Blake Lively has filed a legal complaint against her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, alleging a coordinated effort to damage her reputation after she reported sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior on set. Filed Friday (December 20) with the California Civil Rights Department, the complaint cited text messages showing Baldoni's PR team allegedly orchestrating online smear campaigns.
Highlights
- Blake Lively filed a lawsuit alleging a coordinated smear campaign by her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni.
- Subpoenaed text messages showed Baldoni's PR team orchestrating negative narratives against Lively.
- Lively reported repeated inappropriate behavior and boundary violations on set.
- Baldoni allegedly used survivor content to protect his public image amid allegations.
During the shooting of the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us, a romantic drama that explores themes of domestic violence and emotional abuse, Lively complained that the men on set had repeatedly violated physical boundaries and made sexual and other inappropriate comments to her.
Baldoni, the director and a star of the film, and Jamey Heath, the lead producer, subsequently hired a crisis public relations expert last summer.
Their studio, Wayfarer, agreed to provide safeguards on set and promised not to retaliate against Lively.
Blake Lively has filed a legal complaint against her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni
Image credits: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
However, her new legal complaint alleged the studio later worked to harm her reputation to protect their own, supported by subpoenaed texts and emails.
The legal complaint, filed to the California Civil Rights Department on Friday, contained pages of text messages allegedly sent between Baldoni and his PR team.
The text messages, which Lively reportedly said she acquired through a subpoena, involved exchanges between Jennifer Abel of PR firm RWA Communications, Melissa Nathan of The Agency Group PR, and Baldoni, Sky News reported on Sunday (December 22).
The text messages reportedly appeared to date between May 15 and August 18 this year. It Ends With Us was released on 9 August.
Image credits: Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
The texts included details of two quotes of PR packages - one costing "£175k" for a "3-4 month period" including "full Reddit, full social account takedowns."
Other messages featured another PR package costing "$25k per month" for "min 3 months" that includes "creation of social fan engagement to go back and forth with any negative accounts, helping to change the narrative and stay on track."
As per the leaked messages, Baldoni asked Abel "What is the TikTok strategy" and said, "I'd like you guys to start posting me ONLY talking about domestic violence and clips and why this movie is so important.”
Abel told Nathan in a text message that she was "having reckless thoughts of wanting to plant pieces this week of how horrible Blake is to work with."
She alleged a coordinated effort to damage her reputation after she reported sexual harassment
Image credits: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Abel further wrote: "The narrative online is so freaking good and fans are still sticking up for Justin.” She also told Nathan "You did such amazing work.”
Nathan reportedly wrote to Abel: "The majority of socials are so pro-Justin, and I don't even agree with half of them lol."
Nathan replied to Abel: "Narrative is CRAZY good.” Moreover, Nathan told Abel in text exchanges: "We can't write it down to him… We can't write we will destroy her.”
“You know we can bury anyone,” Nathan added before telling Abel: "Don't worry, I didn't kill her and send her in a box to your house," to which Abel replied: "DAMNIT."
Image credits: John Nacion/Variety/Getty Images
Nathan wrote to Abel about social media being "really really ramping up," to which Abel added: "It's actually sad because it just shows you have people really want to hate on women.”
In another exchange, as per Sky News, Baldoni expressed concerns his PR team may have been deploying fake "bots" to "take her [Lively] down" on social media, to which Ms Nathan replied: "I can fully confirm we do not have bots."
The legal documents also included the alleged list of conditions Lively submitted for her "returning to production" after she alleged sexual harassment on set.
They include "no one entering… BL's trailer while she is in a state of undress" and "no discussions of personal experience with sex or nudity,” Sky News reported.
She also alleged inappropriate behavior on set
Image credits: Kjersti Flaa
Lively's legal complaint reportedly claimed Baldoni "abruptly pivoted away from" the film's marketing plan and "used domestic violence 'survivor content' to protect his public image" after the sexual harassment allegations came out.
Nathan’s previous clients have included Johnny Depp and the rappers Drake and Travis Scott, The New York Times reported on Saturday (December 21).
Jed Wallace, a self-described “hired gun,” reportedly led a digital strategy that included boosting social media posts that could help their cause.
An attorney for Wayfarer Studios said in a statement that its executives and public relations representatives “did nothing proactive nor retaliated” against Lively, and accused the actress of “another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation.”
Image credits: Jake's Takes
Lawyer Bryan Freedman wrote: “These claims are completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media.”
Freedman did not address the misconduct allegations against Baldoni and Heath, instead accusing Lively of fabricating negative stories about them.
Following the film’s release, Lively faced a major reputational hit, with significant media backlash, while Baldoni remained largely unaffected.
In her complaint, Lively alleged sexual harassment, retaliation, and other claims against multiple individuals and entities, hoping her legal action would expose retaliatory tactics and protect others who speak out about misconduct.
The lawsuit was filed Friday (December 20) with the California Civil Rights Department
Image credits: imalltoowell
Baldoni reportedly noticed that Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, had blocked him on Instagram and discussed concerns with his publicist about Lively potentially doing the same when the movie was released.
Lively had reportedly raised concerns about Baldoni’s behavior and unwanted creative changes before and during filming, ultimately seeking safeguards to ensure a safe working environment.
“Our client is willing to forego a more formal HR process in favor of everyone returning to work and finishing the Film as long as the set is safe moving forward,” her legal team had written to the studio, according to The New York Times.
Lively had reportedly detailed her complaints during a meeting with Baldoni, Heath, and other producers in January, according to the legal filing.
Image credits: extratv
The Gossip Girl star had claimed Baldoni had improvised unwanted kissing and discussed his sex life, including encounters in which he said he may not have received consent, The New York Times reported.
Heath had shown Lively a video of his wife naked, she said, and he had watched the actress in her trailer when she was topless and having body makeup removed, despite her asking him to look away.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants talent reportedly said that both men repeatedly entered her makeup trailer uninvited while she was undressed, including when she was breastfeeding.
Lively's lawsuit subsequently accused Baldoni of orchestrating an astroturfing campaign to damage her reputation during the promotion of their film.
The complaint cited text messages showing Baldoni's PR team allegedly orchestrating online smear campaigns
Image credits: Kjersti Flaa
The campaign included planting negative stories and manipulating social media to create a viral public takedown.
Baldoni allegedly used a post about Hailey Bieber as a reference for this plan and worked with crisis communications expert Nathan to amplify the narrative.
According to text exchanges, Baldoni sent a screenshot of an X (formerly known as Twitter) thread that unpacked “Hailey Bieber’s history of bullying women,” according to the text, writing, “This is what we would need,” US Weekly reported on Saturday.
Lively further claimed that Baldoni cried over her appearance on set, citing social media criticism of her weight, and allegedly contacted her fitness trainer to suggest she lose weight.
The 37-year-old actress had given birth to her fourth child a few months before filming began in May 2023, and she alleged that Baldoni treated her as a “sex object” while being overly concerned with her weight, The Daily Mail reported on Monday (December 23).
“On the second day of filming, for example, Mr. Baldoni made the rest of the cast and crew wait for hours while he cried in Ms. Lively's dressing room, claiming social media commentators were saying that Ms. Lively looked old and unattractive based on paparazzi photos from the set,” the filing alleged.
Additionally, Lively alleged that Baldoni and Heath ignored COVID-19 protocols on set, leading to her and her son contracting the virus.
Kjersti Flaa, the journalist who accused Lively of bullying in a 2016 interview, has since been distancing herself from claims that her actions were part of the smear campaign against Lively.
In her complaint, Lively alleged sexual harassment, retaliation, and other claims against multiple individuals and entities
Image credits: kjersti_flaa/Threads
Flaa initially released interview footage in August, stating that she wanted to call out bad behavior in Hollywood, but after learning of a potential conspiracy against Lively, she denied any involvement.
Titling the clip of the interview “The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job,” may have been a campaign to tarnish Lively, The Daily Mail reported.
“Just wanted to put it out there. I have nothing to do with Justin Baldoni and his smear campaign against Blake Lively,” Flaa said on Threads just hours after The New York Times’ bombshell report was aired.
Lively has received strong support from her close friends and family. America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn, her co-stars from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, shared a joint statement expressing solidarity with Lively.
Image credits: Sony Pictures Entertainment
They said in a statement, as reported by People: "As Blake's friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation.
"Throughout the filming of It Ends with Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice."
It continued: "Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors' stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding.
"We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment.
"We are inspired by our sister's courage to stand up for herself and others.
It Ends With Us is a romantic drama that explores themes of domestic violence and emotional abuse
Image credits: Sony Pictures Entertainment
"For anyone seeking more information or engaging in this important conversation online, please read the full legal complaint in the investigative reporting by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire, and Julie Tate for The New York Times."
Lively’s sister, Robyn Lively, also publicly supported her, posting about the lawsuit and emphasizing her sister’s concerns regarding Baldoni’s behavior on set.
"FINALLY justice for my sister @BlakeLively," Robyn wrote in an Instagram story.
Colleen Hoover, the author of the original novel It Ends with Us, also showed her backing, praising Lively’s character.
Taking to her social media, she wrote: "'@blakelively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive, and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt."
"So it actually ends in a lawsuit," a reader quipped
