Blake Lively accuses director, co-star of 'It Ends With Us' of sexual harassment, smear campaign
Actor Blake Lively accused "It Ends With Us" director and co-star Justin Baldoni of sexually harassing her and seeking to smear her reputation after she spoke out about a "hostile work environment" that nearly derailed the film.
In a legal complaint filed this week, Lively alleges she raised concerns about inappropriate behavior by Baldoni, who co-founded Wayfarer Studios, the company that owns the film. She also outlines complaints against Jamey Heath, the chief executive of Wayfarer and the film's producer, and names other defendants.
"Ms. Lively seeks to set the record straight, to hold the Wayfarer Parties and Associates accountable, and to shine a light on this new form of retaliation so that it will not be used against any others who seek to stand up and speak out against sexual harassment," states the complaint, obtained previously by the New York Times and the Associated Press. The document, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, was reportedly filed Friday with the California Civil Rights Department.
The accusations shed light on the working conditions and alleged behavior Lively and her female colleagues endured as they were filming "It Ends With Us," a movie adapted from a novel by author Colleen Hoover about a woman who is grappling with domestic violence and emotional abuse. The film was released in August.
Bryan Freedman, an attorney who represents Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, pushed back against Lively's allegations in a statement claiming it was a "desperate attempt" by the actor to fix her "negative reputation."
"These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media," Freedman said.
Some of the improper behavior alleged in the complaint included the producers showing nude videos and images of women, comments about Lively's weight, and physical touching and sexual remarks without consent.
In one of the film's scenes, according to the complaint, Baldoni kissed Lively and "discreetly bit and sucked" on her lower lip even though the conduct had not been rehearsed or discussed with her beforehand. He also insisted on shooting the scene multiple times and there wasn't an intimacy coordinator present.
In the filming of another scene described as "chaotic," Lively is giving birth and the actor was mostly nude with her legs spread wide in stirrups, according to the complaint. Baldoni and Heath allegedly didn't close the set so crew members who weren't vital to producing the scene were allowed to pass through as Lively was in a vulnerable position.
Baldoni and Lively also allegedly clashed over what to film in other parts of the movie such as the addition of a scene in which she was to orgasm. Even though her co-star agreed to remove the scenes after Lively objected, he then pressed Lively about her sex life with husband Ryan Reynolds, which she declined to discuss and considered "invasive," the complaint said.
Lively alleges that the producers broke state and federal law, inflicted emotional distress on her and breached a contract.
In January, Lively participated in a meeting about the sexual harassment allegations before the cast continued filming after the Hollywood strikes, according to the complaint. Other female cast and crew members had also spoken out about the work environment. Another cast member had previously accused Baldoni of sexual harassment as well. The cast finished the film after agreeing to abide by a contract that outlined protections against this behavior.
As cast members tried to promote the film ahead of its release, Baldoni was allegedly plotting to destroy Lively's reputation while trying to safeguard his public image after the cast and crew unfollowed him on social media and didn't appear with him in public, according to the complaint.
"Mr. Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates embarked on a sophisticated press and digital plan in retaliation for Ms. Lively exercising her legally-protected right to speak up about their misconduct on the set, with the additional objective of intimidating her and anyone else from revealing in public what actually occurred," the complaint said.
The "sophisticated" plan allegedly involved hiring publicists, crisis managers and Texas subcontractor Jed Wallace, who helped create and promote social media content that harmed Lively's reputation, according to the complaint.
It was also heavily funded. Wayfarer co-founder and co-chairman Steve Sarowitz, who is a billionaire, allegedly said he was prepared to spend $100 million to ruin Lively's life and her family, according to the complaint.
Wayfarer and Baldoni also hired the Agency Group PR, which suggested they publish online comments and opinions that people would assume came from the public but were actually from a company or political group. The price for the firm's PR crisis services, which would span several months, ranged from $75,000 to $175,000, according to the complaint.
Freedman, the attorney representing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, defended his clients' decision to hire a crisis manager prior to the marketing campaign for the film "due to the multiple demands and threats made by Ms. Lively during production which included her 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."
Freedman's statement did not specifically address Lively's allegations.
In her complaint, Lively said the campaign waged against her appeared to work and included charts that showed a spike in negative social media comments about her online. It also allegedly harmed Lively's image, her businesses and inflicted emotional distress on the actress and her family.
In one incident, Baldoni even claimed he could talk to the dead, telling Lively he had talked to her dead father.
"There are days when she has struggled to get out of bed, and she frequently chooses not to venture outside in public," the complaint states. "While she has fought to maintain her personal life and business interests, behind closed doors she has suffered from grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety."
The online negativity made it tough for Lively to feel comfortable appearing at public events, the complaint said. In September, she backed out of hosting "Saturday Night Live," an episode that would have kicked off the show's 50th anniversary season.
โThese are startling and troubling allegations," a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson said in a statement to The Times on Sunday. "Employees have every right to raise issues of concern or to file complaints. Retaliation for reporting misconduct or inappropriate behavior is illegal and wrong.
โWe applaud Blake Livelyโs courage in speaking out on issues of retaliation and harassment and for her request to have an intimacy coordinator for all scenes with nudity or sexual content. This is an important step that helps ensure a safe set.
โWe all have a right to be treated with dignity and respect on the job and to work in an environment free of harassment, discrimination and retaliation.
โWe urge anyone who may be experiencing abusive conduct to report such violations on our SAG-AFTRA Safe Place app and to their employer.โ
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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