Blake Lively has taken legal action against actor-director Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us. The actress claims that Baldoni’s behavior during filming made her uncomfortable and negatively impacted her career, including causing her to miss out on public appearances and opportunities such as hosting the premiere episode of Saturday Night Live (SNL).
The Smear Campaign Allegations
The lawsuit escalated when Lively accused Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, of orchestrating a smear campaign against her. According to reports from InTouch Weekly, the campaign aimed to damage Lively’s reputation. The term “smear campaign” quickly gained widespread attention after Lively’s legal filing, with the Cambridge Dictionary defining it as “actions intended to harm the reputation of a person.”
Evidence Presented In the Lawsuit
To back her claims, Lively provided evidence in the form of screenshots of messages between her and Baldoni, revealing disturbing exchanges. One key piece of evidence included a tweet that read: “Hailey Bieber’s history of bullying many women,” which was sent by Baldoni to his PR team. His team had planned to focus the smear campaign on social media platforms, including Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram, according to a response from his PR executive.
Impact On Lively’s Career And Public Life
Lively’s lawsuit also details the significant effects Baldoni’s actions had on her professional life. The actress states that the ongoing negative publicity forced her to cancel several public appearances and engagements. The complaint further outlines that Lively felt she could not continue with her career without addressing the harassment she faced on set.
In response to the allegations, several individuals have publicly supported Lively, including It Ends With Us co-star Brandon Sklenar and author Colleen Hoover. Both have expressed solidarity with the actress during this ongoing legal battle.
