Blake Lively, the 37-year-old actress best known for her role in Gossip Girl, has filed a lawsuit against her It Ends with Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, citing sexual harassment. This legal action follows months of rumors about on-set tensions between the two.
‘Severe emotional distress’
The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, alleges that Baldoni engaged in behavior that caused Lively “severe emotional distress.” The film, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 bestselling novel, features Lively as Lily Bloom, a woman caught in a relationship with an abusive man, Ryle Kincaid, portrayed by Baldoni.
According to the lawsuit, a meeting involving Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, Baldoni, and their respective legal teams was held to address the allegations. Lively reportedly set forth several conditions for continuing her work on the film.
Blake Lively sets conditions
These conditions, as cited by TMZ, included:
- “No more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake.”
- “No more mention of Baldoni’s alleged previous ‘pornography addiction.’”
- “No further discussions about sexual conquests in front of Blake and others.”
- “No more mentions of cast and crew’s genitalia.”
- “No further inquiries about Blake’s weight.”
- “No more references to Blake’s deceased father.”
Baldoni’s Legal Team Responds on Blake Lively allegations
Additionally, the lawsuit stipulated that Baldoni was not to add sex scenes, oral sex depictions, or on-camera climaxes beyond what was outlined in the script approved by Lively at the time of her signing onto the project.
Per TMZ, Sony Pictures, the film’s distributor, approved Lively’s requests. However, the lawsuit claims that Baldoni retaliated by initiating a campaign to “destroy” Lively’s reputation.Bryan Freeman, Baldoni’s lawyer, dismissed Lively’s allegations as “false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.” Speaking to TMZ, Freeman suggested that Lively’s lawsuit was an attempt to “fix her negative reputation.”
Ongoing Investigation
Freeman further alleged that Lively had caused disruptions on set, stating that she threatened not to appear for filming and to withdraw from promoting the movie, actions he claimed contributed to the project’s poor performance upon release.Representatives for both Lively and Baldoni have yet to issue public statements regarding the lawsuit. The Independent has reached out to both parties for further comment.
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