Dramatic summer feud between actors ends with us Things got even darker last week when Blake Lively accused the film’s co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, of sexually harassing her on set and plotting to tarnish her reputation.
On Friday, Lively alleged a smear campaign against Baldoni, his studio Wayfarer, Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath and others, and detailed numerous instances of sexual harassment she suffered while making the film. I have filed a legal complaint detailing this. In addition to the complaint filed with the California Department of Civil Rights ahead of the lawsuit, The New York Times published an article detailing behind-the-scenes claims and tactics between Baldoni and his crisis public relations firm. It’s about “burying” Lively.
“I hope my legal action will help put an end to these vicious retaliatory tactics that harm those who speak out about misconduct and help protect others who may be targeted,” Lively said in a statement.
Lively’s legal filing alleges deplorable behavior from Baldoni and Heath and sheds light on an incident previously labeled a feud between the two stars. But it also reveals the inner workings of crisis management – the nefarious tactics publicists use to shape the narrative about celebrities – and, perhaps more surprisingly, when social media users are ready to turn their backs on female celebrities, their job Shows how incredibly easy it is.
Blake Lively’s Legal Suit Alleges Hostile Work Environment
The biggest revelation about the filming experience came on January 4, as a result of Lively’s legal complaint. ends with us Have ‘all hands’ with senior executives during production. During the meeting, Lively alleged that Baldoni and Heath, who is also a producer on the film, created a hostile work environment and subjected her to inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment. She and the rest of the cast and crew did not return to the set until their actions were addressed.
Among Lively’s claims: that Baldoni improvised a kissing scene, that Heath showed her nude photos of his wife, that they both talked about their past porn addictions, and that she invited Baldoni and Heath while they were changing clothes. Entering her trailer without receiving, nudity, or breastfeeding. According to Lively’s filing, the meeting included a 30-point behavioral improvement plan for Baldoni and Heath. The bulletin board addresses the alleged conduct previously mentioned and includes other guidance, including: “We are no longer pressuring Mr. Baldoni to mislead the BL (Blake Lively) staff.” and “No further inquiries will be made to the BL trainer without Mr. Baldoni’s knowledge or consent.” “Please reveal your weight,” he said.
After the meeting, Wayfarer brought an intimacy coordinator to the set and things improved enough for Lively to finish filming. Lively also claims she made her own cut during the final stages of production. ends with us — This is the version that Sony and Wayfarer ultimately used. That decision led to her taking on a larger role in film production.
The key to understanding this complaint and the fight surrounding this film is that Lively was worried by Baldoni and Heath that Lively’s claims would eventually surface and harm their reputations. Lively claims Baldoni hired Crisis PR to effectively smear her because they believed Lively could pull the trigger at any time.
Justin Baldoni reportedly hired a crisis management company to use gross tactics against his co-star.
Lively and Bandoni ends with us The most incendiary of the complaints is Melissa Nathan, a crisis management expert hired by Baldoni. Publicists like Nathan are very important in Hollywood because a celebrity’s image is very important. An actor’s career depends on how marketable he or she is, and bad stories about that actor threaten their livelihood. Nathan, who has helped rehab clients like Johnny Depp and Travis Scott, makes these stories disappear.
Nathan’s connections in the press seemed to have helped facilitate her work. For example, her sister Sara Nathan is a reporter for the New York Post, and according to the filing, the two reportedly coordinated Page Six’s coverage of the feud. Lively’s filing also alleges that through text messages and emails purportedly obtained through a subpoena, Nathan sent an interaction to a Daily Mail article titled: “Is Blake Lively Set to Be Canceled? A series of ‘difficult to watch’ videos released after a ‘tone-deaf’ Q&A to promote ends with us “It could permanently tarnish the 36-year-old star’s golden Hollywood image.” To be clear, it’s not your imagination or a hallucination. Daily Mail headlines almost always find a way to mention the actress’ age in just as long and threatening a way.
A text sent to Nathan from Jennifer Abel, a PR executive who works with Wayfarer and Baldoni, appears to have read: “You really outdid yourself with this piece.”
“So that’s why you hired me, right? “I am the best.” I think Nathan responded. “We know we can bury anyone,” Nathan wrote in another message that appeared on Lively’s papers.
Nathan also reportedly presented Baldoni with a full takedown plan that included a team to monitor and post stories on Reddit and social media, as well as hiring Jed Wallace, a “Texas-based contractor” to handle production. “Content that appears to be real” but was actually Baldoni PR designed to go viral.
While Nathan and her team’s communication seems irritating, sometimes stopping just short of a cartoon villain saying “Muahahahaha”, the strange wrinkle in this story is that Baldoni seems to need her services more than ever. no see. The working environment is public and so are the machinations Nathan, Wallace and Abel claim on his behalf.
How many of Blake Lively’s reputation hits are smear campaigns and how many are misogynistic?
Lively’s filing alleges that the work of Nathan and her colleagues was directly responsible for damaging her reputation. The filing alleges that Nathan forwarded a proposal to Baldoni detailing how his team would change the narrative about Lively. “Connect with your audience in the right way and start a series of theories… this is how you are completely 100% protected.”
But it’s a bit difficult to analyze who did what and how much influence Nathan, Abel, and Wallace had on public opinion. Aside from a few articles appearing in trade and tabloid publications, the legal filings do not specifically address what Nathan and Wallace did and did not do. And Lively’s claim that Nathan is a master social media manipulator gives a lot of credit to someone who reportedly tipped the Daily Mail.
Plus, Lively’s ends with us The promotion was a disaster due to the fact that Lively’s desire to simultaneously promote a film about domestic violence and her other businesses (a hair care company, a liquor company, and her husband Ryan Reynolds’ projects) would always conflict. (The filing alleges that the marketing directive was to focus on the more hopeful and empowering aspects of the film rather than its serious domestic violence themes.) Although Nathan appeared to be trying to manipulate the press to some extent, she did not agree with Lively’s actions. or the fact that her reputation already seems to be on the decline.
Moreover, there is no doubt that Nathan’s alleged campaign has been aided by social media’s deep-rooted misogyny and habit of regularly ridiculing female celebrities.
At one point during the film’s initial release, Nathan seemed to express joy and surprise at how the narrative had changed. “You don’t realize how lucky you are right now,” Baldoni said. Nathan reportedly wrote a letter to Abel in October 2024. “Most of social media is so pro-Justin and I don’t agree with half of it.” Nathan added the same month:
The social media Nathan mentioned appears to be in part a Stan account. These are social media fan accounts run by people online who constantly attack others who do not share their views on certain celebrities or cultural objects.
More details are sure to come, but for now it looks like Baldoni paid people to do the smears. But many people online have done a better job for free.
