As we previously reported, Blake Lively has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against her It Ends With Us costar and director, Justin Baldoni.
Rumors of hostility on the set of the Colleen Hoover adaptation circulated nonstop ahead of the film’s release.
And now, Blake is alleging that the situation was even worse than previously reported.
An Alleged Smear Campaign
Among the allegations from Lively is a claim that Baldoni hired a PR firm to orchestrate a “smear campaign” with the goal of destroying her career and reputation.
The firm that Baldoni allegedly hired to smear Blake is the same one that Johnny Depp worked with during his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.
And now, Heard is speaking out about the parallels between her experience and the situation that Lively is enduring now.
US actress Amber Heard waits before the jury announced a split verdict in favor of both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard on their claim and counter-claim in the Depp v. Heard civil defamation trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on June 1, 2022. (Photo by EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Amber’s Experience
“Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying ‘A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on,’” Heard wrote in a statement issued to NBC News on Monday.
“I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.”
Depp won his suit against Heard, and the 2022 trial developed into the year’s biggest media circus.
Actors Amber Heard and Johnny Depp attend The Art of Elysium’s 7th Annual HEAVEN Gala presented by Mercedes-Benz at Skirball Cultural Center on January 11, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Art of Elysium)These days, Amber lives a quiet life in Spain, having stepped away from the spotlight for the time being. She announced earlier this month that she’s currently expecting her second child.
As for Blake and Justin, the next chapter of this feud promises to be the messiest one yet.
Lively claims that Baldoni worked with a crisis management team during the movie’s promotional campaign in order to “help change the narrative” about their on-set feud through “social manipulation.”
Blake Lively attends the “It Ends With Us” New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on August 06, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)Over the weekend, Baldoni issued a statement in which he called the actress’ filing “shameful” and “categorically false” (via Page Six).
Needless to say, it sounds like both sides are preparing for a nasty court battle, and a quiet, out-of-court settlement seems unlikely.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
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