It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni has accused Blake Lively of manipulating wardrobe decisions during filming, leading to issues with Sony and the production team.
According to court documents obtained by In Touch, Justin described the drama that began on the first day of principal production, May 15, 2023.
Blake, who played the lead role of Lily Bloom, allegedly overstepped her role as an actor by asserting control over aspects of the film beyond her contractual entitlements.
While actors typically have some input into their character’s look, Justin claimed Blake took things too far by sidelining the costume designer and sending numerous photos to direct the wardrobe choices.
Justin said Blake’s insistence on specific wardrobe items, including expensive $5,000 shoes for her character, caused delays and budget overruns.
He claimed that Blake refused to participate in wardrobe fittings at the production office, despite it being only a short distance from her home.
This, according to Justin, resulted in the costume designer having to reshop her wardrobe, which exceeded the allocated budget.
The situation reportedly escalated when paparazzi photos of Blake in her self-selected wardrobe sparked backlash from Sony, the film’s distributor. Justin claimed Sony expressed concerns about the public perception of the film due to the unflattering photos, which led to a conversation between him and Blake about adjusting the wardrobe.
Justin’s lawyer argued that Blake’s actions were part of a manipulative pattern. He claimed that Blake leveraged their conversation about the wardrobe to accuse Justin of inappropriate comments regarding her appearance, which he denied.
In her lawsuit, Blake offered a different version of events, claiming that Justin focused too much on her sexual appeal rather than the authenticity of her character.
Blake also accused Justin and producer Jamey Heath of sexual harassment, including unwanted comments and actions on set.
She claimed that Justin spoke about sex inappropriately, improvised unwanted kissing scenes, and made remarks about her weight. Both Justin and Jamey have denied the harassment claims.
The legal drama continues as Justin has filed a lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the outlet of publishing a one-sided story based on Blake’s complaints.
A representative for the Times denied the accusations, stating that their reporting was thorough and accurate.
As the situation unfolds, both parties continue to engage in legal battles, with Justin yet to respond to Blake’s federal lawsuit.