Blake Lively‘s sexual harassment lawsuit against It ends with us Costar Justin Baldoni claims he admitted he didn’t “always” ask for consent before having sex with previous partners.
The lawsuit obtained by Us weekly on Saturday, December 21, claims that both Baldoni, who also directed the film, and the producer Jamey Heath “talked to her about her personal sexual experiences and her past porn addiction” and tried to pressure (Lively) to reveal details about her intimate life.
The documents describe a “car ride with (Lively), her assistant and driver” during production, during which Baldoni allegedly claimed to Lively “that he had been sexually abused by a former girlfriend,” leading him to revisit his past to question. (Baldoni, 40, spoke about sexual trauma in a previous relationship on an episode of Elizabeth Day‘S “How to fail” Podcast earlier this month.)
According to the documents, Baldoni then claimed, “Have I always asked for consent?” No. Did I always listen when they said no? No,” he added, “This was an example that we all have things to learn and grow from.”
Lively claimed that when Baldoni “exited the car, (her) driver immediately remarked that he did not want Ms. Lively to be alone with Mr. Baldoni in the future.”
Lively filed her sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni on Friday, December 20, claiming he created a “hostile work environment” on set It ends with uswhich caused the actress “severe emotional distress.” She also accused Baldoni and his team staged a smear campaign against them to damage their reputation.
The legal filing states that a meeting was held during production in January to discuss Lively’s claims against Baldoni. Among their demands for the meeting was: “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.”
Court documents also allege that Baldoni improvised unwanted kisses in scenes between his and Lively’s respective characters.
“Mr. Baldoni improvised physical intimacy that had not been rehearsed, choreographed, or discussed with Ms. Lively, without the involvement of an intimacy coordinator,” the documents state. “For example, Mr. Baldoni bit and sucked during a scene in which he Numerous kisses were improvised in each take, discreetly on Ms. Lively’s lower lip. Mr. Baldoni insisted on filming the entire scene over and over again, far beyond what would have been required on an ordinary set without notice or consent.”
The lawsuit also claims Lively did it not the only cast member to complain about Baldoni’s behavior, noting that “the concerns she had raised were not only for herself, but also for the other female cast and crew, some of whom had also spoken out.”
The lawsuit states: “As a result of Mr. Baldoni’s conduct, another cast member filed a sexual harassment complaint on May 29, 2023, alleging Mr. Baldoni’s ‘disgusting’ and ‘unwelcome comments’ toward her and others.” In the documents, Lively claimed that “another actress filed a complaint about Mr. Baldoni’s comments about her appearance.”
“Mr. Baldoni specifically acknowledged her concerns in writing and stated that he would “adjust accordingly,” the documents continue. “However, on June 8, 2023, this actress informed Ms. Lively that I ‘apart from anything in “I can’t actually talk to Justin at all in one scene.” Mr. Baldoni later expressed his suspicions about Ms. Lively’s friendship with that actress, as if they were working together against him.”
In a statement about it UsBaldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman addressed Lively’s “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious” allegations, claiming she filed the lawsuit to “improve her negative reputation” and “rehash a narrative” about the film’s production.
For her part, Lively did received support from several people been involved in the film since she filed her complaint, including It ends with us author Colleen Hooverwho expressed their support for the actress In a lengthy statement on social media, she praised Lively for her “ability to refuse to sit down and ‘be buried.'” (Lively played Lily Bloom opposite Baldonis Ryle, Lily’s abusive husband, in the film adaptation of Hoover’s book.)
“I hope my legal action will help lift the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak out about wrongdoing and protect others who may be targeted,” she said in a statement to The New York Times on Saturday. The actress also denied spreading negative information about Baldoni.