Blake Lively Sues 'Just About Us' Director Justin Baldoni in New Lawsuit

Blake Lively officially filed a lawsuit Justin Baldonihis costar and director in the film It ends with us.

Lively, 37, filed the lawsuit against Baldoni, 40, in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, December 31. Us Weekly can confirm. In addition to Baldoni, the actor is also suing the publishers Melissa Nathan again Jennifer Abeland Wayfarer Studios.

The lawsuit alleges sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, emotional distress, invasion of privacy and loss of wages. The claims are consistent with those included in Lively's complaint filed with the California Department of Human Rights last week.

“Earlier today, Ms. Lively filed a federal lawsuit against Wayfarer Studios and others in the Southern District of New York,” Lively's attorneys said in a statement. Us. “Ms. Lively previously filed a Complaint with the California Department of Human Rights in response to Wayfarer's retaliation against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety. Unfortunately, the decision of Ms. Lively speaking resulted in more retaliation and attacks.”

The statement continued: “As alleged in Ms. Lively's Complaint, Wayfarer and its affiliates violated California state law by retaliating against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety. Now, the defendants will answer for their behavior in federal court. Mrs. Lively brought this case in New York, where most of the related activities described in the Complaint took place, but we reserve the right to take additional action in other jurisdictions and jurisdictions where appropriate under the law.”

Lively addressed her legal action in a statement on Saturday, December 21st Us Weekly.

“I hope that my legal action will help pull back the curtain on these evil revenge tactics to hurt people who speak out and help protect others who may be targeted,” she said.

The lawsuit comes the same day Baldoni filed a $250 million lawsuit The New York Times for its reporting on Blake Lively's allegations of sexual harassment.

Baldoni was among 10 plaintiffs, including public speakers Nathan and Abel and It ends with us producers James Heath again Steve Saraowitzin a lawsuit filed Tuesday, December 31 in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Plaintiffs allege defamation and false light invasion of privacy and allege that The New York Times A “stone-picked” connection with context omitted to mislead readers of its title “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside the Hollywood Smear Machine.”

The episode, written by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire again Julie Tate It is alleged that Lively suffered months of sexual harassment from Baldoni and it was published on Saturday, December 21.

The lawsuit alleges that Lively pursued a “strategic and cunning” defamation campaign against Baldoni (rather than the other way around), using false “allegations of sexual harassment to assert collective control over all aspects of the brand.”

After the lawsuit was filed, Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman called Lively's accusations published by New York Times “a vicious smear campaign.”

Related: Blake Lively Sues Justin Baldoni For Sexual Harassment

Blake Lively is suing It Ends With Us costar and director Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment. According to the lawsuit obtained by TMZ and the New York Times, Baldoni's alleged behavior caused Lively, 37, “extreme emotional distress.” The lawsuit alleges that there was a meeting held to correct Lively's allegations that “there is hostility […]

“In this vicious smear campaign orchestrated by Blake Lively and her team, i New York Times they are afraid of being wanted and wanted by two powerful Hollywood executives who are “untouchable”, disregarding journalistic procedures and ethics if they are worthy of a respected publication by using embellished and altered documents and deliberately omitting documents that contradict their chosen PR narrative,” he said in a statement Us Tuesday, December 31. “In doing so, they pre-determined the outcome of their story, and aided and abetted their vicious PR smear campaign designed to restore Lively's self-imposed public image and counter the basis of criticism in the Internet community.” The puzzle is rich.”

He continued: “However, do not make a mistake as we are all united to reduce it The NY Times by saying that we no longer allow them to deceive the public, we will continue this campaign of authenticity by suing those people who abused their power to try to destroy the lives of my clients. While their side accepts partial truths, we accept the full truth – and we have all the communications to back it up. The community will decide for itself as it did when this started.”

Baldoni has previously denied all of Lively's allegations about Freedman, calling the allegations “totally false, defamatory and willfully absurd” in a statement. Us. The statement also said that Lively filed the lawsuit to “correct her bad name” and “revise the story” about the film's production.