In the sprawling lawsuit filed by Blake Lively over the weekend alleging It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni sexually harassed her and coordinated a sweeping retaliatory smear campaign against her, the Gossip Girl alumna said among the fallout over the workplace misconduct was a canceled appearance as the Saturday Night Live Season 50 premiere host.
That task eventually went to Jean Smart, as the complaint states that the negative chatter about drama on set forced Lively’s hand, with the producer saying she “did not believe she could proceed with public appearances or events without being forced to openly discuss what happened on set.”
“The effects on Ms. Lively’s professional life were immediate and substantial,” the document reads, continuing, “For example, Ms. Lively cancelled a critical Target corporate event for her haircare company, and she backed out of her scheduled role to host the premier episode of the 50th anniversary season of Saturday Night Live in September 2024.”
Filed Friday with the California Civil Rights Department, the suit alleges that Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios, among others, engaged in a “sophisticated press and digital plan in retaliation for Ms. Lively exercising her legally-protected right to speak up about their misconduct on the set.”
The complaint details an all-hands meeting that kicked off the resuming of filming on the movie adaptation of the popular Colleen Hoover novel (about a relationship colored by domestic violence) following the guild strikes, in which Lively, husband and actor Ryan Reynolds and Baldoni were present to discuss the lattermost’s “disturbing behavior,” which included, but was not limited to, his addition of improvised kissing and sex scenes, discussion of his porn addiction, claim that he could communicate with Lively’s late father and joking that he “missed the HR meeting” after Lively rebuffed comments that made her “feel ogled and exposed” and “deeply uncomfortable.”
The 80-page document also contains seemingly damning communication between Baldoni, his team and crisis PR veteran Melissa Nathan (who also worked with Johnny Depp amid his trial with Amber Heard), whom he hired amid swirling rumors immediately following the film’s release Aug. 9.
In response to the suit and subsequent allegations, Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman stated in part: “It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions.”
Since news broke of the suit’s filing late Friday, Baldoni has been dropped from agency WME, which previously repped Baldoni and currently represents Lively. Additionally, author Hoover voiced her support for Lively, saying, “You have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
