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Topics: News, Celebrity, Film and TV, Blake Lively, Hollywood
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: News, Celebrity, Film and TV, Blake Lively, Hollywood
Justin Baldoni's lawyer has revealed the actor's intentions to file a countersuit against Blake Lively.
Just days before Christmas, Lively dropped a legal complaint against her It Ends With Us co-star accusing him of sexual harassment and an alleged 'social manipulation' campaign to 'destroy' her reputation - with text messages allegedly proving this also included in the complaint.
Other allegations detailed in the complaint include Baldoni adding 'improvised gratuitous sexual content and/or scenes involving nudity into the film', comments on the star's weight and her deceased father, whom she claims Baldoni said he'd 'spoken to', and a 'shocking lack of boundaries' from the actor and producer Jamey Heath.
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In the wake of Baldoni's reported behavior on set, Lively also set out a long list of demands that he and others had to follow.
Some of these demands included 'no more showing of nude videos or images of women, including the producer's wife' to Lively and those around her.
The Gossip Girl alum requested that 'a representative on set at all times and with a monitor during scenes involving nudity, sexual activity, or violence with Mr Baldoni' as well.
Lively told The New York Times: "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.”
Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has denied the allegations, calling them 'categorically false', and has now revealed that the director intends on filing a countersuit, which he says is 'a deliberate pursuit of truth'.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Freedman said the suit will highlight Lively's alleged falsities.
"This lawsuit will uncover and expose the false and destructive narrative that was intentionally engineered by a trusted media publication who relied upon nefarious sources and neglected a thorough fact checking process to confirm the validity of these texts," he said.
He continued: "There is an insurmountable collection of authentic evidence, including timelines and communications, which have not been doctored or spliced without context, unlike the altered [New York Times] story that ran on Saturday, December 21st 2024.
"The truth will not only come to light — it will dismantle the illusions propped up by those who believe themselves untouchable."
Freedman also told Deadline: "I am not going to speak to when or how many lawsuits we are filing but when we file our first lawsuit, it is going to shock everyone who has been manipulated into believing a demonstrably false narrative.
"It will be supported by real evidence and tell the true story. In over 30 years of practicing, I have never seen this level of unethical behavior intentionally fueled through media manipulation."
UNILAD have approached Lively's reps for comment.
Dozens of famous faces have since spoken out in support of Lively, including It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover.
Amber Heard, who underwent a widely publicised defamation trial against her ex Johnny Depp, also spoke about the complaint, telling NBC News that she 'saw this firsthand'.
She said: "Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying ‘A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on.’
"I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.”