Blake Lively Takes Controversy From 'It Ends With Us' to Court
You may have seen the film It Ends With Us or read the book it’s based on, particularly if you are a Blake Lively fan. But honestly, even if you were a squirrel living under a rock in Siberia, you may have still seen a poster for the movie debut last summer—they were everywhere.
A Controversial Hit
The recent romantic drama marked a significant entry in the genre by tackling themes of domestic violence and the cycle of abuse. Directed by Justin Baldoni and based on Colleen Hoover's 2016 novel, the film stars Blake Lively (who also serves as a producer, alongside Baldoni) and a number of other big names in Hollywood. The narrative follows Lily Bloom, portrayed by Lively, as she navigates complex relationships while confronting her traumatic past. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film was a box-office success, grossing $351 million worldwide against a $25 million budget.
Unfortunately, the film does not have a made-for-Hollywood happy ending. Many aspects of the movie were fraught with challenges. Production issues included delays due to the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Filming took place across various locations in New Jersey, and the film's release was postponed multiple times before its eventual premiere on August 9, 2024. Some critics noted its reliance on romantic tropes over deeper commentary on its serious themes, and the film's marketing faced backlash for allegedly glossing over its domestic violence content, leading to further controversy.
Perhaps most surprising for many was the fact that though the lead actors seemed to have strong chemistry on screen, there was a lot of bad blood between them when the camera stopped rolling. It all came out in the wake of its release when Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and others for sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.
Misconduct on Set
During the production of It Ends With Us, allegations had already emerged of a hostile work environment and inappropriate conduct involving Justin Baldoni along with one of the producers of the film, Jamey Heath, who is also Chief Executive Officer of the film’s production company, Wayfarer Studios.
Blake Lively reported a series of unsettling incidents stemming from Baldoni and Heath. The allegations include instances of sexual harassment and unprofessional conduct, such as unsolicited physical contact and inappropriate comments. Lively detailed her experiences, which reportedly began months before filming.
Among the allegations, Baldoni is accused of ignoring industry protocols for filming intimate scenes, improvising physical intimacy without consent, and making inappropriate comments. For instance, he allegedly bit and sucked on Lively's lower lip during a scene without prior discussion or the presence of an intimacy coordinator. Additionally, Baldoni reportedly inserted gratuitous sexual content into the film, including a scene depicting an underage character losing her virginity, which was not part of the original script.
Jamey Heath is accused of showing Lively a nude video of his wife giving birth without her consent and making inappropriate comments about it. Both Baldoni and Heath allegedly discussed their personal sexual experiences and pressured Lively to disclose details about her intimate life. These incidents, among others, were said to have created a toxic atmosphere on set, prompting Lively to raise concerns that were reportedly dismissed by the production company, Wayfarer Studios.
Lively alleges that her efforts to address these issues with Wayfarer Studios were repeatedly dismissed. She voiced these concerns not only on her behalf but also on behalf of other female cast and crew members who had spoken up about their experiences. Despite her persistent efforts to bring these issues to the attention of Wayfarer Studios, the production company, her complaints were reportedly rebuffed. The situation culminated in a meeting last January where Lively, alongside other attendees, discussed the inappropriate behavior experienced on set. However, even after this meeting, the defendants allegedly failed to take adequate steps to investigate or prevent further harassment, leading Lively to feel that her grievances were systematically ignored.
Lively Files Lawsuit
Feeling she’d frustrated all other avenues, the actor took the issue to court. Last Friday, Lively filed a complaint in a state court in LA against Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni, and Heath.
But the complaint goes much further than merely alleging the sexual harassment and failure to address it: Lively also claims in her lawsuit that to make matters worse, these defendants worked with others to orchestrate a full-blown smear campaign against her to damage her reputation. This purportedly included planting negative stories, manipulating social media narratives, and leveraging crisis communications to counter her harassment claims, aiming to discredit and intimidate her publicly. The complaint suggests Baldoni engaged in a retaliatory "astroturfing" campaign after Lively spoke up against sexual harassment.
As such, Lively includes a number of people who were involved in this in her list of defendants in the lawsuit. One was Steve Sarowitz, the co-founder, co-chairman, and leading financier of Wayfarer Studios. Lively claims that he divulged at the Film's New York premiere that he was prepared to spend $100 million to ruin the lives of her and her family, providing significant resources for the campaign against her.
Also named as defendants are crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan and the company she founded, The Agency Group. Nathan and the Agency Group were retained by Wayfarer Studios and Baldoni to manage a crisis communications plan which allegedly involved strategies to counter negative narratives and engage in "social manipulation" to protect Baldoni's public image and retaliate against Lively for raising concerns about misconduct on the set of the film. Nathan's company allegedly proposed tactics such as creating social media engagement and planting stories to change the narrative, which were part of a broader campaign against Lively.
Various people that the Agency Group and Nathan worked with in their strategy were also named as defendants, such as the publicist Jennifer Abel and social media contractor Jed Wallace. A couple of other companies whose role is still unknown brought the count of defendants to a whopping total of 11 individuals and organizations.
Lively Gains Support—For Now
Unsurprisingly, fallout has ensued following Lively's complaint. The actor’s brother-in-law, Bart Johnson, criticized Baldoni, calling him a "fraud" and stating that "the public got played." Elizabeth Day removed Baldoni's interview from her podcast, emphasizing the importance of a safe workplace and commending those who speak out. Numerous collaborators, A-list celebrities, and the film's cast have also publicly voiced their support of Lively. So have Sony, SAG-AFTRA, and Amber Heard.
Nicholas Kristof, the Pulitzer-winning New York Times journalist who previously worked with Lively on a PBS documentary about sex trafficking, praised her authenticity and commitment to fighting misogyny. He stated: “I found her authentic, delightful and committed … She wanted to use her celebrity to help chip away at misogyny and oppression … This suit prolongs the humiliation. But the only way to end impunity is to speak up.”
On the other side, Baldoni has faced severe professional consequences: he was dropped by WME, his podcast co-host Liz Plank resigned, and an award for male allyship was rescinded. Additionally, Baldoni was hit with a defamation suit by former publicist Stephanie Jones, alleging conspiracy and contract breaches.
But it’s not yet safe to assume that the dust will settle favorably for Lively. Even if the matter does go through trial—which is not certain—there are a lot of details that have yet to come out. How attorneys on each side handle the matter is sure to have a big impact on the future careers of both actors.
Related Resources:
- Rebel Wilson Defamation Lawsuit Continues (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
- The Legal Aftermath of Liam Payne's Mysterious Death in Argentina (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
- ACLU Defends Trump Against Judge's Gag Order on Free Speech Grounds (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
