Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have filed competing lawsuits that intensify the battle over allegations of what happened on the set of their movie It Ends With Us.
Lively filed a lawsuit in New York against the actress and his publicity team on Tuesday, accusing her of sexual harassment on the film set and a scheme to “destroy” her reputation.
Meanwhile, Baldoni has sued The New York Times, which first reported Lively's legal complaint, accusing journalists of working with the actress to damage his reputation and ignoring evidence that contradicts her claims.
The newspaper denied his claims and said the original story was “reported accurately and responsibly.”
Lively's legal case includes many of the same accusations that surfaced in her civil rights complaint, which is mostly a precursor to a lawsuit filed in California in December.
It seeks damages, including “lost wages” and money for “mental pain and suffering.” She did not specify a monetary amount.
In his lawsuit against the New York Times, It was first reported by Variety, Baldoni claims defamation and fraud, and accuses journalists of working with the actress to “damage” his reputation, and not giving his team adequate time to respond to the “surprising story.”
Pallone's lawsuit alleges that the Times relied on “selected and edited communications” that were stripped of necessary context and intentionally linked to mislead.
The New York Times told BBC News in a statement Its report was based “on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including text messages and emails that we carefully and extensively quote in the article.”
“We have published their (Baldoni and his team’s) full statement in response to the accusations contained in the article as well.”
Baldoni was dropped by his talent agency after the allegations were published in the newspaper. His lawsuit seeks a jury trial and damages of $250 million (£199 million).
The actor's attorney, Brian Friedman, told CBS News that the newspaper “aided and abetted” a “smear campaign designed to revitalize Lively's faltering public image.”
Baldoni's lawsuit includes many of the same text messages and communications listed by Lively, which she used to accuse his team of orchestrating a social media campaign to shift public opinion against her.
In her lawsuit, Lively accused Baldoni and his team of attacking her public image after a meeting to address “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior.”
At the meeting, she is said to have made 30 demands related to the alleged misconduct to ensure she could continue production of the film, which included not describing genitals on set and not adding any intimate scenes beyond those to which Lively had previously agreed.
Lively's legal team also accused Baldoni and his film studio Wayfarer of leading a “multi-level plan” to destroy her reputation, which included manipulating social media and using friendly journalists to boost certain narratives.
Baldoni's lawyers previously told the BBC that the allegations made by Lively were “completely false”, and said that they had appointed a crisis manager because Lively had threatened to derail the film unless her demands were met.
BBC News has contacted representatives for Lively, Baldoni and The New York Times for further comment.
Released last summer, It Ends With Us stars Lively as a woman in a relationship with her charming but abusive boyfriend, played by Baldoni.
The film is based on Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel. The 45-year-old writer said her inspiration was the domestic violence her mother suffered.
