Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against her It Ends with Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment.
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Months after rumors surfaced of behind-the-scenes tensions on the set, the 37-year-old actress’s lawsuit claims that Justin Baldoni’s behavior caused her “severe emotional distress.” According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, the claims highlight allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation during the production of It Ends with Us.
Per the outlet, the lawsuit details a meeting held to discuss Lively’s allegations and her conditions for participating in the film. Among those in attendance was her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
According to TMZ, the demands addressed in the lawsuit 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 further mentions of cast and crew’s genitalia, no more inquiries about Blake’s weight, and no further mention of Blake’s dead father.”
“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,” were also other requests detailed in the lawsuit, per TMZ.
TMZ reports that the lawsuit alleges Sony Pictures, the film’s distributor, agreed to Lively’s requests. However, Lively claims in the filing that Baldoni later engaged in a campaign of “social manipulation” aimed at damaging her reputation.
Justin Baldoni’s Legal Team Pushes Back at Blake Lively’s Lawsuit
Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, pushed back, explaining to TMZ that Lively’s lawsuit is an attempt to “fix her negative reputation.” He also stated that her allegations are “false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.”
Freedman also claimed that Lively caused issues on the set of the film, “threatening to not showing up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release.”
Earlier this year, allegations about Baldoni’s conduct emerged when The Daily Mail published a report accusing him of being “chauvinistic” and “borderline abusive” on the set of It Ends with Us.
Rumors of tension between Lively and Baldoni began circulating during the movie’s press tour. Most of the cast stopped following Justin Baldoni on Instagram and avoided attending press events with him, including the film’s premiere.