In a legal complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department, actress Blake Lively has accused her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, of sexual harassment during production.
The complaint reveals disturbing text messages between Baldoni and his PR team, which Lively claims show a deliberate campaign to tarnish her reputation after she and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, reported repeated harassment on set.
The legal documents, submitted on Friday, outline a complex “multi-tiered” strategy by Baldoni’s crisis management team to shift the narrative and undermine Lively’s character.
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Among the allegations, Lively claims Baldoni hired PR professionals to plant negative stories about her in the press and social media.
Key excerpts from the text messages highlight disturbing PR tactics, including:
A proposal for a £175k PR package focused on “full social media take downs” and extensive online damage control.
A $25k/month PR deal to create “social fan engagement” to counter any negative backlash.
Baldoni requesting a “TikTok strategy” centered on discussing domestic violence to bolster the film’s marketing.
Other shocking texts reveal Baldoni’s PR team plotting how to portray Lively as “horrible to work with,” with one message even joking about “burying anyone” who posed a threat to the narrative.
Lively also claims that Baldoni’s team took proactive measures to remove her from the promotional efforts surrounding the film.
In response, a lawyer representing Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios vehemently denies the allegations, calling them “completely false” and accusing Lively of attempting to “fix her negative reputation.”
Lively’s legal action is not only aimed at holding Baldoni accountable but also at shedding light on retaliatory tactics used to silence individuals who speak out against misconduct.
In a statement, Lively expressed hope that her case would expose such tactics and protect future victims of harassment.
Despite these claims, Baldoni continued to distance himself from the promotion of It Ends With Us, while Lively, supported by Reynolds, dominated the film’s press tour.
The film, based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, was released in August, amidst ongoing speculation about tensions between the lead actors.
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