The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that Lively and Reynolds used their influence to seize control of Baldoni's film "It Ends With Us," an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel.
Baldoni directed, co-starred in, and co-financed the production through his company, Wayfarer Studios.
“This is not a case about celebrities sniping at each other in the press,” the lawsuit states, according to a CNN report. “This is a case about two of the most powerful stars in the world deploying their enormous power to steal an entire film right out of the hands of its director and production studio.”
The complaint accuses Lively of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy, alleging she “used her power to seize control of the film” and sought to destroy Baldoni’s personal and professional reputation when he refused to meet her demands.
Civil extortion involves using threats to gain financial or other benefits.
Defamation refers to false statements that harm someone’s reputation.
Baldoni claims that Lively “hijacked Wayfarer’s premiere” and spread false accusations of sexual misconduct against him.
This marks the latest chapter in a bitter feud that began when Lively, age 37, sued Baldoni, age 40, for sexual harassment and emotional distress during the film’s production.
Lively alleged that Baldoni created an inappropriate work environment, made comments about her weight and late father, and discussed cast members’ genitalia.
She also claimed Baldoni retaliated against her after she raised concerns, despite her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and Sony Pictures approving measures to address the issues.
Baldoni’s attorney has denied Lively’s allegations, calling them “false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.”
The fallout from the dispute was evident during the film’s press tour, where Baldoni and Lively appeared separately.
Now streaming on Netflix, It Ends With Us has become a box-office hit, but the legal battle behind the scenes shows no signs of cooling. Both parties remain entrenched, with Baldoni seeking a jury trial to resolve the matter.
Both Baldoni and Lively are Los Angeles natives. Baldoni now resides in California. Lively and Reynolds live in the New York City suburbs in the Northern Westchester County town of Pound Ridge.
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