Blake Lively has initiated legal action against the director of “It Ends With Us,” Justin Baldoni, along with multiple others connected to the romantic film, claiming harassment and a well-orchestrated scheme aimed at damaging her reputation after she spoke out about her experiences on the set.
The federal lawsuit was submitted in New York just shortly after Baldoni and several defendants of Lively’s lawsuit countered with a libel suit against The New York Times for its coverage of her allegations. They contend that it was Lively and the newspaper engaging in a smear campaign. These legal proceedings represent significant developments in a narrative that has created considerable discussion within Hollywood regarding the treatment of female actors, both in production settings and in the media.
According to Lively’s lawsuit, Baldoni, the film’s production company—Wayfarer Studios—and others implemented “a carefully crafted, coordinated, and resourced retaliatory scheme” to stifle her and others from voicing their concerns.
She alleges that following a meeting in which she and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, confronted Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath about “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior,” a “multi-tiered plan” was set in motion to undermine her reputation.
This plan allegedly included strategies to disseminate damaging theories across online message boards, orchestrate a social media campaign, and generate critical news articles about her.
The lawsuit mentions that Baldoni reportedly made comments about the bodies of Lively and other female cast members while sharing personal sexual anecdotes and past issues with porn addiction, trying to coax Lively into revealing intimate details of her private life.
Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s legal representative, did not respond immediately to a request for comments regarding Lively’s claims. However, he previously labeled her allegations as “completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.”
On the same day, Baldoni and others filed a libel lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the Times, seeking at least $250 million in damages. The Times has stood firm behind its reporting, expressing intentions to “vigorously defend” itself against the lawsuit.
The defendants in Lively’s lawsuit also included Wayfarer and communications strategist Melissa Nathan, whose message was prominently featured in the Times headline: “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.”
The Times article, authored by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire, and Julie Tate, came just after Lively made a legal filing with the California Civil Rights Department, which predated her new lawsuit.
In the libel suit, it is asserted that the newspaper relied largely on Lively’s “unverified and self-serving narrative,” lifting her statements nearly verbatim while ignoring evidence that countered her claims and unveiled her true motivations. They allege that the Times disregarded these points entirely.
Danielle Rhoades, a spokesperson for the Times, defended the publication, stating that their story was thoroughly and responsibly reported, based on a detailed review of thousands of original documents, including text messages and emails quoted in the article. The spokesperson stated that neither Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni, nor their representatives had pointed out a single factual error.
In contrast, Baldoni’s lawsuit contends that if the Times had genuinely reviewed the thousands of private communications it claimed to have obtained, its journalists would have encountered irrefutable evidence indicating that it was Lively, rather than the plaintiffs, who participated in a calculated smear campaign.
Notably, Lively is not among the defendants in the libel suit. Her attorneys remarked that “nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about the claims advanced in Ms. Lively’s California Civil Rights Department Complaint, nor her federal complaint, filed earlier today.”
“It Ends With Us,” adapted from Colleen Hoover’s 2016 bestseller, premiered in August, surpassing initial box office forecasts with a $50 million opening. However, its release was marred by speculation regarding tensions between Lively and Baldoni, with the latter taking a low profile during promotional efforts while Lively, alongside Reynolds, captured much of the media attention.
Lively gained prominence from the 2005 film “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and solidified her fame with the TV series “Gossip Girl” from 2007 to 2012. Her filmography includes titles like “The Town” and “The Shallows.”
Baldoni is known for his role in the television comedy “Jane the Virgin,” and has served as the director for “Five Feet Apart.” Additionally, he published a book titled “Man Enough,” which challenges traditional notions of masculinity. In response to concerns regarding whether “It Ends With Us” glorified domestic violence, he stated at that time that critics were “absolutely entitled to that opinion.”
Following Lively’s complaint and the publication of the Times article, Baldoni was dropped by his agency, WME, which also represents Lively and Reynolds.
Freedman has characterized the libel lawsuit as a situation where “the New York Times cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful ‘untouchable’ Hollywood elites,” adding that the publication predetermined the outcome of their story, thus contributing to a damaging PR effort aimed at improving Lively’s public standing amid online criticism.
