She was accused by actor Blake Lively It ends with us director and collaborator Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the film and subsequent attempt to “destroy” her reputation as part of a legal complaint.
The complaint, obtained by The Associated Press, precedes a lawsuit. The New York Times reported that the complaint was filed Friday with the California Department of Civil Rights.
It's called Baldoni, the studio behind it It ends with us and Baldoni's publicists among the defendants.
In the complaint, Lively accuses Baldoni and the studio of implementing a “multi-level plan” to destroy her reputation following a meeting in which she and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, addressed “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing conduct” by Baldoni and a producer on the show movie.
The complaint said the plan included proposing to spread the theory on online forums, prepare a social media campaign and post messages critical of Lively. The complaint also states that Baldoni “abruptly deviated” from the film's marketing plan and “used domestic violence 'survivor content' to protect his public image.”
“These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally lewd, and are intended to cause public harm and repeat media narratives,” attorney Bryan Freedman, who represents Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, said in a statement.
Freedman pushed back against Lively's allegations of a coordinated campaign, saying the studio “actively” hired a crisis manager “due to the numerous demands and threats made by Ms. Lively during production.” He said Lively threatened not to appear on set or promote the film “if her demands were not met.”
The statement did not specify these demands.
“I hope that my legal action will help pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics designed to harm those speaking out about misconduct and help protect others who may be targeted,” Lively said in a statement to The Times.
A representative for Lively referred the Associated Press to a Times report in which Lively denied reporting or spreading negative information about Baldoni or the studio.
It ends with usadaptation of Colleen Hoover's best-selling 2016 novel, released in August and exceeded box office expectations with its debut grossing $50 million.
However, the film's release was shrouded in speculation about discord between the main characters. Baldoni took a backseat to promoting the film, while Lively took center stage along with Reynolds, who was all over the press Deadpool and Wolverine at the same time.
Baldoni, who starred in the soap opera Dispatch Janina the Virgindirected Five feet apart and wrote Enough man, AND
a book that pushed back against traditional notions of masculinity, actually responded to concerns that the film romanticized domestic violence, stating at the time that critics were “absolutely entitled to that opinion.”
“If someone had experienced something like this in real life, I can imagine how difficult it would be to imagine that experience in a romance novel,” he said. “I would just like to offer them that we were very intentional in making this movie.”