Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are said to be missing the upcoming Golden Globes, although Reynolds’ Deadpool & Wolverine is nominated for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. The reason behind this is that Lively is involved in a legal battle with former It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni.
On December 20, Lively sued Justin Baldoni for allegedly sexually harassing her and fostering a hostile work environment on the set. She alleges that Baldoni showed her indecent content, broke into her trailer while she was nude, and engaged in improvised physical contact during a scene without getting her permission. Baldoni has flatly refuted the accusations.
In her first lawsuit, Lively also accused Baldoni, publicist Jennifer Abel, and crisis PR consultant Melissa Nathan of orchestrating a campaign to harm her reputation. Abel dismissed the claims, and Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, labelled them false and inflammatory. On New Year’s Eve, Lively filed a second federal lawsuit in New York, seeking damages for emotional distress, lost wages, and retaliation. Her legal team alleges ongoing violations of federal and state laws, including intensified attacks against her since she came forward with her allegations.
The legal battle has been marked by conflicting accounts, including a January 4 incident at Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ New York penthouse. According to Baldoni, Reynolds yelled at him, while Lively said that they had actually discussed the fact that he had misbehaved. Freedman promised to make public the text messages where he said Lively had asked Baldoni to go to her trailer to “pump” as she was expressing her breast milk. Freedman argues this undermines her harassment allegations, but Lively maintains her accusations.
The fallout has severely affected the career of Baldoni. His agency, William Morris Endeavor, cut ties with him and his podcast co-host, Liz Plank resigned. In the midst of this fall-out, Lively has received more support from It Ends With Us starring Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate, and the author herself Colleen Hoover. Escalating her legal dispute will only create debates about the dynamics in the workplace and who is accountable for the mess- in the Hollywood arena.
