Blake Lively Accuses Justin Baldoni of Harassment and Smear Campaign in Legal Filing

Blake Lively has filed a complaint against her It Ends with Us co-star Justin Baldoni, accusing him of harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign to ruin her reputation. The legal filing, which includes text messages and emails between Baldoni and his public relations team, paints a troubling picture of behind-the-scenes conflict on the set of the movie. Lively’s complaint alleges that these actions have caused her significant emotional distress and have impacted her family life.

Allegations Against Baldoni

The complaint accuses Justin Baldoni, 40, of attempting to create a coordinated online smear campaign targeting Lively, 37. This alleged campaign was discussed in private conversations between Baldoni and his public relations team, including PR executive Jennifer Abel and crisis management expert Melissa Nathan.

According to the complaint, Baldoni shared a social media post about Hailey Bieber on August 4, using it as an example for how to target Lively. The post, titled “Hailey Bieber’s history of bullying many women,” was allegedly shared in a group chat to highlight the type of online narrative Baldoni hoped to craft. “This is what we would need,” Baldoni allegedly wrote.

Jennifer Abel reportedly replied, “Yes, I literally just spoke to Melissa about this on the break about what we discussed last night for social and digital. Focus on Reddit, TikTok, [Instagram].” Abel later messaged Nathan with what she called “reckless thoughts” about wanting to leak information to make Lively seem difficult to work with. Nathan allegedly responded that one of her journalist friends was “ready when we are.”

Emotional Impact on Lively

Blake Lively’s complaint details the severe emotional toll Baldoni’s alleged actions have taken on her. She claims to have suffered from grief, fear, trauma, and intense anxiety as a result of his behavior. The impact has also extended to her family, including her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and their four children.

Lively has accused Baldoni of inappropriate on-set behavior, including unwanted kissing, sexual comments, and watching her in compromising situations. She alleges that this behavior created a toxic work environment and forced her to seek additional protections from the production team.

On-Set Complaints

According to the filing, Lively and other crew members, including her husband Ryan Reynolds, held a meeting to address Baldoni’s alleged behavior. During this meeting, they laid out specific boundaries, such as:

No more improvising of kissing scenes.

No personal or physical touching without express consent.

No sexual comments directed at Lively or other female cast and crew members.

No addition of sex scenes or explicit content beyond what was agreed upon in the original script.

The production team reportedly agreed to these requests, but Lively claims that soon after, Baldoni launched his alleged “social manipulation” campaign to harm her reputation.

The Alleged Smear Campaign

The complaint describes how Baldoni and his PR team planned to use social media platforms like Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram to plant negative stories about Lively. These efforts allegedly included portraying her as difficult to work with and creating a narrative that could harm her professional image.

Fans familiar with the celebrity world might recognize similarities between this situation and the long-rumored feud between Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez. Lively’s legal team claims that Baldoni used a negative social media post about Bieber as a blueprint for how to tarnish Lively’s reputation.

Baldoni’s Response

Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has strongly denied Lively’s accusations, calling them “false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.” In a statement to PEOPLE on December 21, Freedman claimed that the allegations were an attempt to harm Baldoni publicly.

At this stage, Baldoni has not commented further on the accusations, and it remains unclear how the lawsuit will proceed.

Conclusion

Blake Lively’s legal complaint sheds light on serious allegations against Justin Baldoni, ranging from on-set harassment to planning a public smear campaign. The situation has caused significant emotional distress for Lively and has reportedly disrupted her family life.

While Baldoni has denied the allegations, the complaint includes detailed examples of text messages and emails that could support Lively’s claims. As the legal battle unfolds, this case will likely draw attention to the importance of maintaining professional and respectful environments in the entertainment industry.

For now, fans of both stars will have to wait and see how the situation develops.