Blake Lively scandal: here's what's happening

American actress Blake Lively filed a complaint on Friday against her colleague Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment and for having, according to her, started a campaign to “destroy” her reputation. How did these two main actors in the film Never again found themselves in this situation?

• Also read: Never again: Blake Lively sues her colleague Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment

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Here's what happened since they met on the set of the film based on Colleen Hoover's novel It Ends with Us (Never again).

A first media outcry upon the release of the film

The first rumors regarding the conflict between the two actors were seen on social networks during the film's press tour last summer. Blake Lively and her colleagues Jenny Slate, Brandon Sklenar and Isabela Ferrer attended the red carpets together, without Justin Baldoni present.

However, he is one of the main characters in the production, in addition to being the director, which quickly raised the eyebrows of several admirers of the film.

The other actors unfollowed Baldoni on social media. The author of the novel also kept her distance from the actor.

Several netizens also noticed that Lively and Baldoni used different approaches to promote the film. The actress was criticized for approaching the theme “lightly”, unlike her colleague who spoke about it more on the public stage.

The actress was accused of having treated the advertising campaign as a romantic comedy and not as a film about domestic violence. She was also attacked for promoting her hair product company and her husband Ryan Reynolds' movie, which was released at the same time (Deadpool & Wolverine).

Other rumors suggested that her husband, Ryan Reynolds, was “too involved” in the production of Never again.

An interview that goes badly

In addition to the criticism surrounding the film's release, Blake Lively suffered a second round of hate due to an old interview, published in 2016, that resurfaced.

Pregnant with her fourth child, she was congratulated by journalist Kjersti Flaa for her “little belly”.

The actress reportedly responded by saying, “Congratulations on your little belly,” even though Flaa wasn't pregnant.

Journalist Kjersti Flaa claimed last summer that the interview had gone so badly that the actress had “made her want” to quit her job.

Blake Lively was then the target of a wave of hatred on social networks. However, the actress claims, in her official complaint filed Friday, that this revolt could have been orchestrated by Justin Baldoni's team.

Alarming details

In her complaint, the actress accuses her co-star of having launched this campaign to “destroy” his reputation after measures were imposed on him to stop his alleged inappropriate actions on the film set.

A meeting would have taken place with several individuals, including Ryan Reynolds, to clarify these measures.

For example, Justin Baldoni could no longer “show photos or videos of naked women to [Blake Lively]”, nor “talk about his former addiction to pornography”, nor “talk about his personal experiences related to sexuality”, nor ask for “information from the coach of [Blake Lively] without his knowledge to know his weight.

Justin Baldoni also improvised sex and kissing scenes, according to Blake Lively, which made her very uncomfortable. He would also have insisted on repeating intimate scenes on numerous occasions, despite the discomfort of his colleague.

The man would also have added intimate scenes without the consent of the interpreter of the main character and of Isabela Ferrer, the actress who plays the young version of Blake Lively. These scenes are not found in the novel.

Baldoni's reaction

Justin Baldoni reportedly hired a public relations team whose clients included Johnny Depp, Drake and Travis Scott.

The actor's lawyers quickly responded, saying the allegations were “false and outrageous, with the intent to publicly harm him.”

For her part, journalist Kjersti Flaa made it clear that she had never been involved in this alleged story of sabotage by Baldoni.

“I would never accept money to compromise my integrity as a journalist,” she said in a YouTube video.

Private messages revealed

The New York Times published an investigation on Sunday in which it presents text messages from Baldoni's public relations team.

“You know we can bury anyone,” reads one of the screenshots of a message written by publicist Melissa Nathan.

She also reportedly mentioned examples of celebrities being cyberbullied, like Hailey Bieber, writing, “That's what we need.”

Other celebrities involved

According to the article in New York TimesBaldoni's team reportedly discussed scenarios involving Blake Lively's good friend Taylor Swift.

A document also appears to mention that the team would have explored the possibility of broadcasting stories about the instrumentalization of feminism and how people like Taylor Swift have been accused of using these tactics to “bully” in order to obtain this that they want.

Several public figures have come out in support of Blake Lively in recent days, such as America Ferrera and her colleagues at Four girls and jeans.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Schumer, Paul Feig and Amber Heard also took a stand in favor of the actress. The author of the novel Never againM^me Hoover, also sided with the same side.

– With information from New York Timesof Vultureof People and of The Independent