Blake Lively files lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, director of ‘It Ends With Us’, for sexual harassment.

Blake Lively has reportedly taken legal action against Justin Baldoni, her co-star and director in the movie It Ends With Us. She has accused him of sexual harassment and plotting to damage her reputation.

Justin Baldoni’s legal team responded strongly to Lively’s complaint, labeling her claims as baseless and defaming. They refuted the allegations against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios.

Lively claimed in her filing that the on-set conditions became increasingly difficult, leading to a team meeting being called to address her concerns over a hostile workplace environment.

The demands discussed during that meeting, as detailed in documents first acquired by TMZ, included requests to stop showing explicit images or videos to Lively, cease discussions of Baldoni’s alleged “pornography addiction,” and end conversations about sexual experiences or comments about cast and crew members’ bodies. Another demand included refraining from inquiries about Lively’s weight.

Additionally, the filing stated: “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.”

The complaint claimed that Wayfarer Studios accepted and implemented these demands. The cast and crew were contractually required to promote the film in a manner that emphasized the strength and resilience of Lively’s character, Lily, rather than framing it as a narrative centered on domestic violence. Marketing was intended to focus on the film’s hopeful elements, avoiding portrayals that made it seem “sad or heavy.”

However, as the film’s release approached, Baldoni reportedly shifted the narrative to highlight the story’s serious themes. According to the filing, this was an effort to counteract criticism stemming from cast and crew unfollowing him on social media and refusing to appear with him publicly. The complaint alleged Baldoni and his team utilized “domestic violence ‘survivor content’” to bolster his image.

Lively further accused Baldoni and his associates of running a campaign to tarnish her reputation. The filing included 22 pages of text messages from Baldoni’s publicist to Melissa Nathan of TAG, where Nathan reportedly suggested strategies to undermine Lively’s standing. One message read, “we can’t write we will destroy her.”

In a statement to The New York Times, Lively expressed her hope that her legal action would expose “sinister retaliatory tactics” used against individuals who report misconduct. She added, “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”

Bryan Freedman, attorney for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter refuting the claims. He said, “It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions.”

Freedman continued, calling the allegations “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.” He added that Wayfarer Studios preemptively hired a crisis manager due to threats and demands from Lively during production, including her alleged threats to skip filming or promotional events unless her conditions were met.

He also claimed that Lively’s representative, Leslie Sloan of Vision PR, planted “negative and completely fabricated” stories about the production in the media. Despite this, Freedman stated that Wayfarer Studios only responded to media inquiries to ensure accurate reporting and did not engage in retaliatory actions.

Speculation about behind-the-scenes tension between Lively and Baldoni had been circulating for months. Rumors were fueled by Baldoni’s absence from joint press events, the lack of group photos at the New York premiere, and the fact that Lively, author Colleen Hoover, and co-star Jenny Slate do not follow Baldoni on Instagram.

Plans for a sequel based on Hoover’s It Starts With Us remain uncertain. While Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios holds the rights to the sequel, ongoing tensions could complicate any future collaboration between the co-stars and co-producers.

Both Lively and Baldoni have faced criticism since the film’s release in August. Lively was scrutinized for her upbeat interviews and promotion of her hair-care line, which some felt clashed with the film’s serious subject matter. Baldoni, meanwhile, has been accused of fostering a workplace environment that alienated Lively and other cast members.