Blake Lively has accused her It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment in a newly filed lawsuit. The actress alleges Baldoni engaged in a smear campaign against her, causing her and her family "severe emotional distress," according to a legal complaint obtained by The New York Times.
In response, Bryan Freedman, attorney for Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios, called the allegations "categorically false" and the lawsuit "shameful" in a statement to Variety.
The lawsuit details a meeting convened to address Lively's allegations and her conditions for continuing work on the film. The gathering reportedly included several key figures, among them Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds.
Some of the demands that were addressed included "no more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake, no more mention of Baldoni's alleged previous 'pornography addiction,' no more discussions about sexual conquests in front of Blake and others, no further mentions of cast and crew's genitalia, no more inquiries about Blake's weight, and no further mention of Blake's dead father."
"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," were other demands mentioned in the lawsuit.
In a statement given to The New York Times, Lively said, "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."
Bryan Freedman, Baldoni's lawyer, told PEOPLE in a statement that Lively's lawsuit was to "fix her negative reputation."
"It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions," Freedman's statement to Variety read.
Speculation about a rift between Lively and Baldoni circulated widely during the press tour for It Ends With Us last August, as the pair avoided joint promotional appearances. Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, the film was a major box office success for Sony, grossing $350 million globally. It Ends With Us is adapted from Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel, which inspired a sequel, It Starts With Us.
