Justin Baldoni Dropped From WME Following Blake Lively’s Sexual Harassment Suit

In the wake of Blake Lively’s lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, whom she accuses of sexual harassment and retaliation, Baldoni has reportedly been dropped by talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME), according to The Hollywood Reporter.

A rep for WME did not immediately return Rolling Stone’s request for comment.

The news comes on the heels of Lively’s complaint, obtained by Rolling Stone, where the actress claims “severe emotional distress” from her experience on the film. In the suit, she accuses Baldoni and his coworkers of sexual harassment and alleges that there was a coordinated effort to ruin her reputation during the film’s promotional campaign.

Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, told Variety in a statement that Lively’s lawsuit was an attempt to “fix her negative reputation,” adding the claims are “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.”

In the complaint, Lively alleges that the work environment with Baldoni at the helm grew so hostile that an emergency meeting was called that included Sony Pictures. Lively and her team presented demands for Baldoni and his team in order to resume production after the actors’ strike, per the suit, including that Baldoni not discuss his previous “pornography addiction,” sexual conquests, and the cast and crew’s genitalia.

The lawsuit also claims the director was told “no more adding of sex scenes, oral sex or on camera climaxing by BL outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project.”

Following Lively’s initial complaints against Baldoni and lead producer Jamey Heath — and after Lively’s husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, blocked Baldoni on Instagram — the suit further claims the harassment went beyond what was being alleged on set and in the work environment. “What the public also did not know was that this was the beginning of a multi-tiered plan that Mr. Baldoni and his team described as ‘social manipulation’ designed to ‘destroy’ Ms. Lively’s reputation,” according to the complaint. “That plan was backed by virtually unlimited resources.”

According to exhibits in the lawsuit, Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios’ public relations team, and a crisis management expert outlined an alleged pre-release strategy to shift online conversation toward criticizing Lively. It includes alleged texts and emails appearing to discuss those plans.

Lively said in a statement to the New York Times, “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”

Baldoni’s attorneys did not immediately return Rolling Stone’s request for comment on the suit. Lively’s lawyers referred to her statement to New York Times.