Hollywood is waking up to a new Me Too case for the past week, with It Ends With Us actress and producer Blake Lively having filed a lawsuit against the film’s actor-director Justin Baldoni. Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour while filming the movie. As soon as the lawsuit became public, actresses Amber Tamblynz, America Ferrera and Alexis Bledel and It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover came out in support of Blake Lively. Now, another actor from the film has broken his silence on the case, while the rest of Hollywood prefers to be mum. Tagging Blake Lively in his Instagram Stories, It Ends With Us actor Brandon Sklenar has spoken in support of his co-star-producer of the Hollywood movie. Blake Lively Takes Legal Action Against Justin Baldoni Over Alleged Sexual Harassment on ‘It Ends With Us’ Set.

What Did Brandon Sklenar Say About Blake Lively?

On His Instagram stories on December 23, Brandon Sklenar shared a screenshot of the much-talked-about New York Times (NYT) article that explains Blake Lively's allegations against Baldoni. “For the love of god read this,” wrote Sklenar, while tagging Blake and adding a red heart emoji and the link to the article.

Glimpse of Brandon Sklenar's Post on Blake Lively

Brandon Sklenar Insta Stories Post on Blake Lively (Photo Credit: @brandonsklenar)

Blake Lively’s Lawsuit Against Justin Baldoni and NYT Article

TMZ reported that Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of indecent behaviour on the sets of It Ends With Us, including watching pornography on the sets in her presence. He also made inappropriate comments about Lively’s weight and made remarks about her deceased father Ernie Lively, she claimed. Baldoni also allegedly made comments about the private parts of the crew members on the sets of It Ends With Us. The NYT article on Justin Baldoni speaks in detail about the alleged “smear campaign” launched against Lively by Baldoni’s public relations agency that claimed to handle crisis well for the actor. The article shows alleged texts between Baldoni's publicist Jennifer Abel and veteran crisis management strategist Melissa Nathan of The Agency Group PR.

Colleen Hoover’s Instagram Post on Blake Lively

Taking to her Instagram Stories on December 22, Colleen Hoover hailed Blake Lively. Posting a picture with her, Hoover said, “@blakelively (Blake Lively), you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.” ‘Blake Lively, You’ve Been Honest’: ‘It Ends With Us’ Author Colleen Hoover Supports Actress in Sexual Harassment Case Against Justin Baldoni - Check Post. 

From the content of the lawsuit, it appears that all through the promotions of It Ends With Us, Blake Lively was projected in a negative manner and the public started believing it. Meanwhile, Justin Baldoni was silent on the social media attacks on her and, in fact, was happy that she had been “buried”.

Justin Baldoni’s Lawyer Slams Blake Lively

However, Justin Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman reportedly alleged that Blake Lively’s lawsuit came at a time when she needed to “fix her negative reputation”. Bryan Freedman also represents Jennifer Abel and Melissa Nathan. He said in a statement shared with Us Weekly: “TAG PR operated as any other crisis management firm would when hired by a client experiencing threats by two extremely powerful people with unlimited resources. The standard scenario planning TAG PR drafted proved unnecessary as audiences found Lively’s own actions, interviews and marketing during the promotional tour distasteful, and responded organically to that which the media themselves picked up on." 

‘It Ends With Us’ Box Office Collections and OTT Release

It Ends With Us released in theatres across the world on August 9, 2024. It collected over USD 350 million at the worldwide box office, made at a budget of only USD 25 million. The film is a hit and was one of the most awaited films of this year on over-the-top (OTT) platforms. It Ends With Us released on Netflix on December 9, 2024. Earlier, it was available on Amazon Prime Video on demand at a rent. The film is an adaptation of a novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover, who has stood in support of Blake Lively in the ongoing sexual harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 24, 2024 07:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).