<p><img src="/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2024/08/14/USAT/74805369007-xxx-it-ends-with-us-df-20699-20690-r-3600-px-dcb.jpg?crop=3596,2022,x0,y0&width=660&height=371&format=pjpg&auto=webp" width="100%" /><p><a href="/story/entertainment/celebrities/2024/08/10/it-ends-with-us-cast-drama-explained/74740951007/">Blake Lively</a> has accused her <a href="/story/entertainment/movies/2023/01/27/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-colleen-hoover-it-ends-with-us/11133003002/">"It Ends with Us"</a> co-star <a href="/story/life/pets/2024/10/26/justin-baldoni-dog-happy/75827984007/">Justin Baldoni</a> of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign to cover it.</p><p>Lively claims that Baldoni, who directed the film, coordinated a PR campaign which her lawyers called "'social manipulation' designed to 'destroy' Ms. Lively's reputation" after she took issue with on-set behavior, according to a 62-page legal complaint.</p><p>The behavior took place on the set of "It Ends With Us" which features Lively as florist Lily Blossom Bloom, who falls head over heels in love with a seemingly perfect neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid played by <a href="/story/entertainment/celebrities/2024/08/10/it-ends-with-us-cast-drama-explained/74740951007/">Baldoni</a>, and she reconnects with her childhood sweetheart, Atlas Corrigan <a href="/story/entertainment/tv/2023/01/12/1923-spencer-dutton-brandon-sklenar-yellowstone-love-story/11037878002/">(Brandon Sklenar).</a> Below the surface, the film grapples with disturbing patterns of domestic abuse.</p><p>Lively filed the legal complaint with the California Civil Rights Department as a precursor to a lawsuit. "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 <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/21/business/media/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-it-ends-with-us.html">told The New York Times in a story published Saturday.</a></p><p>The allegations range from unwanted discussion of Baldoni's genitalia to criticism about Lively's weight, including calling her personal trainer four months after the birth of her fourth child for her to lose weight. They include allegations that Baldoni's PR team used family connections to get critical stories placed about Lively in media outlets as well as employed a team to make it seem as if regular people were posting items critical of Lively.</p><p><strong>Need a break?</strong> <a href="https://puzzles.usatoday.com/">Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.</a></p><p>USA TODAY reached out to Baldoni's lawyer <a href="https://bryanfreedman.net/">Bryan Freedman</a>, the high-powered entertainment lawyer, for comment.</p><img width="100%" /><p><strong>Blake Lively files legal complaint</strong><a href="/story/entertainment/celebrities/2024/12/21/blake-lively-sues-justin-baldoni-sexual-harassment/77129831007/">Says 'It Ends with Us' co-star sexually harassed her</a></p><h2>What are the sexual harassment allegations Blake Lively has made against co-star Justin Baldoni?</h2><p>In a meeting on Jan. 4, the complaint says that Lively and her team discussed in detail behavior by Baldoni, and producer Jamey Heath. Neither of the men denied the behavior. They agreed to end the behavior, and resumed fliming the next day, according to the filing. Allegations in the complaint include:</p><p>No more showing nude videos or images of women to Lively or her employees.</p><p>No more mention of Baldoni and Heath's previous "pornography addiction" or Lively's lack of pornography consumption to her or other crew members.</p><p>No more discussions to Lively and her employees about "personal experiences with sex as it relates to spouses"</p><p>No more desciprtions of their own genitalia to Lively.</p><p>No more inquiries to Lively's trainer about her weight.</p><p>No more personal, physical touching or sexual comments by Baldoni or Heath to Lively or others.</p><p>No more improvising of kissing.</p><p>Lively to have a representative on set to monitor any nudity, sex or violence with Baldoni.</p><p>No more entering Lively's trailer while she is naked.</p><p>No more adding of sex scenes or oral sex.</p><img width="100%" /><p><strong>Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni feuded</strong><a href="/story/entertainment/celebrities/2024/12/21/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-sexual-harassment-smear-campaign/77132875007/">Next came the smear campaign, she alleges. We explain.</a></p><h2>What are the smear tactic allegations Blake Lively has made against Justin Baldoni and The Agency Group?</h2><p>In the filing, Lively's lawyers allege that Baldoni hired crisis PR specialist Melissa Nathan and her company The Agency Group to carry out an online smear campaign. This includes:</p><p>Sony provided talking points for the actors to use during film promotion, including focusing on the resilience of the character played by Lively instead of the theme of domestic violence. When Lively followed those guidelines, and other cast members including Lively didn't promote the film with Baldoni, he focused on domestic violence. Then his team worked to share stories that Lively didn't care about the issue of domestic violence.</p><p>Planting stories to "shift" the narrative in support of Baldoni. Nathan and publicist Jennifer Abel had a text exchange when Daily Mail published a story with the headline<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13749783/Blake-Lively-cancelled-interview-Ends-film.html"> Is Blake Lively set to be CANCELLED? String of 'hard to watch' videos that have surfaced following 'tone deaf' Q&A to promote :It Ends With Us.</a>"</p><p>"You really outdid yourself with this piece," Abel said. Nathan responded, "That’s why you hired me right? I’m the best."</p><p>The filing claims Abel wrote: "He wants to feel like she can be buried," to which Nathan replied with a text message of her own: "You know we can bury anyone."</p><img width="100%" /><p>In another instance in the filing, Baldoni texts Abel a social media post and thread that accused <a href="/story/entertainment/celebrities/2023/03/24/selena-gomez-hailey-bieber-online-hate-feud-rumors/11534953002/">Hailey Bieber</a> of bullying behavior and wrote: "This is what we would need."</p><p>Abel responds that she spoke to Nathan "about this… about what we discussed last night for social and digital. Focus on reddit, TikTok, IG.”</p><p>The complaint says that Wayfarer Studio’s co-founder, co-chairman and leading financier Steve Sarowitz, divulged at the Film’s New York premiere that "he was prepared to spend $100 million to ruin the lives of Ms. Lively and her family."</p><p>The complaint included a scenario planning document that spelled out "several potentialscenarios at play here which we should be prepared for, should [Ms. Lively] and her team make hergrievances public" which included "explore planting stories about the weaponization of feminism and how people in (Lively's) circle like Taylor Swift, have been accused of utilizing these tactics to ‘bully’ into getting what they want.”</p><a href="/picture-gallery/life/entertainthis/2016/05/11/blake-lively-style-diary/84238216/"><img width="100%" /></a><h2>Why is Blake Lively sharing this now?</h2><p>According to the filing, when Lively became aware of the retaliation, she experienced "mental, physical,professional, and financial harms that continue to this day."</p><p>She says that she was forced to cancel public appearances to avoid talking about the harassment, including backing out of her scheduled hosting of Saturday Night Live in September.</p><p>The complaint says: "She also has been experiencing repeated and painful physical symptoms as a result of this experience. Mr. Reynolds, too, has been affected mentally, physically, and professionally by his wife and children’s pain. Worst of all, however, has been the impact on their young children, who have been traumatized and emotionally uprooted in ways that have substantially impacted their well-being.</p></p>
Blake Lively has accused her "It Ends with Us" co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign to cover it.
Lively claims that Baldoni, who directed the film, coordinated a PR campaign which her lawyers called "'social manipulation' designed to 'destroy' Ms. Lively's reputation" after she took issue with on-set behavior, according to a 62-page legal complaint.
The behavior took place on the set of "It Ends With Us" which features Lively as florist Lily Blossom Bloom, who falls head over heels in love with a seemingly perfect neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid played by Baldoni, and she reconnects with her childhood sweetheart, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar). Below the surface, the film grapples with disturbing patterns of domestic abuse.
Lively filed the legal complaint with the California Civil Rights Department as a precursor to a lawsuit. "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 told The New York Times in a story published Saturday.
The allegations range from unwanted discussion of Baldoni's genitalia to criticism about Lively's weight, including calling her personal trainer four months after the birth of her fourth child for her to lose weight. They include allegations that Baldoni's PR team used family connections to get critical stories placed about Lively in media outlets as well as employed a team to make it seem as if regular people were posting items critical of Lively.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
USA TODAY reached out to Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman, the high-powered entertainment lawyer, for comment.
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Blake Lively files legal complaintSays 'It Ends with Us' co-star sexually harassed her
What are the sexual harassment allegations Blake Lively has made against co-star Justin Baldoni?
In a meeting on Jan. 4, the complaint says that Lively and her team discussed in detail behavior by Baldoni, and producer Jamey Heath. Neither of the men denied the behavior. They agreed to end the behavior, and resumed fliming the next day, according to the filing. Allegations in the complaint include:
No more showing nude videos or images of women to Lively or her employees.
No more mention of Baldoni and Heath's previous "pornography addiction" or Lively's lack of pornography consumption to her or other crew members.
No more discussions to Lively and her employees about "personal experiences with sex as it relates to spouses"
No more desciprtions of their own genitalia to Lively.
No more inquiries to Lively's trainer about her weight.
No more personal, physical touching or sexual comments by Baldoni or Heath to Lively or others.
No more improvising of kissing.
Lively to have a representative on set to monitor any nudity, sex or violence with Baldoni.
No more entering Lively's trailer while she is naked.
No more adding of sex scenes or oral sex.
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Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni feudedNext came the smear campaign, she alleges. We explain.
What are the smear tactic allegations Blake Lively has made against Justin Baldoni and The Agency Group?
In the filing, Lively's lawyers allege that Baldoni hired crisis PR specialist Melissa Nathan and her company The Agency Group to carry out an online smear campaign. This includes:
Sony provided talking points for the actors to use during film promotion, including focusing on the resilience of the character played by Lively instead of the theme of domestic violence. When Lively followed those guidelines, and other cast members including Lively didn't promote the film with Baldoni, he focused on domestic violence. Then his team worked to share stories that Lively didn't care about the issue of domestic violence.
Planting stories to "shift" the narrative in support of Baldoni. Nathan and publicist Jennifer Abel had a text exchange when Daily Mail published a story with the headline Is Blake Lively set to be CANCELLED? String of 'hard to watch' videos that have surfaced following 'tone deaf' Q&A to promote :It Ends With Us."
"You really outdid yourself with this piece," Abel said. Nathan responded, "That’s why you hired me right? I’m the best."
The filing claims Abel wrote: "He wants to feel like she can be buried," to which Nathan replied with a text message of her own: "You know we can bury anyone."
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In another instance in the filing, Baldoni texts Abel a social media post and thread that accused Hailey Bieber of bullying behavior and wrote: "This is what we would need."
Abel responds that she spoke to Nathan "about this… about what we discussed last night for social and digital. Focus on reddit, TikTok, IG.”
The complaint says that Wayfarer Studio’s co-founder, co-chairman and leading financier Steve Sarowitz, divulged at the Film’s New York premiere that "he was prepared to spend $100 million to ruin the lives of Ms. Lively and her family."
The complaint included a scenario planning document that spelled out "several potentialscenarios at play here which we should be prepared for, should [Ms. Lively] and her team make hergrievances public" which included "explore planting stories about the weaponization of feminism and how people in (Lively's) circle like Taylor Swift, have been accused of utilizing these tactics to ‘bully’ into getting what they want.”
![]()
Why is Blake Lively sharing this now?
According to the filing, when Lively became aware of the retaliation, she experienced "mental, physical,professional, and financial harms that continue to this day."
She says that she was forced to cancel public appearances to avoid talking about the harassment, including backing out of her scheduled hosting of Saturday Night Live in September.
The complaint says: "She also has been experiencing repeated and painful physical symptoms as a result of this experience. Mr. Reynolds, too, has been affected mentally, physically, and professionally by his wife and children’s pain. Worst of all, however, has been the impact on their young children, who have been traumatized and emotionally uprooted in ways that have substantially impacted their well-being.
