Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against actor and director Justin Baldoni, his crisis managers Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, and Wayfarer Studios, citing "severe emotional distress, mental anguish," and "financial losses." The lawsuit seeks compensation for "lost wages" and accuses Baldoni of causing significant emotional and mental harm that has adversely affected Lively’s professional life, leading to financial setbacks. This lawsuit follows a previous complaint she had filed with the California Civil Rights Commission and has now been escalated to a federal court in New York, according to TMZ reports.
Lively’s attorney issued a statement confirming the federal complaint, which alleges retaliation by Wayfarer Studios and its associates for Lively reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns. The statement reads: "Ms. Lively previously sent her California Civil Rights Department Complaint in response to the retaliatory campaign Wayfarer launched against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns. Unfortunately, Ms. Lively’s decision to speak out has resulted in further retaliation and attacks."
The statement further states, "As alleged in Ms. Lively’s federal Complaint, Wayfarer, and its associates have violated federal and California state law by retaliating against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns." It also added that the litigation is being pursued in New York, where many of the relevant activities took place, although the option to pursue further legal action in other jurisdictions remains open.
In her earlier complaint filed in California, Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and alleged that Baldoni had orchestrated a smear campaign to damage her reputation. In response, Baldoni’s team dismissed the allegations, labeling them a baseless attempt to restore her reputation.
Meanwhile, Lively’s collaboration with Baldoni on the film It Ends With Us continues to stream on Netflix, despite the ongoing legal issues surrounding them.
