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On December 21, The New York Times dropped a bombshell investigation, uncovering allegations Blake Lively has made against It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni. In a complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department just a day prior, Lively accuses Baldoni of sexually harassing her, fostering a toxic work environment, and orchestrating a calculated digital smear campaign aimed at dismantling her career. The accusations have sent shockwaves through Hollywood, adding yet another chapter to the industry’s ongoing reckoning with power dynamics and abuse.
Adding fuel to the fire, The New York Times unearthed text messages between Baldoni and his PR crisis team— same team employed by Johnny Depp—that appear to corroborate Lively’s claims. These texts, disturbingly, discuss strategies to “bury” Lively.
While Baldoni and his team have denied the allegations, Hollywood is rallying behind Lively. Ex-cast mates, directors, and previous critics are among those taking to social media to voice their support, offering public condemnation of Baldoni’s alleged actions and the seemingly ruthless tactics employed by his PR machine.
What Has Blake Lively Alleged?
According to her complaint, Lively’s concerns about Baldoni’s behaviour were initially addressed in an on-set meeting during the filming of It Ends With Us. She claims that Baldoni had invaded her makeup trailer while she was undressed and breastfeeding, pressured her to lose weight shortly after giving birth, and improvised kissing scenes while pushing for additional sex scenes in the script. Lively also says Baldoni overshared inappropriate details about his pornography addiction and even showed her explicit photos of women he knew on his phone.
The studio, Wayfarer, seemed to take her complaints seriously. They implemented safeguards, including hiring a full-time intimacy coordinator and putting external protocols in place. Lead producer Jamey Heath—who faced his own allegations of misconduct—signed an agreement promising that Lively would not face retaliation.
But according to Lively, retaliation came swiftly and relentlessly. Text messages published by The New York Times reveal Baldoni’s publicists discussing how “he wants to feel like [Lively] can be buried.” From there, the smear campaign appeared to unfold: Lively’s supposed missteps, whether it was an ill-conceived cross-promotion of her alcohol brand or an awkward interview clip with a journalist, were everywhere on social media. Reasonable criticisms by domestic violence survivors about the promotional tours’ failure to address the serious themes of the film were attached to her as was a lighthearted mockery of her wardrobe were inescapable.
Meanwhile, Baldoni seemed to curate his public image with precision, painting himself as a champion for women’s rights and a supportive ally in the industry—a move that Lively’s supporters have called out as galling given her claims.
Celebrities Who Have Spoken In Support Of Blake Lively
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants Cast
Before she was Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl, Blake Lively was soccer-loving Georgia Craig in the 2005 coming-of-age classic Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. Now, her Sisterhood castmates—Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, and Alexis Bledel—have rallied behind her, publicly condemning Justin Baldoni’s alleged actions and callous manipulation of the film’s themes.
“We are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice,” her co-stars wrote in a joint statement. “Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors’ stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding.”
Amber Tamblyn
Tamblyn, sharing the joint statement on her Instagram story, added a personal note of solidarity. “I was a confidant to my sister Blake while she went through some of this experience,” she wrote. “I remember how incredibly painful it was for her. I’m glad all of this has come to light with solid reporting and receipts. I ask you to please read the full article and, specifically, the legal complaint.”
Amber Heard
Amber Heard, who endured her own highly publicised legal battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp in 2022, has also weighed in. Baldoni employed the same crisis PR team Depp used during his defamation trial. The tactics employed against Heard in a case that felt to men at the time like a trial by social media, have drawn parallels to Lively’s allegations.
In 2024, journalist Alexi Mostrous investigated these PR strategies in the podcast Who Trolled Amber Heard? The findings suggested that up to 50% of the negative publicity against Heard was “authentically generated,” with bots amplifying damaging narratives and inflaming public opinion.
Reflecting on her own experience, Heard told NBC News: “Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying, ‘A lie travels halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on.’ I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.”
Colleen Hoover
It Ends With Us author and producer Colleen Hoover has thrown her support behind Lively. Posting a heartfelt message alongside a photo of the two hugging, Hoover wrote: “@BlakeLively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive, and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
Hoover also shared the joint statement by Lively’s Sisterhood castmates to her Instagram grid. She opened up about the “anxiety” she felt in expressing her opinion online. “I wanted to show support, but I had anxiety thinking of putting my post about Blake in my feed and sending myself into a mental spiral from the inevitable comments,” she admitted. Hoover went on to describe the toll of constant online criticism, reflecting on how it had often silenced her. “Rather than stand up for myself and for truth, I allowed—and still allow—people to blindly judge me without a rebuttal because that’s what we’re told to do: ‘Ignore it. It’s the internet. People are just mean online.’ But this statement from these women, and Blake’s ability to refuse to sit down and ‘be buried,’ has been nothing short of inspiring.”
Amy Schumer
Even comedian Amy Schumer, who has been openly critical of Lively in the past, took a moment to publicly show her support. Schumer, who once joked about Lively on Inside Amy Schumer, posted a simple statement to her Instagram story: “I believe Blake.”
Paul Feig
I’ve now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people I’ve ever worked with. She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it’s awful she was put through this. https://t.co/K3vcWN3VfN
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) December 23, 2024
Paul Fieg directed Lively on A Simple Favour and A Simple Favour 2 and linked The New York Times story on X accompanied by the statement “She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her.”
Robyn Lively
Blake Lively’s sister Robyn, who had a small role in It Ends With Us, posted to Instagram urging her followers to read the article and detailing her relationship with Blake and working conditions on set, which she described as “abominable”. Roby Lively acknowledged that the marketing plan for It Ends With Us, which dictated the wearing of florals and encouraged cast members to downplay the domestic violence themes in the film, something Lively was heavily criticised for, was flawed. “Mistakes were made, but she isn’t the creative behind these decisions and shouldn’t shoulder responsibility for them.”
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