Justin Baldoni Allegedly Sought Smear Campaign Against Blake Lively, Lawsuit Claims
Blake Lively has accused her It Ends with Us co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and orchestrating a retaliatory smear campaign, according to a lawsuit filed by the actress. Baldoni’s legal team has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as “false” and “intentionally salacious.”
Baldoni Allegedly Referenced Hailey Bieber Example for Smear Tactics
Court documents allege that Baldoni used a viral social media post targeting Hailey Bieber as inspiration for a smear campaign against Lively. In text messages submitted as evidence, Baldoni reportedly shared a screenshot of a post titled “Hailey Bieber’s history of bullying many women,” telling PR consultant Jennifer Abel, “This is what we would need.” Abel allegedly replied, “Yes, I literally just spoke to Melissa [Nathan] about this… Focus on Reddit, TikTok, [and Instagram].”
Alleged Plans to Tarnish Lively’s Reputation
According to the complaint, Abel later messaged Nathan saying, “I’m having reckless thoughts of wanting to plant pieces this week of how horrible Blake is to work with… Just to get ahead of it.” Nathan allegedly responded, “Same,” and mentioned a journalist who was “ready when we are.”
These exchanges are part of what Lively claims was a deliberate campaign to “destroy” her reputation following her allegations of misconduct against Baldoni.
Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Baldoni
Lively’s lawsuit alleges numerous incidents of inappropriate behavior during the filming of It Ends with Us. Among the claims:
- Unwanted physical contact: Baldoni allegedly kissed Lively without her consent.
- Invasive behavior: The actor-director allegedly watched her while she was undressed.
- Inappropriate improvisation: Lively and others on set reportedly requested limits on unscripted physical interactions and explicit content added to scenes.
These concerns were reportedly discussed in a production meeting attended by Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and other crew members.
Alleged Smear Campaign Details
The complaint accuses Baldoni’s PR team of plotting to plant stories that painted Lively as manipulative and difficult to work with. One purported tactic was to highlight alleged conflicts Lively had with former colleagues, including Leighton Meester, Anna Kendrick, and Ben Affleck.
Documents also suggest Baldoni’s publicists aimed to frame Lively’s actions as examples of “weaponized feminism,” with one memo recommending they ensure media inquiries were redirected to other alleged disputes in her career.
Lively Speaks Out
In a statement to The New York Times, Lively expressed hope that her legal action would expose harmful retaliatory tactics in the industry. “I hope this lawsuit pulls back the curtain on these sinister strategies and protects others from being targeted for speaking up,” she said.
Baldoni’s Legal Team Responds
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, denied the allegations, asserting that the lawsuit is an attempt by Lively to “fix her negative reputation.” He claimed that neither Baldoni nor his PR team initiated any retaliatory measures, describing their internal discussions as standard public relations protocol.
Freedman further stated that Wayfarer Studios, of which Baldoni is co-chair, “only responded to media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual reporting.”
Broader Implications
This legal battle not only involves high-profile Hollywood figures but also raises questions about power dynamics, retaliation, and public relations ethics in the entertainment industry. Both sides have taken a firm stance, leaving the case’s outcome—and its impact on Hollywood’s accountability landscape—highly anticipated.
