Blake Lively sued her co-star and “It Ends with Us” director, Justin Baldoni, for sexual harassment and emotional distress. The resultant uproar has silenced any adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel.
Months after rumors of tension on set, 37-year-old Lively has filed a lawsuit against 40-year-old Baldoni, alleging inappropriate behavior that left her in severe emotional distress. According to court documents, the lawsuit describes a number of incidents that compelled Lively to demand changes on set to guarantee her safety and comfort.
Allegations and Set Demands
The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, outlines very specific acts of wrongdoing by Baldoni, including showing inappropriate pictures and inappropriately talking about explicit topics, in addition to comments about Lively’s weight and personal life. Among the various reported demands that came up at a meeting involving Sony Pictures, Lively, and husband Ryan Reynolds were demands regarding no showing of explicit materials or discussion of personal issues not related to the project.
Restrictions against adding explicit scenes that were not in the original script Lively had approved. A halt to any mentions of her late father, a topic that Lively found particularly distressing.
Sony Pictures allegedly agreed to these terms. However, Lively claims that Baldoni subsequently engaged in what she describes as a “social manipulation campaign” to harm her reputation.
Baldoni’s Response and Legal Standoff
Bryan Freedman, a lawyer for Baldoni, has described the charges against his client as “false and intentionally salacious.” He says the lawsuit is a “transparent attempt by Lively to distract from her own actions” and brings up Lively’s disruptive on-set behavior.
Freedman also blamed poor box office performance partly on Lively’s “threats not to show up or promote the movie.”
Fallout from the Controversy
This also is not the first complaint about Baldoni; prior press described him as “chauvinistic” and “impossible” to work with on set. Rumors of tension between Lively and Baldoni appeared during the movie’s press tour in apparent hints by insiders of unresolved conflicts.
Offscreen drama has overshadowed “It Ends with Us,” which narrates the story of Lily’s turbulent relationship with Ryle. Sources from the set insinuated deeper issues between the cast members and Baldoni. The lawsuit snowballed into a broad debate about workplace conduct in Hollywood, and for the moment, both sides stood firm as the case ground on, fans and insiders waiting for further developments.
