Blake Lively, known for her role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, has found herself embroiled in a serious controversy involving accusations against director Justin Baldoni. Her co-stars from the 2005 film, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel, have come forward to support her amidst the turmoil.
In a joint statement posted on their Instagram handles, the trio expressed their unwavering support for Lively. "As Blake's friends and sisters for over twenty years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation,” they wrote. The statement highlighted their dismay at the alleged premeditated effort to undermine Blake's credibility after she advocated for a safe workplace on the set of It Ends With Us.
The co-stars further condemned the purported exploitation of domestic violence survivors' stories to silence Lively. “The hypocrisy is astounding," they stated. They also noted the harsh reality that even someone as celebrated and resourced as Blake could face severe retaliation for demanding a safe working environment. They lauded Blake’s bravery in standing up for herself and her colleagues.
Blake Lively has filed a complaint accusing Justin Baldoni and the studio of orchestrating a “multi-tiered plan” to tarnish her reputation following a meeting where she and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, raised concerns about repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour by Baldoni and a producer.
The complaint alleges that the plan involved planting negative theories on online message boards, engineering a social media campaign, and placing news stories critical of Lively. According to the complaint, Baldoni’s team created and amplified content to undermine Lively’s credibility while boosting Baldoni’s public image.
The allegations also state that Baldoni diverted from the movie's marketing plan, using content related to domestic violence survivors to protect his reputation.
An attorney representing Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios has categorically denied the allegations, calling them “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.” The attorney claimed the studio hired a crisis manager in response to demands and threats from Lively during production.
The attorney also alleged that Lively threatened to not appear on set or promote the film unless her demands were met. These demands, as listed in Lively’s complaint, included prohibitions against showing nude videos or images, discussions about pornography, and inappropriate comments regarding her weight, religion, and deceased father.
Other demands included the presence of an intimacy coordinator during scenes with Baldoni and restrictions on his access to her trailer. The complaint also stipulated no improvising of kissing scenes or adding sex scenes outside of those in the script approved by Lively.
It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel, was released in August and performed well at the box office, debuting with $50 million. However, the release was marred by speculation about discord between Lively and Baldoni, with Baldoni stepping back from promotional activities while Lively and Reynolds took centrestage.
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