Actress Blake Lively has sued Justin Baldoni, her co-star and director in the 2024 film, It Ends with Us, for s*xual harrassment, and Colleen Hoover, author of the novel of the same name on which the film is based, has now spoken out in support of Lively.
The actress, who is also a co-producer of the film, has alleged that the s*xual harassment she had to endure on the sets came from Baldoni and his team. According to Lively's accusations, Baldoni allegedly engaged in misconduct with her and other female cast members, creating a hostile and uncomfortable work environment.
Amidst Lively's accusations and Baldoni's rejection of the alleged misconduct, Colleen Hoover has chosen to take the side of Lively, showing support for the actress on social media.
The film based on Hoover's novel, It Ends with Us, deals with themes of domestic violence and abuse, with the narrative underscoring how the brutality of childhood trauma affects adult life. Despite the film earning over $350 million worldwide, fans were not satisfied with the performance of the actors.
Murmers that all was not well between the two lead stars started around its release in August, when Lively was not seen promoting the film with Baldoni. The alleged misconduct she endured on the sets was reportedly the reason.
Author Colleen Hoover speaks out in support of Blake Lively
Blake Lively's complaint filed in December 2024 against Justin Baldoni accused him of s*xual harassment and misconduct. After she felt uncomfortable in the presence of Baldoni on the sets, a meeting was called, which Lively's actor husband Ryan Reynolds also attended. In the meeting, Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios, reportedly agreed to a number of demands which included,
"No displaying of n*de content to Blake, no discussions of cast and crew's genitalia, no more questions about Blake's weight or her deceased father, and no more talk of s*xual conquests in Blake's presence."
The list of demands also requested no further intimate scenes be added in the script than what Lively had previously agreed to while signing the contract. The list also demanded that Baldoni and Jamey Heath, a lead producer, should not inappropriately touch Lively or other female cast members, and refrain from passing s*xual comments. Lively further alleged that,
"She has suffered from grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety," due to Baldoni's misconduct.
Amidst the allegations, author Colleen Hoover has taken to Instagram to show her support towards Lively. On December 21, she posted a photo of her hugging Lively in a story, writing,
"@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."
Baldoni, on the other hand, hired Melissa Nathan, a crisis PR manager, to deal with the allegations. Baldoni's lawyers claimed Lively's allegations are "a false attempt to rehab her reputation."
Lawyer Bryan Freedman further wrote in a statement, "Those claims are false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt."
As per TMZ reports, Baldoni's lawyers accused Lively of being a "nightmare on set".
Trending
"She threatened to not show up to set, threatened to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release."
In a recent statement Lively said, "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."
Reply
