Blake Lively accuses Baldoni of ruining her 'SNL' hosting shot
In a shocking turn of events, acclaimed actor Blake Lively, best known for her role in Gossip Girl, recently sued her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni. The lawsuit accuses Baldoni of sexually harassing her and setting up a retaliatory smear campaign. The controversy resulted in Lively canceling her appearance as the host for the premiere of Saturday Night Live Season 50. Here's what happened.
Lively's professional life was 'immediately and substantially' impacted
The lawsuit claims the negative buzz surrounding the on-set drama forced Lively to withdraw from public events. She was afraid of being forced to speak about the on-set incidents publicly. The document reads, "The effects on Lively's professional life were immediate and substantial." "For example, she canceled a critical Target corporate event for her haircare company...she backed out of her scheduled role to host the premier episode of the 50th anniversary season of Saturday Night Live in September 2024."
Allegations of misconduct and retaliation in Lively's lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed with the California Civil Rights Department, accuses Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios of executing 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." It also details an all-hands meeting that resumed filming on the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover's popular novel after guild strikes.
Meeting discussed Baldoni's 'disturbing behavior' and Lively's discomfort
The meeting, which was attended by Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and Baldoni, was about Baldoni's "disturbing behavior." This included his addition of improvised kissing and sex scenes, discussion of his porn addiction, claiming 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."
Baldoni's lawyer responded to the allegations in Lively's lawsuit
Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman, in response to the allegations, said: "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." He implied this was a desperate attempt by Lively to salvage her bad reputation earned from her own words and actions during the film's campaign.
Lively's demands and hopes for legal action
The complaint also details Lively's demands, which were agreed upon after a tense meeting over her hostile work environment concerns. These included "no more showing of nude videos or images of women" to Lively and others on set, and no more discussions about pornography, sexual experiences, or genitalia. Speaking to the Times, Lively said: "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct."
