Blake Lively has filed a formal complaint accusing her “It Ends With Us” director and co-star, Justin Baldoni, of sexual harassment and orchestrating a campaign to damage her reputation. The allegations, detailed in a complaint submitted to the California Civil Rights Department, precede a potential lawsuit. Baldoni, his publicists, and the studio behind the movie are named as defendants.
Lively alleges that Baldoni and a producer engaged in repeated harassment, including inappropriate discussions and actions during production. She also claims that after raising concerns with Baldoni and the studio, a coordinated effort was launched to undermine her credibility. This alleged campaign included planting false narratives online and engineering negative publicity against her.
According to the complaint, Lively’s husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, joined her during a meeting with Baldoni and studio representatives to address these concerns. During the meeting, Lively outlined several demands, including stricter boundaries on set. Among these were prohibitions on discussing sensitive topics, displaying inappropriate material, and unapproved physical contact during scenes. An intimacy coordinator was also requested for scenes involving Baldoni and Lively.
Lively claims that her requests were initially agreed to but later ignored. Additionally, she alleges that the studio hired crisis management professionals to support Baldoni’s image while attempting to discredit her. In her statement, Lively expressed hope that her legal actions would protect others from similar retaliation for speaking out about misconduct.
Baldoni’s attorney has dismissed the allegations as unfounded and accused Lively of making unreasonable demands during production. The legal team also stated that the studio’s actions were taken in response to what they described as her threats to disrupt production.
The movie, “It Ends With Us,” is based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel and addresses themes of domestic violence. While the film performed well at the box office, its release has been overshadowed by ongoing controversy between its leading actors.
This case raises questions about the measures in place to ensure safety and respect in professional environments. For more insights into workplace rights and advocacy, visit EEOC.
