Justin Baldoni has been removed from WME’s roster after It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively filed a sexual harassment complaint against him on Friday, The Hollywood Reporter confirms.
This latest development comes on the heels of Lively’s decision to pursue legal action, accusing Baldoni and colleagues at Wayfarer Studios of creating a hostile work environment and allegedly coordinating a campaign to tarnish her reputation. Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has strongly denied the allegations, calling them “categorically false” and “shameful.”
In her legal filing, Lively claimed there were repeated instances of inappropriate behavior on set, which prompted a meeting with key stakeholders, including Sony Pictures, Wayfarer Studios, and publicists for the film. To resume production after the actors’ strike, Lively’s team outlined 30 specific demands addressing Baldoni’s conduct. These included:
- No showing of nude videos or explicit content to Lively or her employees.
- No discussions of Baldoni’s or Wayfarer Studios President Jamey Heath’s past pornography addiction.
- No comments or descriptions of their own genitalia directed at Lively.
- No improvisation of intimate scenes, including kissing.
The complaint also sheds light on issues related to the film’s marketing. Lively alleges the marketing plan required the cast to emphasize her character’s strength and resilience over the domestic violence themes central to the plot. Despite this, Baldoni reportedly highlighted the film’s heavier themes to justify why cast and crew distanced themselves from him online and in public appearances.
The filing further accuses Baldoni and his team of orchestrating a “multi-tiered plan” of “social manipulation” to damage Lively’s reputation, leveraging domestic violence survivor content to safeguard his public image.
In a statement to The New York Times, Lively said:
“I hope my legal action pulls back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”
Baldoni’s attorney, Freedman, responded with a statement, dismissing the claims as baseless. He alleged that Wayfarer Studios proactively hired crisis management due to Lively’s purported demands during production, including threats to not show up on set or promote the film if her terms were not met. He added that Lively’s representatives allegedly planted false stories in the media before marketing for the film began.
“This is a coordinated attempt to misrepresent the facts,” Freedman stated. “The claims are entirely false and intentionally salacious to harm my client’s reputation.”
