JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Blake Lively Withdraws from SNL Premiere Following Harassment Lawsuit Against It Ends With Us Co-Star Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively withdrew from hosting Season 50 of Saturday Night Live after she got involved in a sexual misconduct lawsuit against It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni.
Blake Lively's departure as host of the Season 50 premiere of Saturday Night Live was reportedly caused by a feud related to workplace misconduct allegations against the director and co-star from the film It Ends With Us, Justin Baldoni.
According to a lawsuit filed with the California Civil Rights Department, Lively said that he sexually harassed her and organized a retaliation smear campaign after she began complaining about his behavior at work. The complaint claims that such adverse publicity made it impossible for Lively to continue appearing at public events without speaking up about the matter.
Thus, she stepped down from headlining commitments, such as hosting SNL and appearing at a critical Target event for her haircare brand. This is contained in an 80-page complaint that details some horrific incidents, including when he allegedly improvised intimate scenes and spoke about his porn addiction, making inappropriate comments that left Lively ogled and exposed.
As per Deadline, the document reads, "The effects on Ms. Lively’s professional life were immediate and substantial. For example, Ms. Lively canceled a critical Target corporate event for her haircare company, and she backed out of her scheduled role to host the premier episode of the 50th anniversary season of Saturday Night Live in September 2024."
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, dismissed the claims as baseless and accused Lively of trying to salvage her reputation, citing her public remarks during the film’s press tour. He stated, "It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation, which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film."
Freedman called the allegations, "completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media."
Following the suit's filing, Justin Baldoni’s agency, WME, dropped him, and author Colleen Hoover publicly supported Blake Lively, praising her honesty and integrity.
ALSO READ: Blake Lively’s The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants Co-Stars Show Support For Actress; DEETS
Latest Articles
