Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star, Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and manipulation during the film's production. The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, includes allegations that Baldoni discussed his past "pornography addiction," his sexual experiences, the cast and crew's genitalia, Lively’s weight, and even her deceased father. Additionally, it claims Baldoni showed Lively explicit images or videos of women.
The suit further alleges that other cast members addressed Baldoni’s inappropriate behavior, which occurred both during filming and while he directed the film. A meeting was reportedly held to discuss the hostile work environment, with Lively’s husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, present.
Lively is also said to have requested that no additional explicit scenes, such as oral sex or on-camera climaxing, be added to the script beyond what she had approved when signing onto the project. The lawsuit also claims Lively and Baldoni clashed over the direction of her character, with Lively wanting a focus on resilience instead of domestic violence. After the film’s release, Lively contends their disagreements led to a coordinated effort to damage her reputation.
In response, Freedman, a representative for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “categorically false” and claiming they were part of a strategy to salvage Lively’s reputation after the film’s promotion. Freedman also suggested that Lively’s demands during production, including threats to not show up on set or promote the film, contributed to its challenges.
Freedman further accused Lively of planting fabricated stories with the media, working with her PR representative, Leslie Sloan, to manipulate the narrative before the film's release. He stated that Wayfarer Studios acted responsibly by hiring a crisis manager in anticipation of potential PR issues and denied any proactive retaliatory measures.
The film, which debuted in theaters in August, is based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. It follows Lily Bloom (played by Lively), an aspiring florist who begins a tumultuous relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni). The relationship spirals into an abusive dynamic, further complicated by the return of Lily’s former love interest, portrayed by Brandon Sklenar.