BLAKE LIVELY ACCUSED JUSTIN BALDONI OF MISCONDUCT AND RETALIATION CAMPAIGN ON THE SET OF “IT ENDS WITH US.”

Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment during filming and a subsequent retaliation campaign orchestrated to tarnish her reputation.
The lawsuit includes thousands of emails and text messages allegedly showing Baldoni and his representatives plotting to damage Lively’s public image after she reported inappropriate on-set behaviour by Baldoni and lead producer Jamey Heath.

It Ends with Us director and star Justin Baldoni attends the movie’s world premiere on Aug. 6 in New York.
Evan Agostini/AP/Invision

Allegations of Misconduct
According to the lawsuit, Lively raised concerns during production about Baldoni’s alleged behaviour, which included showing her explicit videos, referencing his past struggles with pornography addiction, and making inappropriate remarks about her weight and family. She also accused Heath of showing her a video of his wife nude and claimed both men entered her trailer unannounced while she was breastfeeding or changing.
Lively’s requests for workplace boundaries reportedly led to some improvements, but tensions flared again when creative differences about the film arose. The lawsuit also claims Baldoni and his PR team planned a smear campaign, including discussions about portraying Lively as “difficult to work with” to preemptively undermine her credibility.

Retaliation Campaign
The lawsuit highlights communications from crisis management professionals allegedly hired by Baldoni to suppress negative press about him while amplifying criticism of Lively. In one exchange, a publicist reportedly stated, “We can bury anyone,” while others discussed planting stories to harm her reputation.

Despite the internal turmoil, It Ends With Us was a commercial success, grossing over $350 million worldwide. However, tensions between the cast and Baldoni became apparent during the film’s promotion. Lively, along with other key figures, including author Colleen Hoover and actor Brandon Sklenar, avoided joint press events with Baldoni.

Legal and Public Responses
In response to the lawsuit, Baldoni’s lawyer denied all allegations, calling them “completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.” The statement also accused Lively of attempting to repair her reputation through the lawsuit.
For her part, Lively stated her goal is to expose the retaliatory practices used against individuals who report misconduct. “I hope my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister tactics and protects others who may be targeted,” she said.
The lawsuit also implicates Wayfarer Studios, Heath, and several public relations professionals in the alleged campaign against Lively. It represents a broader reckoning with how celebrities’ reputations can be strategically manipulated in the digital age.
While Baldoni has suggested he may not return for the sequel, Lively continues to push for accountability, signalling that her fight extends beyond this singular case.

The text messages, which Lively says she acquired through a subpoena, involve exchanges between Jennifer Abel, of PR firm RWA Communications, Melissa Nathan, of The Agency Group PR, and Baldoni.

They include:

⦁ Details of two quotes of PR packages – one costing “£175k” for a “3-4 month period” including “full reddit, full social account take downs”;
⦁ Another PR package costing “$25k per month” for “min 3 months” that includes “creation of social fan engagement to go back and forth with any negative accounts, helping to change the narrative and stay on track”;
⦁ Baldoni asking Ms Abel “What is the TikTok strategy” and saying “I’d like you guys to start posting me ONLY talking about domestic violence and clips and why this movie is so important”;
⦁ Ms Abel telling Ms Nathan she was “having reckless thoughts of wanting to plant pieces this week of how horrible Blake is to work with”;
⦁ Ms Abel saying: “The narrative online is so freaking good and fans are still sticking up for Justin” and telling Ms Nathan “you did such amazing work”;
⦁ Ms Nathan telling Ms Abel: “The majority of socials are so pro Justin and I don’t even agree with half of them lol”;
⦁ Ms Nathan replying to Ms Abel: “Narrative is CRAZY good”;
⦁ Ms Nathan telling Ms Abel: “We can’t write it down to him… We can’t write we will destroy her”;
⦁ Ms Nathan adding: “you know we can bury anyone”;
⦁ Ms Nathan saying to Ms Abel: “Don’t worry, I didn’t kill her and send her in a box to your house”, to which Abel replies: “DAMNIT”;
⦁ Ms Nathan telling Ms Abel socials are “really really ramping up”, to which Ms Abel adds: “It’s actually sad because it just shows you have people really want to hate on women”.
⦁ The text messages appear to date between 15 May and 18 August this year. It Ends With Us was released on 9 August.

The text messages appear to date between 15 May and 18 August this year. It Ends With Us was released on 9 August.