Blake Lively alleged that it was the end of a smear campaign with our co-star Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively has filed a legal complaint against It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment and a campaign to “destroy” her reputation.

According to legal filings, she accused Mr. Baldoni and his team of attacking her public image after a meeting in which she brought her actor husband, Ryan Reynolds, to Mr. Baldoni and a producer. to address “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior”. on film.

Mr Baldoni’s legal team told the BBC the allegations were “blatantly false” and said they had hired a crisis manager because Ms Lively had threatened to withdraw the film if their demands were not met. Will derail.

In the romantic drama, Miss Lively plays a woman who finds herself in a relationship with a charming but abusive boyfriend, played by Mr. Baldoni.

The legal filing said a meeting between Miss Lively and Mr Baldoni, along with others involved in the film’s production, took place on January 4 this year, and was intended to address a “hostile work environment” on set.

Ms. Lively’s husband, Deadpool star Mr. Reynolds, who did not appear in It Ends With You, joined her in the showdown, a step ahead of the lawsuit, according to the legal complaint.

Mr Baldoni, 40, attended the meeting as co-chairman and co-founder of the film’s production company, Wayfarer Studios. He was also the director of the film.

In the legal complaint, Ms. Lively’s lawyers allege that both Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer’s chief executive officer, Jamie Heath, engaged in inappropriate and unwanted behavior toward Ms. Lively and others on the set of “It Ends With You.”

In a filing with the California Department of Civil Rights, a list of 30 demands related to the couple’s alleged misconduct were made at the meeting to ensure they could continue production on the film.

Among them, Ms Lively, 37, requested that Mr Baldoni’s and Mr Heath’s previous “addiction to pornography” not be discussed with Ms Lively or other members of staff, in front of Ms Lively in her own presence. No further description of genitalia, and “no more. Inclusion of sex scenes, oral sex, or on camera climaxing via BL.” [Blake Lively] Outside the scope of approval of script BL while signing the project”, the complaint said.

Ms Lively also demanded that Mr Baldoni stop saying he could speak to his dead father.

Ms Lively’s legal team further alleged that Mr Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios were leading a “multi-tiered plan” to destroy her reputation.

He alleged that this was the “intended result of a carefully crafted, coordinated and resourceful retaliation scheme to silence him, and prevent others from speaking out about the hostile environment created by Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath.” Gone”.

Responding to the legal complaint, Mr Baldoni’s lawyer, Brian Friedman, said on Saturday: “It is disgraceful that Ms Lively and her representative Mr Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives have made such serious and patently false allegations. will impose.”

Mr. Friedman accused Ms. Lively of making numerous demands and threats, including “threats not to come on set, threats not to promote the film,” which would ultimately lead to her death during release, if If his demands were not fulfilled. .

They alleged that Ms Lively’s claims were “deliberately defamatory and intended to cause public injury to a narrative in the media”.

In a statement to the BBC through her lawyers, Ms Lively said: “I hope my legal action will help expose these nefarious retaliatory tactics to harm those who speak out about abuse. are and help protect others who may be targeted.”

He also denied that he or any of his representatives planted or disseminated negative information about Mr. Baldoni or Wayfarer.

The film was a box office success, although some critics said it romanticized domestic violence.

Shortly after the August release date, another co-star, Brendan Skinner, hinted at rumors of a rift between Ms. Lively and Mr. Baldoni in an Instagram post.

Speculations of a fall-out grew when they were not seen together on the red carpet.

It Ends With Us tells the story of Boston florist Lily Bloom, played by Ms. Lilly, as she falls in love with her charming but abusive boyfriend, Royal Kincaid, played by Mr. Baldoni. and her sympathetic first love, Atlas Corrigan, drives the love triangle between them. Mr. Skinner.

It is based on the best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover. The 45-year-old author has previously said that her motivation was the domestic abuse her mother endured.

In an interview with the BBC on the eve of the film’s premiere in August, Ms Lively said she felt a “responsibility to serve people who care deeply about the source material”.

“I really feel like we’ve delivered a story that’s emotional and it’s fun, but also funny, painful, scary, tragic and it’s inspiring and that’s life,” the actress said. Each has its own color.

Ms Lively, who is also credited as a producer, told the BBC that she felt the film was made “with great compassion”.

“Lily is a survivor and a victim and while those are great labels, they are not her identity,” Ms Lively said. “She praises herself and I think it’s very empowering that no one else can praise you.”