'It Ends With Us' Fallout: Justin Baldoni Dumped From WME in Wake of Blake Lively's Sexual Harassment Allegations
Dec. 21 2024, Published 6:38 p.m. ET
Justin Baldoni has been dropped by WME after his This Ends With Us costar Blake Lively accused him of sexual harassment in a bombshell filing on Friday, December 20, a news outlet reported.
Lively continues to be represented by WME.
As OK! previously reported, the Jane the Virgin star, 40, and his Wayfarer Studios coworkers were also accused of coordinating to destroy the Gossip Girl star's career.
In the filing, the blonde beauty, 37, claimed "inappropriate conduct" took place on set.
The actress and her team brought forth the demands for Baldoni and his team to when production started again after the actors strike, which included: “No more showing nude videos of women, including producer’s wife, to BL and/or her employees"; “No more mention of Mr. Baldoni’s or Mr. Heath’s previous ‘p----ography addiction’ or BL’s lack of p---ography consumption to BL or to other crew members”; “No more descriptions of their own genitalia to BL”; and “No more improvising of kissing.”
In the filing, cast and crew were obligated to promote the film via a marketing plan discussed prior, in which the focus would be on Lively's character "strength and resilience as opposed to describing the film as a story about domestic violence," which is part of the film's plotline.
The plan also said they would all “[a]void talking about this film that makes it feel sad or heavy [sic]—it’s a story of hope.”
However, Baldoni went rogue and focused more on the serious content, while Lively avoided the topic during her interviews.
“What the public also did not know was that this was the beginning of a multi-tiered plan that Mr. Baldoni and his team described as ‘social manipulation’ designed to ‘destroy’ Ms. Lively’s reputation,” the complaint reads. “That plan was backed by virtually unlimited resources.”
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Fans thought there was something going on between Baldoni and Lively, as they didn't pose together on the red carpet during the New York premiere, and the latter was later accused of being a "mean girl" after the internet criticized old interviews and her behavior while promoting the flick, which came out in August.
“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," the mom-of-four said in a statement to The New York Times.
For his part, Baldoni denies the allegations. "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," Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman said in a statement to The New York Times, referring to the production company the director cofounded.
The Hollywood Reporter reported on Baldoni being dropped by WME.