroy” Lively’s public image and reputation.
Court documents obtained by The New York Times reveal a meeting was held to address Baldoni’s actions. Attendees included Lively’s husband, actor Ryan Reynolds.
Key issues discussed included hiring a full-time intimacy coordinator and prohibiting Baldoni from referencing his past pornography addiction or sexual experiences during interactions with Lively.
Additionally, the complaint states Baldoni requested Lively’s trainer disclose her weight without her permission.
Lively further alleges Jamey Heath, a producer on the film and CEO of Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios, added to the inappropriate workplace environment by showing her a personal video of his wife giving birth.
The allegations extend to Baldoni attempting to modify the script by adding graphic scenes without Lively’s consent. Following the meeting, thousands of texts and emails uncovered through a subpoena found Baldoni and his team plotting to tarnish her image if Lively went public with her concerns.
In one text dated August 2, a publicist working with Baldoni stated his intention to “bury” Lively.
In which crisis management expert Melissa Nathan replied, “You know we can bury anyone.”
On August 5, Baldoni allegedly suggested to his publicist, Jennifer Abel, an example of a smear campaign focusing on a viral social media thread accusing another female celebrity of bullying, stating “This is what we would need.”
Abel responded saying she had spoken to the crisis management expert about this, adding they should focus on Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram for the campaign.
All the while, Jed Wallace, a self-described “hired gun,” went on to lead a digital strategy that helped boost social media posts that would help Baldoni and his team. Wallace later tells crisis management expert Melissa Nathan “We are crushing it on Reddit” in a text she sent to Baldoni’s publicist. On August 10, an employee of Nathan says they’ve started to see a shift on social media, largely thanks to Wallace and his team to quote “shift the narrative.”
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, denied the allegations in a statement to The Times, accusing Lively of even threatening to not appear on set or promote the film unless her demands were met.
However, the alleged smear campaign appears to have impacted Lively’s career. She canceled a Target corporate event for her haircare company and withdrew from hosting Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary premiere in September.
More criticism followed when Lively revealed in a red-carpet interview that Reynolds, who is not involved with the film, helped write some scenes.
In a statement to The Times, Lively expressed hope that her legal action would expose the harmful tactics used against those who report misconduct.
Since the filing, Baldoni has been dropped by WME talent agency, while Lively remains a client.
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