US actress Blake Lively has been supported by It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover after accusing Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment in a legal complaint.
Hoover’s support for Lively comes after The New York Times published alleged text messages from Baldoni, suggesting that he had orchestrated a smear campaign. Baldoni has since been dropped by his agency, WME.
The lawsuit states there was a meeting attended by Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, Baldoni and their lawyers, to address The Age of Adeline star’s complaints from the It Ends With Us set.
Lively had a number of requirements in order for her to work on the film, including “no more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake, no more mention of Baldoni’s alleged previous ‘pornography addiction,’ [and] no more discussions about sexual conquests in front of Blake and others.”
The lawsuit also specified: “No further mentions of cast and crew’s genitalia, no more inquiries about Blake’s weight, and no further mention of Blake’s dead father.”
Baldoni, 40, who also directed the film, and the studio behind the romantic drama are accused of embarking on a “multi-tiered plan” to damage Lively’s reputation following a meeting to address accusations against Baldoni and a producer of the film of “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour”, according to the legal document shared by The New York Times.
In the complaint for damages, which precedes a lawsuit, Baldoni, his publicists and Wayfarer Studios, are listed among the defendants.
In It Ends With Us, based on Hoover’s novel of the same name, Lily (Lively) falls in love with Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni) before reconnecting with her first love (Brandon Sklenar) – amid a backdrop of domestic violence.
In a post to her Instagram stories, Hoover wrote: “@blakelively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met.
“Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
She then linked to a New York Times article titled “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside A Hollywood Smear Machine”.
The article details the complaint including accusations that Baldoni retained a crisis communications specialist who, with the director and “approval” of the studio, launched a “sophisticated, co-ordinated, and well-financed retaliation plan” creating “manufactured content” that would “influence public opinion”.
“I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,” Lively said in a statement to the newspaper.
Bryan Freedman, an attorney representing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, told the US publication the claims were “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious”.
Rumours regarding a fractured relationship between Lively and Baldoni began around the film’s release at the beginning of August.
Baldoni is also known for his role as Rafael Solano in the telenovela Jane The Virgin and wrote a book called Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity about pushing back against traditional notions of masculinity.
Lively has four children with husband Ryan Reynolds, the Deadpool actor who is a co-owner of Wrexham AFC football team.
She has starred in films including The Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants, The Age Of Adaline, and A Simple Favour, and played Serena van der Woodsen in the hit teen drama series Gossip Girl.
The Independent has contacted Justin Baldoni’s representatives for comment.
Additional reporting by PA.
