Actress Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, her director and co-star in "It Ends With Us," alleging sexual harassment and coordinated retaliation through a smear campaign.
The lawsuit, filed with the California Civil Rights department, details disturbing behavior during the film's production. Lively claims Baldoni improvised unwanted kissing scenes and frequently made inappropriate sexual comments on set. The complaint also names producer Jamey Heath for alleged misconduct, including showing Lively explicit personal content and violating her privacy in her trailer.
According to documents reviewed by The New York Times, the situation became so problematic that an emergency meeting was held with Sony Pictures, where Lively, accompanied by her husband Ryan Reynolds, presented specific demands regarding on-set conduct and scene requirements.
The lawsuit reveals that while Sony Pictures and Wayfarer Studios initially agreed to implement protective measures, including hiring an intimacy coordinator, Baldoni and his team allegedly orchestrated a calculated campaign to damage Lively's reputation after production wrapped.
"I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct," Lively stated to The New York Times.
Baldoni's legal representative, Bryan Freedman, strongly denies the allegations, calling them "categorically false" and "shameful" in a statement to Variety.
The film, which addresses themes of domestic violence, has earned nearly $350 million worldwide, though the lawsuit claims the behind-the-scenes conflict impacted its full potential success.