A chorus of support is building behind actress Blake Lively after she filed allegations of sexual harassment and claims of a smear campaign against her co-star Justin Baldoni, director of the film "It Ends With Us." The allegations, which surfaced shortly after the film’s release on August 23, 2023, include inappropriate comments made by Baldoni during filming and efforts to harm Lively’s reputation through social media manipulation.
Over the weekend, Lively brought formal complaints to the California Civil Rights Department, alleging both Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath engaged in unacceptable behavior on set, making unwelcome sexual remarks and attempting to insert unscripted sex scenes contrary to earlier agreements. The complaint paints the picture of not just individual misconduct, but of a broader, orchestrated effort to undermine Lively’s credibility.
"This was a carefully crafted, coordinated, and resourced retaliatory scheme to silence her, and others from speaking out about the hostile environment created by Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath," Lively’s complaint stated. Included within the allegations are claims of how the pair engaged crisis PR teams to spread negative narratives about Lively on social media.
Support from the celebrity community has been swift. Actress Amber Heard expressed her solidarity with Lively, reflecting on the dangers of social media. "Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying 'A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on,'" Heard stated, weighing the dangers of disinformation and how it can tarnish reputations before the truth has the chance to emerge.
Further backing Lively's stance, co-stars Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, and Alexis Bledel issued statements of solidarity. They described Lively as someone who courageously stood up for her safety and the safety of her colleagues during filming. "We are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort to discredit her voice," they declared on Instagram.
Adding to the drama, the situation took another turn with the filing of a lawsuit by Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s former publicist. This lawsuit suggests collusion among Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios, and members of his PR team to “bury” and “destroy” Lively’s reputation, fearing the fallout from her allegations could jeopardize Baldoni’s career.
Jones claims the smear campaign targeted Lively for speaking out about abusive on-set behavior. She is seeking unspecified damages, alleging defamation and breach of contract against Baldoni and others involved.
Jones’s lawsuit claims her former employee, Jennifer Abel, conspired with PR expert Melissa Nathan, known for her previous work with Johnny Depp, to mount this damaging campaign against Lively. Text messages included in court filings indicated the extent of the alleged conspiracy, with some messages reportedly expressing contempt for Baldoni, with one message implying he would blame others for any failures of their film.
Deflecting the accusations, Bryan Freedman, Baldoni's attorney, described Lively's claims as "completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious." He stated the allegations were part of Lively's attempt to rectify her reputation, which he asserted was already harmed due to her own actions during the promotional stage of the film.
The intense public scrutiny surrounding this issue has reverberated throughout Hollywood, leading to consequences for Baldoni. WME, one of the major talent agencies, reportedly dropped him as a client after Lively's allegations came to light.
While the film "It Ends With Us," based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, exceeded expectations at the box office with over $50 million in its debut and approaching $350 million overall, it has sparked significant controversy, predominantly due to Lively’s accusations and the brewing behind-the-scenes drama.
Fans were left questioning the dynamic between the cast as Lively appeared to have distanced herself from Baldoni leading up to the film's release, highlighted by many co-stars unfollowing him on Instagram and Lively promoting her own products during the film’s press activities rather than discussing the project. Her husband, Ryan Reynolds, has not publicly commented on the allegations against Baldoni but was noted to have blocked him on social media prior to the film's premiere.
While the film industry witnesses the fallout from these allegations, the controversy continues to build, and many are waiting with bated breath to see how the legal battles will progress. With prominent figures standing behind Lively and calls for accountability reverberate throughout social media, the situation remains fluid, underscoring the delicacy of reputation management within the entertainment industry.
