Blake Lively has sued director Justin Baldoni. She alleges sexual harassment and a targeted smear campaign. Baldoni reportedly used his PR team against Lively. The campaign involved online criticism and false narratives. Baldoni denies all allegations. The lawsuit mentions several Hollywood stars. It is expected to be a highly publicized legal battle.
Actress Blake Lively has filed a comprehensive 80-page lawsuit against her ‘It Ends With Us’ director and co-star Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and orchestrating a coordinated defamation campaign against her through his PR and crisis management team. Baldoni has denied all allegations.
In her complaint, the actress has alleged that Baldoni attempted to mount a smear campaign against her and claims his behaviour caused her and her family “severe emotional harm.” The suit outlines a series of alleged incidents, including professional misconduct, retaliatory online campaigns, and inappropriate behaviour, supported by purported text messages, emails, and internal documents.
Bryan Freedman, an attorney representing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, called the claims “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.”
He pushed back against Lively’s allegations of a coordinated campaign, saying the studio “proactively” hired a crisis manager “due to the multiple demands and threats made by Ms. Lively during production.”
The suit reportedly bares names of several top Hollywood stars, including Blake’s inner circle, like husband Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Swift and other personalities like former co-stars Leighton Meester and Anna Kendrick, among others for various reasons.
In the suit, the actress accuses Baldoni of directing his PR team to employ “astroturfing,” a deceptive strategy to create the illusion of grassroots criticism against her. In one instance, he allegedly shared a social media post about Hailey Bieber’s past controversies as an example for his team. He allegedly sent a screenshot of a thread titled “Hailey Bieber’s history of bullying women” to PR executive Jennifer Abel, stating, “This is what we would need.”
Crisis PR manager Melissa Nathan, known for working with high-profile clients, allegedly led the effort, promising Baldoni that Lively would be “destroyed” and “buried.”
Lively alleges that Baldoni became increasingly concerned after she and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, unfollowed him and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, on Instagram. In May 2024, Baldoni allegedly texted his publicist, writing, “We should have a plan for IF she does the same when [the] movie comes out. Plans make me feel more at ease.”
The lawsuit accuses the director of adding explicit scenes to the script of ‘It Ends With Us’, without Lively’s consent. This included a graphic depiction of a character’s orgasm. When the actress objected, Baldoni allegedly insisted on keeping one scene where the characters climax simultaneously on their wedding night, citing personal significance. He reportedly asked Lively invasive questions about her own marital intimacy, which she refused to answer.
Emails included in the complaint allegedly outline a plan to plant stories accusing Lively’s friend Taylor Swift of “weaponizing feminism.”
The team also reportedly strategized to cast doubt on Lively’s working relationships with former co-stars like Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl), Anna Kendrick (A Simple Favor), and Ben Affleck (The Town), suggesting that journalists scrutinize these dynamics to deflect attention from Baldoni.
Besides the jabs at her professional life, the lawsuit includes allegations that Baldoni’s team circulated TikTok links and other content suggesting Lively should divorce Ryan Reynolds, claiming her marriage was affecting her career and the film’s production.
Justin Baldoni has categorically denied the allegations, dismissing them as baseless and pledged to contest the claims vigorously. With both sides expected to present additional evidence, the case is shaping up to be one of the most controversial ones in the entertainment industry.
