Blake Lively files legal complaint against 'It Ends With Us' co-star for sexual harassment

Blake Lively is accusing her "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment.

Lively claims that Baldoni, who directed the film, coordinated a PR campaign with a crisis firm, which her lawyers called " 'social manipulation' designed to 'destroy' Ms. Lively's reputation" after she took issue with on-set behavior, according to a copy of a legal complaint obtained by USA TODAY on Saturday.

The filing contains copies of text messages sent by Baldoni that offer an inside look at the off-screen controversy that caused months of speculation surrounding an alleged feud between the pair.

The heart wrenching film, based on a book by author Colleen Hoover, follows a flower shop owner named Lily Blossom Bloom (Lively), who falls in love with a dashing neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni) and reconnects with her stoic childhood sweetheart, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar). But the movie also grapples with the insidious nature of domestic violence and cycles of abuse across generations.

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USA TODAY reached out to lawyers for Baldoni and Lively for comment. USA TODAY also reached out to representatives for Hoover and Sony Pictures.

In a statement provided to The New York Times, an attorney for Baldoni's production company, Bryan Freedman, described Lively's allegations as "completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media." Freedman maintained that Wayfarer Studios did not retaliate against Lively and "only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual reporting and monitored social activity."

The filing comes nearly a decade after the #MeToo and Time's Up movements upended the film and entertainment industries, as women came forward with stories of inappropriate sexual behavior carried out by powerful men in Hollywood and a pervasive culture that shielded their alleged conduct in and out of the workplace.

"I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted," Lively told The New York Times in a story published Saturday.

All Blake Lively's allegations: Unwanted kissing, pornography, smear tactics and more

'You know we can bury anyone,' Justin Baldoni's PR specialist wrote

In the filing, Lively's lawyers allege that Baldoni hired crisis PR specialist Melissa Nathan and her company The Agency Group to carry out an online smear campaign.

"He wants to feel like she can be buried," a publicist working with Baldoni wrote to Nathan, who replied with a text message of her own: "You know we can bury anyone."

Lively claims that Baldoni engaged in predatory behavior, which was sexual in nature, writing in the suit that she and other "It Ends With Us" cast and crew members "experienced invasive unwelcome, unprofessional and sexually inappropriate behavior."

'It Ends With Us': The drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni explained

In the complaint, Lively's lawyers say Baldoni "improvised physical intimacy" that was not pre-planned with Lively, including "discreetly" biting and sucking on the "Gossip Girl" alum's lower lip during a scene where he "improvised numerous kisses on each take," writing in the filing that he insisted on shooting the scene "over and over again."

Lively's complaint claims that when she objected to similar behavior, he told her, “I’m not even attracted to you." After Lively signed off on one version of the movie script, she says Baldoni "personally added graphic content," including one scene where Lively was supposed to have an orgasm on camera.

Baldoni allegedly agreed to remove the scene, according to the filing, but apparently asked Lively whether she and her husband, fellow A-list actor Ryan Reynolds, "climax simultaneously during (sexual) intercourse," according to the filing. During a drive with Lively, when he recounted his own experiences with sexual abuse at the hands of an ex-girlfriend, she claims he used the past assault to analyze his own failures to receive sexual consent.

"Did I always ask for consent? No. Did I always listen when they said no? No," he allegedly told the actress, whose driver and assistant were present. Baldoni and Heath also discussed a "previous pornography addiction," per the filing.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni feuded: Next came the smear campaign, she alleges. We explain.

Lively also says he invaded her privacy by "entering her makeup trailer uninvited while she was undressed, including when she was breastfeeding her infant child," in reference to her and Reynolds' 1-year-old son Olin.

This report has been updated to include new information and add a video.

Contributing: Edward Segarra

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Blake Lively accuses Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment