Blake Lively sued Justin Baldoni on Tuesday, accusing her “It Ends With Us” co-star and director of sexual harassment, an “unconscionable” smear campaign against the actress and breach of contract following a Jan. 4 meeting where the actor and co-plaintiffs agreed to cease “harassing behavior and other disturbing conduct.”
The suit details the meeting at length, which saw Lively’s husband and “Deadpool & Wolverine” star Ryan Reynolds attending as her representative, calling it an “all hands” initiative “convened in New York to address the hostile work environment that had nearly derailed production of the film.”
The suit further claims causes of retaliation, aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation, intentional and negligence infliction of emotional distress and false light invasion of privacy. Lively demands with Tuesday’s filing a jury trial and maintains she “is entitled to an award of punitive and exemplary damages in an amount to be proved at trial.”
Legal representatives for Baldoni, Wayfarer and other co-defendants did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Lively’s motion — which also names co-defendants within Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios production company and his PR team, Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel — landed on New Year’s Eve within hours of Baldoni and his team suing The New York Times for $250 million over its “defamatory” reporting on Lively’s Dec. 20 sexual harassment complaint against her co-star.
Lively’s lawsuit counters depictions of a Jan. 4 meeting with prominent members of “It Ends With Us” team drawn in Baldoni’s New York Times suit. Lively’s husband Reynolds was in attendance because the meeting was about alleged “sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior” by Baldoni and Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath. Attendees also included Lively, Baldoni, Heath, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Ange Gianetti and “It Ends With Us” producers Alex Saks and Todd Black.
“During the Jan. 4 meeting, the parties discussed in detail the inappropriate conduct that Ms. Lively, her employees and other cast and crew experienced at the hands of Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath,” the suit reads — allegations that included inappropriate comments on actress’ appearance, entering Lively’s trailer while she was undressed, “improvised physical intimacy” with Lively, including an unplanned nude scene and more.
“The concerns she raised were not only for herself, but for the other female cast and crew, some of whom had also spoken up,” the suit continues. “The Jan. 4 meeting occurred only after Wayfarer had rebuffed Ms. Lively’s efforts repeatedly.”
“All parties present agreed that the outlined conduct would cease,” the suit, as obtained and reviewed by TheWrap, says, which led to the agreed-upon completion of production on “It Ends With Us.”
The suit then goes on to detail the “multi-tiered plan that Mr. Baldoni and his team described as ‘social manipulation’ designed to ‘destroy’ Ms. Lively’s reputation” surrounding the Aug. 9 release of their film. Revelations of that alleged smear campaign has led to massive professional fallout for the actor and director, including being dropped by WME, rescinded a prestigious recognition of allyship from a prominent women’s nonprofit, dumped by his podcast co-host and more as Hollywood figures lined up behind Lively against him.
Lively’s breach of contract lawsuit against Baldoni and Baldoni’s own libel lawsuit against the Times is just the latest legal development in this “It Ends With Us” behind-the-scenes saga. On Dec. 24, Baldoni’s former publicist Stephanie Jones of Jonesworks sued the director, his production company Wayfarer Studios and currently publicist team — Abel and Nathan — for breach of contract.
