Actress , Blake Lively , accused” It Ends with Us” producer and co-star , Justin Baldoni , of romantically harassing her and seeking to stain her notoriety after she spoke out about a “hostile work environment” that almost derailed the picture.
In a legal complaint filed this week, Beautiful alleges she raised concerns about inappropriate behavior by Baldoni, who co-founded , Wayfarer Studios, the organization that owns the picture. She even outlines problems against , Jamey Heath, the chief executive of Wayfarer and the show’s manufacturer, and labels other defendants.
” Ms. Lively , seeks to set the record straight, to keep the , Wayfarer Parties and Associates , culpable, and to glow a light on this new form of retribution so that it will not be used against any people who seek to stand up and speak out against sexual harassment”, states the problem, obtained earlier by The New York Times and the , Associated Press. The report, which is a prelude to a complaint, was officially filed Friday with the , California Civil Rights Department.
The allegations made light of the circumstances Lively and her female coworkers had to endure while filming” It Ends with Us,” a movie based on a book by author Colleen Hoover and about a person who is dealing with domestic violence and mental abuse. The video was released in August.
Bryan Freedman, an attorney who represents Baldoni,  , Wayfarer Studios , and its staff, pushed up against Lively’s allegations in a statement claiming it was a “desperate test” by the artist to mend her “negative status”.
According to Freedman,” These claims are completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with the intention to publicly disparage and rehash a narrative in the media,”
The producers of the allegations of improper behavior include the production of naked videos and images of women, remarks about Lively’s physical and weight, and making sexual remarks without authorization.
In one of the film’s scene, according to the complaint, Baldoni kissed Lively and “discreetly bit and sucked” on her lower lip even though the conduct had not been rehearsed or discussed with the actress beforehand. Additionally, he insisted that the scene be shot several times, and there wasn’t an intimacy coordinator present.
Lively is giving birth in another scene that is being portrayed as” chaotic,” and the actress was mostly naked with her legs spread wide in stirrups, according to the complaint. Apparently, Baldoni and Heath didn’t close the set, so crew members who weren’t essential to producing the scene weren’t allowed to pass through because the actress was in a vulnerable position.
Baldoni and Lively allegedly disagreed on what to film in other scenes of the film, such as the inclusion of an orgasm scene. Even though her co-star agreed to remove the scenes after Lively objected, he then pressed Lively about her and her husband actor , Ryan Reynolds ‘ , sex life, which she declined to discuss and considered “invasive”, the complaint said.
The actress claims that the producers violated a contract, inflicted emotional distress on her, and broke with state and federal law.
In January, Lively participated in a meeting about the sexual harassment allegations before the cast continued filming following the , Hollywood , strikes, according to the complaint. Additionally, other female cast and crew members had spoken out about the working environment. Another cast member had also previously accused Baldoni of sexual harassment. The cast and crew completed the movie after agreeing to abide by a contract that provided safeguards against this behavior.
According to the complaint, Baldoni was allegedly plotting to harm the actress ‘ reputation while trying to protect his public image as the cast and crew tried to promote the movie before its release.
” Mr. Baldoni , and his Wayfarer associates embarked on a sophisticated press and digital plan in retaliation for , Ms. Lively , exercising her legally-protected right to speak up about their misconduct on the set, with the additional objective of intimidating her and anyone else from revealing in public what actually occurred”, the complaint said.
The” sophisticated” plan allegedly involved hiring publicists, crisis managers and a , Texas  , subcontractor , Jed Wallace , who helped create and promote social media content that harmed Lively’s reputation, according to the complaint.
It was also heavily funded. Wayfarer co-founder and co-chairman , Steve Sarowitz, who is a billionaire, allegedly said he was prepared to spend$ 100 million to ruin Lively’s life and her family, according to the complaint.
Additionally, Wayfarer and Baldoni retained The Agency Group PR ( TAG ), who suggested that they publish online opinions and comments that appear to be from individuals but are actually from a business or political party. The price for the firm’s PR crisis services, which would span several months, ranged from$ 75, 000 to$ 175, 000, according to the complaint.
Freedman, the attorney who representing Baldoni,  , Wayfarer Studios , and its representatives, defended his clients ‘ decision to hire a crisis manager prior to the marketing campaign for the film “due to the multiple demands and threats made by , Ms. Lively , during production which included her threatening to not showing up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release, if her demands were not met”.
According to Lively, the campaign against her appeared to be successful and included charts that showed a rise in negative online comments about her. Additionally, it allegedly caused Lively’s reputation, her businesses, and emotional distress to the actress and her family.
In one incident, Baldoni even claimed he could talk to the dead, telling Lively he had talked to her dead father.
She frequently chooses not to venture outside in public on days when she has struggled to get out of bed, according to the complaint. ” While she has fought to maintain her personal life and business interests, behind closed doors she has suffered from grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety”.
According to the complaint, Lively struggled to appear at public events because of the negative online reviews. In , September 2024, she backed out of hosting” Saturday Night Live”, an episode that would kick off the show’s 50th anniversary season.
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