Blake Lively's legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni took a shocking turn as newly revealed text messages allegedly show how Baldoni's public relations team worked to tarnish her reputation. The lawsuit, filed by Lively, accuses Baldoni of sexual harassment and fostering a toxic work environment, along with orchestrating a retaliatory smear campaign.
Text messages, obtained via subpoena and cited in the lawsuit, indicate a "multi-tiered plan" to undermine Lively's credibility. The messages allegedly exchanged between PR professionals Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel showcase discussions about manipulating public narratives. According to the filings, Nathan stated in one text that Baldoni "wants to feel like [Lively] can be buried," to which she replied, "Of course ... you know we can bury anyone."
Another message reveals Abel praising Nathan's efforts, saying she outdid herself. Nathan allegedly responded, "That's why you hired me, right? I'm the best."
Lively's lawsuit describes these tactics as part of a broader strategy to deflect criticism from Baldoni after she raised concerns about workplace misconduct. According to the legal complaint, Lively had clashed with Baldoni over his attempts to include "gratuitous" nudity and sex scenes in the film.
Tensions escalated during filming, culminating in a Human Resources meeting where several conditions were reportedly agreed upon to address Lively's grievances. These included the addition of an intimacy coordinator on set and commitments to more respectful workplace behavior.
However, the lawsuit alleges that Baldoni and his team retaliated against Lively, employing PR professionals to shift public sentiment in his favor. In one instance, the complaint includes texts suggesting Nathan and Abel discussed planting stories portraying Lively as "horrible to work with."
The lawsuit also highlights Baldoni's alleged active participation in shaping public perception. One text attributed to Baldoni suggested capitalizing on social media narratives, citing an example of a Twitter thread targeting another celebrity. "This is what we would need," Baldoni reportedly wrote.
Among the messages, Nathan allegedly mocked the situation, joking about sending Lively in a box as a "present." Abel responded, "DAMNIT," according to the filings.
The legal complaint further accuses Baldoni of inappropriate on-set behavior, including lingering during intimate scenes, making comments about Lively's weight, and showing her an explicit video of his wife. Baldoni's legal team has categorically denied all allegations.
"These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media," Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman said in a statement. Freedman also alleged that Lively's actions, including bringing in her own editor for the film's final cut, caused delays and tensions on set.
In response to the lawsuit, Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni's production company, acknowledged the need for a crisis manager but denied proactive retaliation. The representatives of Wayfarer Studios still did nothing proactive nor retaliated, and only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual reporting and monitored social activity," Freedman stated.
Lively, in her statement, denied planting false stories about Baldoni or Wayfarer Studios. "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted," she said.
