Blake Lively Missed ‘SNL’ Hosting Gig Due to ‘It Ends With Us’ Smear Campaign

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As a seasoned movie enthusiast who’s witnessed countless tales unfold both on and off-screen, I find myself deeply troubled by the disturbing allegations against Justin Baldoni, the director of “It Ends With Us.” The account shared by Blake Lively is harrowing, painting a picture of a man who seemingly exploited his position for personal gain, using the weighty theme of domestic violence to obscure his own questionable actions.

There has been significant interest in Blake Lively’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, her director and co-star on “It Ends With Us.” The lawsuit alleges sexual harassment during filming as well as a deliberate attempt to tarnish Lively’s reputation during the movie’s promotion. This smear campaign, which involved spreading stories of a conflict between them, might have prevented her from hosting Saturday Night Live.

According to the lawsuit filed by Lively, it mentions that due to Baldoni’s smear campaign, she was unable to appear on the Season 50 premiere of SNL as one of its consequences. As per the claim, Lively felt compelled to avoid public events and appearances because of the need to discuss the incidents during the filming of “It Ends With Us.” Furthermore, in addition to canceling her appearance on SNL in September, she also had to forgo a Target corporate event to promote her hair care brand.

The impact on Ms. Lively’s professional career was swift and significant. Since the campaign was ongoing with its negative public perception, Ms. Lively felt it necessary to avoid public engagements or events that might require her to openly discuss the incident on set. For instance, Ms. Lively canceled a Target event for her hair care company, and she declined her role as host for the premiere episode of Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary in September 2024.

Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer paints a troubling picture of events during the filming of It Ends With Us. The complaint provides a comprehensive account of the sexual harassment that the actress experienced, as well as Baldoni’s alleged subsequent efforts to tarnish her reputation. The lawsuit alleges that Baldoni and another producer attempted to incorporate explicit content into the movie without Lively’s approval, showed adult content to her, discussed their issues with sex addiction, and frequently used inappropriate sexual language on set.

Blake Lively’s Lawsuit Details Disturbing Allegations of Sexual Harassment And an Attempt to Silence Her

A court case mentions an account of an incident in January 2024 where Lively and Baldoni had a meeting after the WGA and SAG strikes ended, and Lively’s return to work on It Ends With Us. In this meeting, Lively alleges that Baldoni criticized her weight, shared personal details about his sex life in an inappropriate manner, and pressured her to disclose her religious views. Moreover, Jamey Heath, the CEO of Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios and producer for the film, is also mentioned in the lawsuit, with claims that he displayed a video of his wife giving birth to Lively.

It’s particularly concerning that reports suggest Baldoni and his team may have responded to Lively’s allegations by threatening to conduct a negative publicity campaign against her if she chose to share them openly. The court case provided evidence for this claim, presenting text messages and emails exchanged between the actress, Baldoni, and his PR team, which stated they would initiate a campaign aimed at tarnishing her reputation should she disclose these matters publicly.

Through his legal representative, Baldoni has refuted all allegations. However, talent agency WME acted promptly upon Blake Lively’s lawsuit and severed ties with Baldoni following the public disclosure of the case. While there are always two sides to a story, when we consider how Lively’s reputation was being undermined during the movie’s promotion, and how Baldoni frequently brought up the domestic violence aspects of the film and his advocacy for abuse victims in interviews, it appears that one person’s reputation seems more credible in the court of public opinion. If Blake Lively’s claims are proven true, it would be unfortunate for Baldoni to exploit the movie’s serious themes for personal gain, while seemingly damaging the reputation of his co-star as a form of power play and spite. Such actions could potentially be seen as another form of abuse, and Lively has every right to defend herself against such behavior.

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2024-12-23 23:33