Blake Lively’s promotion of It Ends With Us over the summer stirred significant backlash, leading to accusations that she ignored the film’s serious themes of domestic violence in favor of focusing on the lighter, floral aspects of her character. However, the controversy escalated when Lively filed a lawsuit against co-star and director Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and Sony Pictures. In the lawsuit, she alleges sexual harassment and claims that Baldoni and his team orchestrated a smear campaign against her after she raised complaints about the working conditions on set.
The lawsuit includes accusations related to a marketing plan that Lively claims she was forced to follow during the press tour, which downplayed the film’s critical social issues. She alleges that Baldoni, along with his publicist and crisis management team, plotted to ruin her reputation by fabricating negative stories, with the involvement of several high-profile names.
Among those mentioned in the lawsuit are her husband, Ryan Reynolds, who was reportedly included in a meeting to address the “hostile environment” on set. According to Lively, Baldoni’s team allegedly planned around Reynolds’ social media actions, including blocking Baldoni’s company. Lively’s former co-stars and friends, including Hailey Bieber, Taylor Swift, Leighton Meester, and Anna Kendrick, were also brought into the lawsuit, with accusations that their names were used in efforts to distract from the harassment claims and discredit Lively. For example, Baldoni’s team reportedly considered using stories involving Swift and Bieber to shift focus away from Lively’s accusations.
The lawsuit also touches on Lively’s relationship with Leighton Meester, her Gossip Girl co-star, suggesting that the team sought to exploit their strained relationship to further undermine Lively. Other co-stars, such as Anna Kendrick and Ben Affleck, were also mentioned in connection with similar tactics.
Despite these allegations, none of the individuals named have publicly spoken negatively about Lively. Both Meester and Kendrick have maintained that their working relationships with Lively were professional, with no signs of animosity. Ben Affleck, who worked with Lively on The Town, praised her professionalism during intimate scenes.
The case adds another layer to Lively’s already complicated public image, following the backlash to her film promotion and the ongoing legal battle over harassment and the alleged smear campaign.
