Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have filed competing lawsuits that intensify the battle over allegations of what happened on the set of their movie It Ends With Us.
Lively filed a lawsuit in New York against the actor and his publicity team on Tuesday, alleging sexual harassment on the film's set and a scheme to “destroy” her reputation.
Meanwhile, Baldoni filed a lawsuit against The New York Times, which first reported Lively's legal complaint, accusing journalists of working with the actress to damage his reputation and ignoring evidence that contradicted her claims.
The newspaper denied his allegations and said their original story was “thoroughly and responsibly reported.”
Lively's legal case includes many of the same allegations that appeared in her civil rights complaint, often a precursor to a lawsuit that was filed in California in December.
She is seeking damages, including “lost wages” and money for “mental pain and suffering.” It does not specify a monetary amount.
In its own case against The New York Times, first reported by Variety, Baldoni claims defamation and fraud. He accuses journalists of working with the actress to “damage” his reputation and not giving his team adequate time to respond to the “bombshell story.”
Baloni's lawsuit alleges that the Times relied on “selected and altered communications, stripped of necessary context and deliberately assembled to mislead.”
In a statement, the New York Times told BBC News his report is “based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including text messages and emails, which we quote accurately and in detail in the article.”
“We have published their (Baldoni and his team's) full statement in response to the allegations in the article as well.”
Baldoni was dropped by his talent agency after the allegations were published in the newspaper. His claim is seeking a trial and damages of $250m (£199m).
The actor's attorney, Brian Friedman, told CBS News that the newspaper “aided and abetted” a “smear campaign designed to revive … Lively's shaky public image.”
Baldoni's lawsuit includes many of the same text messages and communications listed by Lively that she used to accuse his team of orchestrating a social media campaign to sway public opinion against her.
In her own lawsuit, Lively accuses Baldoni and his team of attacking her public image after meeting to address “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior.”
At the meeting, she is said to have laid out 30 demands related to alleged misconduct to ensure they could continue to produce the film, which included not depicting genitalia on set and not adding intimate scenes outside of those Lively has previously approved.
Lively's legal team further accused Baldoni and his Wayfarer film studio of running a “multi-level plan” to destroy her reputation that included manipulating social media and using friendly journalists to promote certain narratives.
Baldoni's lawyers previously told the BBC that the allegations made by Lively were “categorically false” and said they had hired a crisis manager because Lively had threatened to scuttle the film unless her demands were met.
BBC News has contacted representatives for Lively, Baldoni and The New York Times for further comment.
It Ends With Us was released last summer and sees Lively play a woman in a relationship with a charming but abusive boyfriend played by Baldoni.
The film is based on Colleen Hoover's bestseller. The 45-year-old author said her mother's experience of domestic abuse was her inspiration.