The legal drama between ‘It Ends With Us’ co-stars, Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively has intensified, with Baldoni’s Lawyer claiming of evidences of a ‘Pattern of Bullying,’ by Blake.
Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s attorney, issued a statement on Tuesday, Jan. 7, accusing Blake Lively and her team of orchestrating a media campaign to tarnish Baldoni’s reputation.
Earlier, Blake Lively, known for her role in Gossip Girls, has filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and fostering a toxic work environment on the set of their film It Ends with Us.
In response, Baldoni, has denied the claims and has filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times for its article detailing Lively’s allegations.
Justin Baldoni’s Allegation on Blake Lively
Freedman, Baldoni’s attorney, alleged that Lively’s team “sent grossly edited documents to The New York Times prior to filing the complaint” in an effort to control the narrative and was part of a “calculated smear campaign” orchestrated by Lively to repair what he called her “negative reputation.”
“It is painfully ironic that Blake Lively is accusing Justin Baldoni of weaponizing the media when her own team orchestrated this vicious attack,” Freedman said in the statement.
Freedman went on to claim that his team has substantial evidence to prove a “pattern of bullying and threats” by Lively. “We have all the receipts and more,” he declared, adding that the evidence would show that Lively used others to “bully her way to get whatever she wanted.”
What are Blake Lively’s Allegations?
Blake Lively has accused Baldoni and his associates of serious misconduct on the set of It Ends with Us.
In a complaint filed in California on Dec. 20, 2024, Lively detailed instances where Baldoni allegedly created a “hostile work environment,” including entering her trailer uninvited while she was undressed and improvising physical intimacy during scenes without prior discussion or the presence of an intimacy coordinator.
Her legal team described the behavior as “disturbing” and “unprofessional.” They also accused Baldoni and the production company, Wayfarer Studios, of engaging in “unlawful retaliation” against Lively for speaking out.
Lively’s Legal Team Responds
In a statement released, Lively’s attorneys denied that the lawsuit stemmed from mere creative differences or personal grievances, emphasizing that the claims were grounded in “serious allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation.”
“This is not a ‘feud’ arising from creative differences or a ‘he said/she said’ situation,” her lawyers stated. “Sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in every workplace and in every industry.”
Lively’s legal team accused Baldoni of attempting to deflect from the allegations by portraying himself as the victim. “A classic tactic to distract from allegations of this type of misconduct is to ‘blame the victim,’” they argued.
ALSO READ: Here’s Why Pamela Anderson Once Almost Got Killed On A Plane
