Blake Lively accuses It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni of smear campaign | Global News Avenue

Blake Lively has launched legal action against “With Us” co-star Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and activities that “destroyed” her reputation.

According to legal documents, she accused Mr. Baldoni and his team of attacking her public image after she brought her actor husband, Ryan Reynolds, to a meeting to discuss Mr. Baldoni and a producer. People’s “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior” about the movie.

Baldoni’s legal team told the BBC the allegations were “absolutely false” and said they hired a crisis manager because Ms Lively threatened to ruin the film if her demands were not met. Shoot.

In the romantic drama, Ms. Lively plays a woman who finds herself in a relationship with a charming but abusive boyfriend, played by Baldoni.

Legal documents say Ms Lively and Mr Baldoni, along with others involved in the film’s production, met on January 4 this year to address a “hostile work environment” on the set.

Lively’s husband, “Deadpool” star Reynolds, did not appear in “With Us,” but he also joined her in the showdown, a step ahead of the lawsuit, according to the lawsuit.

Mr. Baldoni, 40, attended the meeting in his capacity as co-chairman and co-founder of Wayfarer Studios, a film production company. He is also the director of this film.

In legal proceedings, Ms Lively’s lawyers alleged that both Mr Baldoni and Wayfarer chief executive Jamey Heath had “committed sexual harassment to Ms Lively and others on the set of This Is Ending” inappropriate and unwelcome conduct.”

In documents filed with the California Department of Civil Rights, the meeting listed 30 demands related to the pair’s alleged misconduct to ensure they could continue making the film.

Among them, Ms. Lively, 37, requested that Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath’s previous “porn addiction” be no longer mentioned to Ms. Lively or other crew members, that Mr. Lively be no longer described to Ms. Lively about her genitals, and “Stop describing your genitals to Ms. Lively.” BL (Blake Lively) added sex scenes, oral sex or on-camera climaxes outside the scope of the script approved when he signed the project,” the complaint states.

Ms Lively also asked Mr Baldoni to stop saying he could talk to her dead father.

Ms Lively’s legal team further accused Mr Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios of leading a “multi-layered scheme” to damage her reputation.

She claimed this was the “intended outcome of a carefully orchestrated, coordinated and well-resourced revenge plan to scare her and others away from speaking publicly about the hostile environment created by Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath.”

Mr. Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, said Saturday in response to the legal complaint: “Ms. Lively and her representatives have made such serious and categorical claims against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and their representatives. It’s a false accusation and it’s disgraceful.”

Mr. Friedman accused Ms. Lively of making numerous demands and threats, including “threats not to show up on the set, threats not to promote the film,” which would ultimately “eventually result in the film not being released during its release if her demands were not met.” die”.

He claimed Ms Lively’s comments were “deliberately obscene with the intent to cause public harm and be repeated in the media”.

In a statement released by her lawyers to the BBC, Ms Lively said: “I hope my legal action will help to lift the curtain on these sinister revenge tactics designed to harm those who dare to speak out about wrongdoing , and help protect others who may be targeted.”

She also denied that she or any of her representatives spread or disseminated negative information about Mr Baldoni or Wayfarer.

The film was a box office hit, although some critics said it romanticized domestic violence.

Shortly after the August release, another co-star, Brandon Sklenar, hinted at rumors of a feud between Ms. Lively and Mr. Baldoni in an Instagram post.

Speculations about a quarrel only grew when they didn’t appear on the red carpet together.

“How We End” tells the story of Boston florist Lily Bloom (played by Ms. Lively), who struggles to survive between her charming but sadistic boyfriend Ryle Kincaid (played by Baldoni) and her compassionate The story of a love triangle unfolds between the first love Atlas Corrigan (Atlas Corrigan). Mr. Sklennar.

The show is adapted from Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel. The 45-year-old author has previously said she was inspired by the domestic abuse her mother suffered.

In an interview with the BBC at the film’s premiere in August, Ms Lively said she felt “a responsibility to provide services to people who care deeply about the source material”.

“I really feel like we told a story that was emotional, funny, but also funny, painful, scary, tragic, and it’s inspiring and that’s life and it’s every color,” the actress said.

Ms Lively, who is also a producer, told the BBC she felt the film had been made with “a lot of empathy”.

“Lily is a survivor and a victim, and while they are huge labels, they are not who she is,” Ms. Lively said. “She defines herself, and I think no one can define you, and that’s deeply empowering.”