Blake Lively has reportedly sued her ex-co-star Justin Baldoni for allegedly sexually harassing her while filming “It Ends With Us” — months after rumors of on-set conflict plagued the romantic drama’s release.
The actress, 37, alleged in her lawsuit that there had to be an “all-hands-on-deck meeting” about the film’s lead actor and director’s bad behavior, in which he was warned to no longer show Lively “nude videos or images of women” and to stop mentioning his past “porn addiction” and sexual conquests, per TMZ.
Baldoni, 40, was reportedly also told at the time to no longer make any mentions of “cast and crew’s genitalia,” inquire about the “Age of Adeline” star’s “weight” or her “dead father,” as well as a request to not add more sex scenes, oral sex or climaxing on camera “outside the scope” of the pre-approved script.
The former co-stars, however, worked with intimacy coordinators on set, which Baldoni once said was “so important” to have so they could “all feel safe” and also ensure that the scenes were “elevated.”
His and Wayfarer Studios’ attorney, Bryan Freedman, tells Page Six in response to the suit, “It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations.”
“These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media.”
Freedman claimed his client previously hired a crisis manager due to “multiple demands and threats” Lively allegedly made, including “threatening to not showing up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release, if her demands were not met.”
In August, multiple sources told Page Six that Baldoni had allegedly made Lively feel “uncomfortable” while filming the hit movie based on the top-selling Colleen Hoover novel by the same name.
She also reportedly felt the “Jane the Virgin” alum “fat-shamed” her by asking an on-set trainer how much she weighed since he previously suffered a back injury and had to lift her up in one of the scenes.
However, the rumblings of drama between the co-stars only fueled more backlash aimed at Lively.
Past interviews of hers resurfaced online that, for instance, showed her making a snide remark at an interviewer about her stomach’s “bump” and using a transgender slur.
The “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” star was also criticized for how she handled questions about “It Ends With Us”‘s central theme: domestic violence.
Lively reportedly claimed in her lawsuit that Baldoni was behind much of the negative feedback.
According to TMZ, she accused him of engaging in “social manipulation” to “destroy” her reputation.
The complaint reportedly includes a text from Baldoni’s publicist to a studio rep that allegedly stated he “wants to feel like [Lively] can be buried” and “we can’t write we will destroy her.”
Freedman adds that Lively’s suit is “another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions.”
He also accused the “Gossip Girl” alum of using her publicist to plant negative stories about Baldoni, claiming his clients’ reps did not retaliate in response to those reports.
Freedman concluded, “There were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; just internal scenario planning and private correspondence to strategize which is standard operating procedure with public relations professionals.”
Page Six has reached out to her rep for comment but did not immediately hear back.
“It Ends With Us” is set to have a sequel titled, “It Starts With Us,” but given the lead stars’ ongoing feud, it appears that either Lively or Baldoni may not return for the second film.
“This is uncharted territory, and nobody has any idea of what a sequel could look like,” a source told Variety in late August. “There’s probably no world where these two will work together again.”
However, a source told Page Six at the time, “No definitive decisions have been made about the sequel.”