And it ends with us Sony Pictures and SAG-AFTRA released statements in support Blake Lively Amidst her allegations in which she accuses the actor and director Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and organizing a smear campaign against her.
“We have previously expressed our support for Blake in relation to her work on and for the film. We fully and steadfastly reiterate that support today,” a Sony spokesperson said. diverse In a statement on Monday, December 23. “Furthermore, we strongly condemn any attack on its reputation. Any such attacks have no place in our business or in civil society.”
Hours earlier, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists also spoke out against the “astonishing and disturbing allegations” in a statement to Delivery timenoting that they “applaud” Lively's courage in speaking out about issues of retaliation and harassment and requesting that an intimacy coordinator be appointed for all scenes containing nudity or sexual content.
“This is an important step that helps ensure a safe group,” a union spokesperson told the outlet on Monday. “Employees have every right to raise issues of concern or file complaints. Retaliation for reporting misconduct or inappropriate behavior is illegal and wrong. We all have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at work, and to work in an environment free of harassment, discrimination and retaliation.” .
lively, 37, I filed the complaint Against Baldoni, 40, on Friday, December 20, alleging he created a “hostile work environment” at And it ends with us Set and cause gossip girl Alum “severe emotional distress.” Additionally, the lawsuit alleged that Baldoni and his team launched a “social manipulation” campaign against Lively to damage her reputation.
The documents he obtained Us Weekly After it was first reported by TMZ and New York Timesreported that a meeting was held during the film's production in January to address Lively's allegations against her co-star, which included “no more videos or photos of naked women being shown of Blake, and no further mention of Baldoni's alleged ex.”Pornography addiction“No more discussions of sexual conquests by Blake and others, no more references to cast and crew's genitals, no more inquiries about Blake's weight, and no more mention of Blake's dead father.”
For his part, Baldoni strongly denied the accusations against him. In a statement to weBaldoni's lawyer Brian Friedman She called Lively's claims “completely false, outrageous, and intentionally indecent,” claiming that she filed the lawsuit to “repair her negative reputation” and “reframe the narrative” around the film's production. He claimed that Lively made “multiple demands and threats”, which included “threatening not to show up for filming, and threatening not to promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release, if her demands were not met.”
As for the allegations of Lively's smear campaign — which included text messages from Baldoni and his team — Friedman said we Agency Group PR, which was hired by Baldoni and is one of several firms named in the lawsuit, “acted like any other crisis management firm when hired by a client facing threats from two very powerful people with unlimited resources.”
Friedman also claimed that the texts were taken out of context. He continued, “The standard scenario planning drafted by TAG PR proved unnecessary as audiences found Lively's actions, interviews, and marketing during the promotional tour distasteful, and responded organically to what the media itself picked up on.” “It's ironic that New York TimesThrough their efforts to “uncover” A malicious PR effortplayed directly into the hands of Lively's questionable PR tactics by publishing leaked personal text exchanges that lacked critical context — the same tactics it accuses the company of carrying out.
Sony and SAG-AFTRA are the latest to speak out in support of Lively. And it ends with us author Colleen Hoover He took to social media on Saturday, December 21, to praise Lively for being nothing but “honest, kind, supportive, and patient since day one.”
Alive and hero Baldoni Brandon Sklenar He also came to Simple fit Star defense, sharing now story about the allegations via his Instagram Story on Monday. “For the love of God, read this,” he wrote with a link to the article, tagging Lively and adding a red heart emoji.
Baldoni in the meantime It was dropped By his agency WME, which also represents Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. Host of his own podcast “Man Enough”, Liz BlancShe also announced her exit on Monday, with the women's non-profit Vital Voices rescinding the Voices of Solidarity award, which Baldoni received just last week.
