What happened
Actor Blake Lively filed a legal complaint accusing Justin Baldoni, her costar and director in the summer hit "It Ends With Us," of sexually harassing her during the filming of the romantic comedy, then launching a "sophisticated, coordinated and well-financed retaliation" campaign to "destroy" her reputation after she complained, The New York Times said over the weekend.
Who said what
Blake Lively's "bombshell complaint" was filed Friday with the California Civil Rights Department, Variety said. It alleges that Baldoni retaliated after she convened a January meeting to address his and producer Jamey Heath's "repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior," including discussing their sex lives, entering her trailer unannounced when she was topless and trying to add unapproved sex scenes and kissing improvisation.
The meeting and agreed-to safeguards improved conditions on the set, but Baldoni and Heath, "who had positioned themselves as feminist allies in the #MeToo era, expressed fears that her allegations would become public and taint them," the Times said, citing the complaint. The public relations team they hired outlined their plan to "bury" Lively in text messages included in the complaint, and their effort "appears to have paid off."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A lawyer for Baldoni and his production company called Lively's claims "completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious." The talent agency William Morris Endeavor dropped Baldoni on Saturday.
What next?
Lively's complaint is "a precursor to a lawsuit," the Times said.
-
October 19 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's editorial cartoons include Pete Hegseth and the press, an absence of government, and George Washington crossing the Delaware
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelagoThe Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
AI: is the bubble about to burst?In the Spotlight Stock market ever-more reliant on tech stocks whose value relies on assumptions of continued growth and easy financing
-
Film reviews: Roofman and Kiss of the Spider WomanFeature An escaped felon’s heart threatens to give him away and a prisoner escapes into daydreams of J.Lo.
-
Frankenstein comes to life, the Alabama prison system is exposed and Rose Byrne goes full Crazy Mom in October moviesthe week recommends This month’s new releases include ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘The Alabama Solution’ and ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’
-
Film reviews: Anemone and The Smashing MachineFeature A recluse receives an unwelcome guest and a pioneering UFC fighter battles addiction
-
The 5 best mob movies of all timeThe Week Recommends If you don’t like a good gangster flick, just fuhgeddaboudit
-
Hooray for Brollywood: the UK’s film industry is booming – for nowIn The Spotlight US production giants are flocking to film in British studios but Trump tariffs could threaten end of golden era
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Robert Redford: the Hollywood icon who founded the Sundance Film FestivalFeature Redford’s most lasting influence may have been as the man who ‘invigorated American independent cinema’ through Sundance
-
Sing songs with Sandler, gawk at Gaffigan: These are the comedians to catch on tour this fallthe week recommends Laugh to keep yourself from crying
