Justin Baldoni was dropped by WME on December 21, 2024, according to a report by Deadline, after co-star Blake Lively filed a lawsuit on December 20, 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment and attempting to damage her reputation.
While WME made the move on Saturday, it is worth noting that the agency continues to represent Blake Lively.
As per Deadline, Blake Lively filed a 10-pointer complaint against Justin Baldoni in the California Civil Rights Department. In the lawsuit, she also accused Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, of creating a “hostile work environment” that nearly derailed the production of It Ends With Us, starring both Lively and Baldoni.
The complaint filed by Blake Lively also mentions that the incidents that took place during the shoot had an “emotional impact,” which also affected her family, husband, and their four kids. The lawsuit talks about Lively and her employees' experience on set, the actor and fellow producer Jamey Heath’s “previous po*n addiction,” and how they openly discussed their “experiences with s*x.”
According to Deadline, Blake Lively also claimed that there were mentions of “description of their own genitalia” and “personal, physical touching of, or s*xual comments.” She also added that Baldoni added s*x scenes, consisting of oral s*x on camera, which were initially not a part of the script during the initial discussion.
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively appeared together in the 2024 drama, It Ends With Us. Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, and Brandon Sklenar are also a part of the cast. Justin’s wife, Emily Baldoni, played the role of Dr. Julie in the movie. Baldoni’s kids were also seen in the last scene of the movie.
More details about Blake Lively’s allegations against Justin Baldoni and his production company explored
Blake Lively addressed many concerns in the lawsuit and claimed that a special meeting was called while the movie was in production. As per The Hollywood Reporter, the meeting addressed the “inappropriate conduct” that took place on the set.
As per the complaint, during the meeting, Blake and her team demanded that “no more showing nude videos of women,” “no more descriptions of their own genitalia to BL,” and “no more improvising of the kissing.”
The Hollywood Reporter claims that the complaint reads:
“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. That plan was backed by virtually unlimited resources.”
The Wrap mentioned in their report published on December 21, 2024, how Lively alleged that she was being forced to be nude during the scene in which she shoots giving birth. She also claimed that Justin Baldoni pressurized her into the same by stating how “it was ‘not normal’ for women to remain in their hospital gowns while giving birth.”
She also added that Jamey Heath showed Blake a graphic video of her wife giving birth. She also added that Heath insisted on meeting Lively while she was topless in her makeup trailer.
Post-filing the complaint, Blake spoke to The New York Times on December 21, 2024, and said:
“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 Hollywood Reporter stated in their report that Justin Baldoni responded to the lawsuit by denying the allegations, as he claimed that they are “shameful, serious and categorically false.”