Wednesday, December 25, 2024

‘It Ends With Us’: Blake Lively Lawsuit Against Justin Baldoni Explained

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When the box office hit film It Ends With Us premiered in theaters this past summer, speculation about what happened between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, the movie’s two co-stars, ran rampant. Fans picked up on tensions between them at the New York CIty red carpet premiere in August, noticing Lively and Baldoni didn’t pose for any photos together and avoided each other altogether. 

In the following weeks, a relentless news cycle and social media fodder about the possible drama between Lively and Baldoni followed, not to mention further speculation about the dynamics between Baldoni and other members of the cast who also unfollowed the film’s director on social media. A Rolling Stone reported there were tensions between the two co-stars behind the scenes, according to three crew members who worked alongside the actors. The silence from both Lively and Baldoni left fans wondering what exactly happened between them during the making of It Ends With Us.

Now, a lawsuit filed by Lively against Baldoni alleges he sexually harassed her on set and orchestrated a smear campaign against her. A lawyer for Baldoni denied the allegations and claimed in a statement to Variety that Lively’s lawsuit is an attempt to “fix her negative reputation.”

Here’s a breakdown of everything we know that’s played out publicly and behind-the-scenes of It Ends With Us involving Lively and Baldoni’s controversy.

It Ends With Us Makes Headlines During Production

In 2019, Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios bought the rights to adapt Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel It Ends With Us. Baldoni, best known for acting as Rafael on Jane the Virgin, signed on as the film’s director and co-star, playing the role of Ryle Kincaid. Then in January 2023, Lively was announced as Lily Bloom, the film’s lead character opposite Baldoni, as well as a co-executive producer. 

Production ran from March through June 2023 in New Jersey. Because of the story’s preexisting, rabid fan base, people were excited to learn every bit of information about the film’s production as it was released. Not only were fans curious to learn which actors were cast in the project but they were also eager to see leaked paparazzi photos of Lively and Baldoni from the set. It Ends With Us even made headlines in the summer of 2023 because production shut down during the writers’ strike.

The Film’s New York City Premiere Sparks Questions

Fast forward more than a year later to the film’s premiere on Aug. 6, 2024. Fans who were excitedly anticipating their beloved novel becoming an adaptation for the big screen noticed that Lively and Baldoni didn’t pose together for photos on the red carpet, which isn’t common for two leads in a film. Page Six also reported at the time that the actors sat in different theaters during the premiere. In the process of their online sleuthing, fans also realized that not only did Baldoni and Lively manage to complete their press tour without interacting much, if ever, but the majority of It Ends With Us cast members, as well as author Colleen Hoover, also didn’t follow Baldoni on social media.

Behind-the-Scenes Allegations Ramp Up, Baldoni Hires Crisis PR

After fan speculation and online vitriol picked up steam following the It Ends With Us premiere on Aug. 6, Baldoni hired crisis management and PR professional Melissa Nathan. Nathan’s clients include Johnny Depp, Drake, and Logan Paul. At the time, Baldoni hiring a crisis PR professional propelled the public’s curiosities about why the actor and director would feel the need to protect himself.

The day after the Hollywood Reporter published a story about Baldoni hiring Nathan to represent him, TMZ reported that Lively allegedly told people about two instances in which Baldoni made her uncomfortable during filming. According to TMZ, sources claimed that Lively felt like Baldoni lingered longer than he should have when they engaged in a kissing scene. The outlet also alleged she felt fat-shamed when he asked his on-set trainer how much she weighed before lifting her in a scene. 

It Ends With Us Co-Star Brandon Sklenar Speaks Out

Despite the ongoing reports of behind-the-scenes drama, neither Baldoni or Lively publicly commented or addressed the press. While rumors swirled about possible conflicts between Baldoni and Lively, the majority of the film’s cast members stayed silent except for Brandon Sklenar, who plays Lively’s other love interest Atlas Corrigan in It Ends With Us.

Addressing the endless online negativity that Lively was receiving, Sklenar wrote on Instagram, “The women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves. Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about. It is, in fact, the opposite of the point.” 

The actor continued his statement, appearing to allude to possible issues on set. “What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what our intentions were in making this film,” he continued. “It’s been disheartening to see the amount of negativity being projected online.”

The Film, Which Depicts Domestic Violence, Gets Backlash for Marketing Campaign

While people obsessed over possible theories and opinions about why Lively and Baldoni weren’t copacetic, Lively also faced backlash for what fans considered to be a tone deaf marketing strategy around It Ends With Us. The film, which depicts domestic violence, was promoted with pop-up experiences for fans that recreated Lily’s flower shop as a photo opportunity, and Lively launched her hair care line Blake Brown while on the It Ends With Us press tour. After public scrutiny, Lively shared a post on her Instagram story about domestic violence with a link to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Baldoni’s production company also announced a partnership with the No More Foundation, a nonprofit that provides domestic and sexual violence survivors with resources and access to help.

Online Hate for Lively Continues to Build

Outside of the This is Us drama, the online hate for Lively continued to build. In a viral clip, Norwegian journalist Kjersti Flaa shared footage from a 2016 interview with Lively which she said made her “want to quit” her job. With nearly six million views, the video sparked animosity toward Lively amidst other unconfirmed rumors and speculation regarding It Ends With Us

Lively Sues Baldoni for Alleged Sexual Harassment, Smear Campaign

Amid the drama and conversation surrounding the film, It Ends With Us was a massive success at the box office. Opening to the public on Aug, 9 and remaining in theaters until the end of October, Forbes reported the movie made more than $148 million in domestic ticket sales. In its opening weekend alone, Variety reported the film amassed more than $50 million in North American markets. Continuing its popularity and reach, It Ends With Us started streaming via Netflix on Dec. 9.

Weeks after the movie became available on Netflix, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios on Dec. 21 claiming she experienced “severe emotional distress” from what she alleged was a toxic production and movie release. According to the lawsuit, obtained by Rolling Stone, there was a meeting held with Sony Pictures addressing Baldoni’s alleged behavior. Baldoni and his team were given a list of demands from Lively and her team which allegedly included asking him to refrain from discussing his previous “pornography addiction,” sexual conquests, and the cast and crew’s genitalia, per the filing. The lawsuit also claimed that Baldoni was told “no more adding of sex scenes, oral sex or on camera climaxing by BL outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project.”

The lawsuit further alleged that Baldoni and Jamey Heath, CEO of Wayfarer Studios and producer on It Ends With Us, walked into Lively’s dressing room uninvited while she was breastfeeding. Heath also allegedly showed Lively a naked video of his wife and watched Lively in her dressing room when she was topless having her body makeup removed, per the suit.

In addition to Baldoni’s alleged on-set behavior, the complaint accused the actor’s “crisis management” and publicity team of engaging in a “social manipulation” campaign to smear Lively’s reputation.

“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 about her lawsuit in a statement to the New York Times.

Following the lawsuit, Baldoni was reportedly dropped by talent agency William Morris Endeavor. WME also represents Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds. 

Lively’s Friends and Collaborators Come Out in Her Defense

In the wake of these more recent developments, more people have spoken out on Lively’s behalf. Hoover shared a post on her Instagram stories in support of Lively alongside a photo of the two of them. “@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met,” she wrote. “Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”

Lively’s longtime friends and collaborators on the beloved Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants films also spoke up in defense of their friend. In a shared statement, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel wrote, “We stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation. Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice.”

Director Paul Feig who has worked with Lively on A Simple Favor and its upcoming sequel also supported the actress. “I’ve now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented, and kind people I’ve ever worked with,” he wrote. “She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it’s awful she was put through this.”

Sony Pictures also backed the actress and in a statement to Rolling Stone, the studio said it “fully” supported Lively amid the Baldoni allegations.

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