All The Details Of Blake Lively's Controversial Lawsuit Against Justin Baldoni Revealed!

All The Details Of Blake Lively's Controversial Lawsuit Against Justin Baldoni Revealed!

The actress teamed up with Justin while filming It Ends With Us.

Blake Lively surprised everyone when she filed a lawsuit against her co-star Justin Baldoni and the film's director at the end of December.

The movie, which hit theaters in August 2024, is based on Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel and tells the story of a young woman who escapes an abusive relationship and discovers new love.

The press tour for It Ends With Us was filled with drama, as Blake seemed to downplay the film's serious themes, describing it more like a fun girls' night out rather than a story about domestic abuse.

On top of that, she launched her new haircare line, Blake Brown, during the tour, which sparked backlash for overshadowing the crucial message about domestic violence awareness.

Blake's allegations against Justin Baldoni

Blake recently threw a bunch of accusations at Justin in her lawsuit filed in a New York federal court.

She claimed that Justin acted inappropriately on set, making unwanted physical advances, throwing out suggestive remarks, and even sharing explicit videos with her without her permission.

It's worth noting that another cast member had already lodged a complaint against the director back in 2023, calling out his "gross" and "unwanted comments."

Blake said that after she reported Justin's inappropriate behavior to her superiors, he brought in a PR crisis team to start a smear campaign against her, just in case she decided to go public with her allegations.

She claims the PR team then leaked false information about her work ethic in an effort to undermine her credibility, and now she’s also suing Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel from that team.

Blake further stated that Justin's smear tactics caused her significant emotional distress and professional setbacks, leading her to experience anxiety and seek therapy to cope with the situation. She argues that his actions damaged her reputation, making it tough for her to find new jobs, so she’s seeking compensation for the wages she lost.

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Blake Lively, known for her role in Gossip Girl, is taking legal action against Wayfarer Studios, the production company behind the film. She claims they turned a blind eye to Justin's misconduct, even after she voiced her concerns. According to her, they didn’t put in place any measures to keep the cast and crew safe and even contributed to her public humiliation during the promotional events.

In her lawsuit, Blake argues that the environment on set was toxic and unsafe, which goes against industry standards. She recounts a crisis meeting she organized with Justin and the production team to tackle issues of "repeated sexual harassment and other troubling behavior."

During that meeting, she requested specific workplace protections, like avoiding unapproved intimate scenes and steering clear of inappropriate chats on set. Her husband, Ryan Reynolds, was there to back her up.

What has Justin said in response?

The director of the film is taking a strong stand by suing The New York Times, the outlet that first reported on Blake’s original legal issues.

He accused the paper of teaming up with the actress to damage his reputation, arguing that the journalists "cherry-picked" quotes and "stripped [them] of necessary context and deliberately spliced [them] to mislead."

Additionally, he alleged that the newspaper committed libel and fraud against him. Meanwhile, the NYT has stood firm, asserting that their reporting was "meticulously and responsibly reported."

The NYT mentioned that their article was "informed by a thorough examination of thousands of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we accurately quote in detail."

After the shocking news about Blake’s claims came out, Justin lost his management team.

What have other celebrities said?

A bunch of celebrities are backing Blake Lively after the lawsuit news, including her co-stars from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel, who starred alongside Blake in the movie and have stayed tight with her over the years, put out a joint statement to show their support.

"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," they wrote.

"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."

They continued: "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."

Gwyneth Paltrow showed her support in a more low-key way by posting an Instagram story about Blake’s haircare line. She mentioned, "Just added to my Christmas wish list," along with a queen emoji.

Paul Feig, the director of A Simple Favor, hopped on X to show his support for the actress. He said, "I’ve now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people I’ve ever worked with. She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it’s awful she was put through this."

Amber Heard, who was caught up in a nasty defamation battle with her ex, Johnny Depp, back in 2022, also shared her thoughts on the lawsuit during an interview with NBC News. "Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying 'a lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on.' I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive." Justin hired the same PR crisis manager as Johnny Depp.

Colleen Hoover, the author of It Ends With Us, showed her support for Blake by making a statement: "@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."

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The legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has left many questioning who to believe. While Blake’s accusations of inappropriate behavior and a smear campaign are serious, Justin maintains his innocence, claiming media distortion and libel. With high-profile celebrities like America Ferrera and Gwyneth Paltrow supporting Blake, the case has sparked significant public debate.

However, Justin's counterclaim against the media and the loss of his management team suggest there may be more to the story. As the lawsuit unfolds, only time will reveal the truth behind the conflicting narratives and the ultimate resolution of this explosive situation.