It ends with us Studio Sony Pictures and SAG-AFTRA have released statements of support Blake Lively amid her allegations against co-star and director Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment and organizing a smear campaign against her.
“We have already expressed our support for Blake in connection with her work on and for the film. “We fully reiterate that support today,” a Sony spokesperson said diversity in a statement on Monday, December 23. “Furthermore, we strongly condemn any attack on her reputation. Such attacks have no place in our company or in civil society.”
Hours earlier, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists had also issued a statement against the “startling and disturbing allegations.” deadlinenoting that they add “applause” for Lively’s “courage to speak out on issues such as retaliation and harassment, and for demanding to have an intimacy coordinator for all scenes containing nudity or sexual content.”
“This is an important step that will help ensure a safe set,” a guild spokesperson told the outlet on Monday. “Employees have every right to raise concerns or file complaints. Retaliation for reporting misconduct or inappropriate behavior is illegal and wrong. We all have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at work and to work in an environment free from harassment, discrimination and retaliation.”
Lively, 37, filed the complaint against Baldoni, 40, on Friday, Dec. 20, claiming he created a “hostile work environment.” It ends with us set and caused the gossip Girl Alum “severe emotional distress.” The lawsuit also alleged that Baldoni and his team launched a “social manipulation” campaign against Lively in order to tarnish her reputation.
The documents received from Us weekly after it was first reported by TMZ And The New York Timesexplained that during the film’s production, a meeting was held in January to resolve Lively’s claims against her co-star, which included “no more showing Blake nude videos or pictures of women, no more mention of Baldoni’s alleged past.”Pornography addiction“No further discussions of sexual conquests in front of Blake and others, no further mentions of the cast and crew’s genitals, no further inquiries about Blake’s weight, and no further mentions of Blake’s dead father.”
Baldoni, for his part, has vehemently denied the allegations against him. In a statement about this UsBaldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman called Lively’s claims “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious” and claimed she filed the lawsuit to “improve her negative reputation” and “rehash a narrative” about the film’s production. He alleged that Lively made “multiple demands and threats,” including “threatening not to show up to the set, threatening not to promote the film, which ultimately led to its downfall during release if her demands were not met.” “
As for Lively’s allegations in the smear campaign – which included text messages from Baldoni and his team – Freedman said Us Agency Group PR, which was hired by Baldoni and is one of several firms named in the lawsuit, “acted like any other crisis management firm when hired by a client facing threats from two extremely powerful individuals with unlimited resources.”
Freedman also claimed that the lyrics were taken out of context. “The standard scenario planning designed by TAG PR proved unnecessary as audiences found Lively’s own promotions, interviews and marketing during the promotional tour uncomfortable and responded organically to what the media itself picked up,” he continued. “It’s ironic that this New York Timesthrough their efforts to “reveal” an insidious PR moveplayed directly into the hands of Lively’s own dubious PR tactics by publishing leaked personal text exchanges without critical context – the very same tactics she accuses the company of implementing.”
Sony and SAG-AFTRA are just the latest to come out in support of Lively. It ends with us author Colleen Hoover took to social media on Saturday, December 21, to praise Lively for being “honest, kind, supportive and patient from day one.”
Lively and Baldoni’s co-star Brandon Sklenar also came to Simple favor Star’s defense, sharing the NOW story about the allegations on his Instagram story on Monday. “For God’s sake read this,” he wrote with a link to the article, tagging Lively and adding a red heart emoji.
Baldoni, on the other hand was dropped from his agency WME, which also represents Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. His “Man Enough” podcast host, Liz Plankalso announced her exit Monday, while women’s nonprofit Vital Voices withdrew its Voices of Solidarity Award, which was given to Baldoni just last week.
