5 Things You Need to Know About Blake Lively’s Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Justin Baldoni: What Really Happened During It Ends With Us

Directed by Justin Baldoni, 2024’s romantic-drama movie It Ends With Us, based on author Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name, starred Blake Lively, Baldoni, and Brandon Sklenar. The movie follows the life of Lily Bloom falling in love with a neurosurgeon, Ryle Kincaid, but soon realizes that her relationship mirrors her parents’ relationship: an abusive one. Lily’s first love, Atlas Corrigan, re-enters her life, leaving her relationship with Ryle Kincaid upended, leaving her with a choice.

Even though the readers had high expectations for the movie because Lively and the author herself were attached to the project, it received a mixed response from the audience and the critics. However, it was a box-office success. Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni did not promote the movie together, and now the actress has accused her director-co-star of s**ual harassment and a smear campaign against her. Here’s everything we know:

Blake Lively sues It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni for alleged s**ual harassment

Following months of speculation between It Ends With Us stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, the actress has filed an official s**ual harassment complaint against the actor. According to The New York Times, the complaint was filed with the California Civil Rights Department in which Lively has accused the actor of allegedly creating a hostile work environment on sets and actively taking part in a smear campaign against her.

Here are FIVE allegations against Justin Baldoni brought to light by Blake Lively’s complaint.

1. Blake Lively spoke against the hostile work environment at the ‘all hands’ meeting

According to BI, the actress’ complaint clearly states that Lively was asked to address her concerns regarding the hostile work environment allegedly created by Baldoni, Jamey Heath, and others. It also mentions that her husband, Ryan Reynolds, also attended the meeting where she spoke about the environment months before they started filming. It stated,

The concerns she raised were not only for herself but also for the other female cast and crew, some of whom had also spoken up. They agreed to stop their behavior, which included showing nude videos or images of women, including the producer’s wife, to BL and/or her employees.

Further, the complaint mentioned the men’s alleged addiction to p**nography and description of their genitalia. It has been noted that they all agreed and complied with everything in a document that was shared with Wayfarer Studios, which found them reasonable and essential for everyone involved.

2. Justin Baldoni added improvised ‘s**ual content’ without Blake Lively’s consent

It Ends With Us novel sure has a few pages of s**ual content, but it was not exactly copied for the movie. However, Lively’s recent complaint stated that Baldoni, who was also the director of the film, started adding improvised s**ual content and n*de scenes in the movie without the actress’s knowledge or consent.

When Ms. Lively objected to these additions, Mr. Baldono insisted he had added them because he was making the film through the female gaze. Although he agreed to remove the scenes, he made one last-ditch attempt to keep one in which the couple orgasms together on their wedding night.

The complaint alleges Bladoni had asked Livley deeply personal questions regarding her relationship with Ryan Reynolds, which she found invasive and refused to discuss. It also mentioned that while her character gives birth, the director-actor urged the actress to simulate full n*dity, but she compromised and agreed to be n*de from below the chest down.

Lively’s complaint noted that neither Baldoni nor Heath had kept the set safe for her while she filmed the birthing scene and the nonessential crew kept passing through.

3. Justin Baldoni ‘shifted’ from their agreed marketing strategy

One of the biggest concerns at the time of the movie’s release was how Lively was shifting focus from the agenda of the book, which was domestic violence, to portray it as a movie of hope. Whereas Baldoni, in some of his interviews, addressed the concerns, with people praising him for it.

However, Lively’s complaint alleges that she and other cast members were given a ‘marketing plan’ created by the film’s distributor, Sony Pictures Entertainment. They were asked to promote the movie in a certain way that showcases the character’s strength and resilience as opposed to describing the movie as a story about DV.

However, Baldoni pivoted away from the agreed plan and started promoting and addressing DV in his interviews. This led to the audience criticizing the actress’s approach towards the movie during the press tour, whereas Baldoni did not face the same disapproval.

4. Smear campaign against Blake Lively

Blake Lively is one of the most talented and well-loved actresses in the industry; however, her joining the project and press tour sort of changed her image in the public eye. She was now being portrayed as rude, egotistical, and tone-deaf. But her complaint alleges it was indeed Baldoni’s decision to switch marketing strategies and use social manipulation to destroy her image.

Melissa Nathan, a crisis communication specialist, was hired and proposed a practice of astroturfing. It is when comments or opinions are written on the internet appearing to come from ordinary people, but they’re not. 

The complaint alleges that in a text exchange between Lively’s attorney and Ms. Nathan, it is clearly shown that Baldoni wanted Lively to ‘feel like she can be buried.’

To safeguard against the risk of Ms. Lively ever revealing the truth about Mr. Baldoni, the Baldoni-Wayfarer team created, planted, amplified, and boosted content designed to eviscerate Ms. Lively’s credibility.

The team wanted to tarnish Lively’s image in the public and they managed to do that during the press tour.

5. Justin Baldoni wants to protect his ‘feminist ally’ image

Lastly, the complaints filed by Blake Lively against Justin Baldoni allege that the actor-director wants to protect his image of not just being an ally but also a fierce advocate for women. However, contrary to his image, he has spent several months and significant resources, according to reports by BI, to try to bury and destroy the actress.

This was allegedly done after the actress raised her concerns about the working environment on sets.

Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios denied the allegations brought in by Blake Lively

In a statement to The Times, the actor and studios’ representative shared that the allegations brought in by the actress are completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to hurt and rehash the narrative in the media. He mentioned that the actress has planted a negative and completely fabricated story with the media.

But within a few days into the press tour, Lively’s image in the public eye had drastically shifted while Baldoni emerged largely unscathed. He has also been recently honored as a man who celebrates women. It was later reported that the actor had been dropped by his talent agency. In a statement to The New York Times, Lively shared,

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.

Due to their creative differences, the actress, along with the other cast, refused to appear alongside Justin Baldoni to promote the movie. This included author Colleen Hoover as well, who had expressed her dissatisfaction with Baldoni.

None of the cast members either followed Baldoni on IG or posed with him at the premiere of the movie.

It Ends With Us is available to stream on Netflix.