Blake Lively’s legal complaint against It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni has sparked significant attention, especially as new details continue to emerge. According to documents filed with the California Civil Rights Department and obtained by E! News on December 21st, the actress has accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her on set and later attempting to destroy her reputation through a retaliation campaign after she raised concerns.
The legal filing not only includes accusations against Baldoni but also reveals startling information about how his publicist and crisis PR expert allegedly worked to manage the fallout from Blake’s claims. In particular, the documents reveal that Hailey Bieber’s name surfaced in an unexpected context. The complaint includes a text exchange where Justin Baldoni allegedly shared a social media post claiming that Hailey Bieber had a “history of bullying many women.” This post was reportedly used as part of a broader effort to shift public focus away from Blake’s complaints.
Additionally, Blake’s legal filing outlines how Justin and his team allegedly sought to discredit her by planting stories that framed her as difficult to work with. The documents suggest that if Blake went public with her grievances, speculation could be stirred about her past conflicts with other co-stars, including fellow Gossip Girl actress Leighton Meester, A Simple Favor co-star Anna Kendrick, and The Town director and actor Ben Affleck. These names were mentioned in the context of potential stories that could be spun to suggest a pattern of behavior on Blake’s part, weakening her claims.
Since the legal complaint was filed, Justin’s lawyer, Brian Friedman, has vehemently denied Blake’s accusations. He called them a “desperate attempt to fix her negative reputation” and pointed to her own remarks and actions during the promotional campaign for It Ends With Us as the cause of the backlash against her.
As this legal drama unfolds, the involvement of high-profile names like Hailey Bieber, Anna Kendrick, and Ben Affleck has added complexity to the already tense situation, highlighting the ways in which celebrity PR and image management can impact real-life conflicts. The case continues to evolve, with both sides preparing for what could be a prolonged battle.
