Blake Lively is receiving substantial public support in her legal battle against Justin Baldoni, her co-star and director in the film It Ends With Us. This support has escalated following the US actress's filing of a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint against him on Friday. This legal action has been widely acknowledged as a significant #MeToo moment as the year concludes.
Lively's former Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel, have publicly declared their solidarity, stating, "We stand with her as she defends herself against the alleged campaign designed to damage her reputation."
According to Deadline, actress Amy Schumer demonstrated her support through an Instagram post simply stating, "I believe Blake." Gwyneth Paltrow also voiced her support, posting a queen emoji alongside a mention of Lively's hair care products.
Film director Paul Feig, who collaborated with Lively on A Simple Favor, posted on X, stating, "She did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. It's appalling that she was subjected to such treatment."
This widespread support follows the recent public disclosure of an alleged conflict between Lively, 35, and Baldoni, 40. Lively has accused Baldoni, who also directed *It Ends With Us*, of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, and orchestrating a targeted social media campaign intended to undermine her reputation.
Lively's complaint further alleges that Baldoni hired prominent PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan, also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, to execute a "social manipulation" campaign aimed at "destroying" her reputation.
The complaint details an all-hands meeting held during filming to address Lively's concerns regarding the hostile work environment. It is also reported that her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, was present at this meeting.
According to the lawsuit, Lively demanded that Baldoni cease a series of alleged actions, which included displaying nude videos or images of women to her, discussing his prior "pornography addiction," recounting his sexual experiences in front of Lively and others, making comments about the genitalia of cast and crew members, and inquiring about Lively's weight.
The lawsuit includes 22 pages of text messages exchanged between Baldoni's publicist and Nathan. These texts allegedly demonstrate Baldoni's desire to see Lively "buried," to which Nathan responded, "We can't write we will destroy her."