It’s no secret that Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni hated each other while making “It Ends with Us.”
When the drama was released this summer, the real drama was between the star and the director. Not only weren’t they talking to each other on the red carpet, but he was banned from being on the international tour with her.
Also playing into this was Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, who apparently was a presence in the making of the movie and in the ‘defense’ of his wife.
Now Lively, in a highly unusual move, has sued Baldoni for sexual harassment on the set.
Lively told The New York Times in a statement: “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.”
You can read the complaint here.
There is a long list of complaints Lively had against Baldoni that were discussed during the making of the film. Her complaint says production stopped briefly to address the concerns, and that Baldoni agreed to correct his behavior. The list is below.
The complaint contains test messages back and forth between Baldoni’s publicist and the crisis manager his production company hired during the summer when the movie premiered and the director — who also starred in the movie — was getting attacked in the press. The gist of it was that the publicists were going to “bury” Lively in the press.
The complaint is a vivid look inside how the Hollywood PR machine works. What’s weird about it is that everything the publicists didn’t want to come out in print is stated clearly in text messages. It’s as if they didn’t realize the text messages would one day see the light of day.
If Lively’s extremely detailed complaint turns out to have merit, there’s a lot at stake. Baldoni, of course, would be ruined in the business. But even more important is who winds up making the sequel to “It Ends with Us.” Author Colleen Hoover sold the rights to that book and “It Ends with Us” to Baldoni. Lively obviously wants to make that movie without him. A settlement in the lawsuit could include the actress gaining those rights. Since “It Ends with Us” was a hit, the sequel is the ultimate prize.
Here are the top 3 points of that meeting which led to the movie resuming production after Lively made complaints during the shoot. You’d be hard pressed to find such a mid-production agreement for any other movie. It’s jaw dropping to think this stuff was going on, but I guess I’m naive about what goes on backstage.
1. No more showing nude videos or images of women , including producer’s wife,to BL
and/or her employees.
2.No more mention of Mr Baldoni’s or Mr Heath’s previous ” pornography addiction” or
BL’s lack of pornography consumption to BL or to other crew members.
3. No more discussions to BL and/or her employees about personal experiences with
sex, including as it relates to spouses or others.
4.No more mention to BL or her employees of personal times that physical consent
was not given in sexual acts, as either the abuser or the abused.
5. No more descriptions of their own genitalia to BL.
