Actress Blake Lively, known for her roles in A Simple Favor and Gossip Girl, has taken legal action against Justin Baldoni, her co-star and director in the 2024 film, It Ends With Us.
The legal complaint, filed in California, accuses Baldoni of sexual harassment and trying to damage her reputation through a planned public relations effort. The complaint states that the situation became so bad that Lively's husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, had to attend a meeting during the film's filming to deal with a difficult work environment.
At the meeting, Lively asked Baldoni to stop his inappropriate actions, which included showing nude videos, talking about his claimed addiction to pornography, and making unkind comments about her late father.
Although they agreed to solve the problems, Lively says Justin Baldoni used stories about domestic violence from the film to make himself look good in public while spreading false information about her.
Justin Baldoni says these claims are:
“Categorically false.”
The legal complaint, which could lead to a lawsuit, shows how their working relationship became very difficult and also how the movie's making was affected by a bad environment.
Blake Lively accuses Justin Baldoni of inappropriate behavior on the set of It Ends With Us
In her legal papers, Blake Lively says the set had many issues with professionalism. She claims that Justin Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath often showed her and her team explicit videos and pictures, including one that involved Heath's wife.
The report also says Justin Baldoni acted without permission when he added kissing scenes and entered Lively’s makeup room when she was not dressed or breastfeeding her baby. These actions made Lively ask for an intimacy coordinator, a usual person in the industry who helps protect actors during special scenes.
Even though the studio said they would handle these requests, Lively believes that Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios then started a "social manipulation" plan.
In a message to The New York Times, Lively shared her wish that her actions would expose the methods used to make people who speak up about bad behavior at work look bad.
“I hope my legal action helps protect others who may be targeted,” she said.
Justin Baldoni, on the other hand, completely rejects these claims. His lawyers call them "desperate" and say they are meant to distract from her own actions that might be wrong.
Lively's main complaint is that Baldoni, with the help of a crisis PR expert named Melissa Nathan, planned a campaign to make her look bad in public. Text messages mentioned in the report show they talked about spreading negative stories online and encouraging people on social media to criticize Lively.
One text message reportedly said,
“We can’t write we will destroy her.”
Adding to the problems was the fact that Lively and Reynolds had a role in the film’s creative choices. News says the couple made their own version of the movie, which replaced Justin Baldoni’s.
This action caused tension among the people making the film, worsening the situation. Baldoni’s legal team says the claims are not true, but the accusations have led to talks about how power works in Hollywood and how stories in the media can be used against women.
What are the potential charges against Justin Baldoni?
Here’s how the potential charges against Justin Baldoni could be categorized under U.S. constitutional and state laws, based on Blake Lively's allegations:
1) Sexual Harassment (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964)
Lively accuses repeated inappropriate acts, such as nude videos and unwelcome advances that could fit the legal description of sexual harassment as established by Title VII. Federal law defines sexual harassment in the workplace as unwelcome sexual conduct that creates a hostile work environment.
2) Invasion of Privacy (California Civil Code § 1708.8)
The complaint mentions Justin Baldoni entering Lively's trailer without permission while she was undressed or breastfeeding. These actions may be defined as "intrusion into private affairs," a legal term that protects individuals from intrusion into their private lives or situations that are offensive in nature and unauthorized.
3) Retaliation (California Fair Employment and Housing Act – FEHA)
Allegations of smear campaigns and professional retaliation, including manipulating the narrative to destroy a reputation, would be violations against FEHA, which defends employees against retaliation following work-related misconduct reports.
4) Defamation (California Civil Code § 45 and § 46)
Lively could rely on defamation laws as it is her claim that the stories planted by Baldoni and his team are falsehoods spread through social media. Slander and libel are actionable where one's reputation is damaged through spoken or written defamation, proven false.
5) Workplace Misconduct and Hostile Work Environment (California Labor Code § 12940)
Lively claims that Justin Baldoni created a hostile work environment by improvising intimate scenes without consent and failing to maintain professional boundaries. Such behavior, under California labor law, could lead to charges if it interferes with an employee's ability to perform his or her job.
6) Endangerment of Child Welfare (California Penal Code § 273a)
If such acts of Baldoni put undue stress or harm while Lively is breastfeeding or caring for her infant, child endangerment statutes may come into play here under the California Penal Code.
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If these claims and possible charges are proven true, they could result in both civil and criminal cases, depending on the evidence shown in court. It's important to remember that Justin Baldoni has denied all accusations, and no official criminal charges have been made yet.
It Ends With Us, which is based on Colleen Hoover's popular book, was released in August 2024 and can now be watched on major streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.
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