Actress Blake Lively has stated that she has lost around $64 million as a result of a legal battle with actor and director Justin Baldoni, with whom she collaborated on the film It Ends With Us.
According to documents submitted to the court, Lively’s legal team claims that the financial losses are the result of a “coordinated defamation campaign” organized by Baldoni, aimed at discrediting her allegations of sexual harassment and creating a toxic work environment during the filming of the movie.
According to international media, including Daily Mail, the campaign included negative labeling of the actress, such as “bully” and “mean girl,” which are said to have received over 176 million views online. According to her side’s claims, this resulted in losses of up to $40.5 million. Furthermore, public statements by Baldoni’s lawyer, Brian Friedman, are alleged to have caused additional damages exceeding $24 million, also affecting the loss of several professional opportunities for the actress.
At the beginning of April, the court dismissed 10 out of 13 allegations brought by Blake Lively against Baldoni, concluding that there was insufficient evidence to support the sexual harassment claims. However, the judge acknowledged that there may have been attempts to damage her reputation and career.
The case is expected to go to trial before a jury on May 18, as no out-of-court settlement has been reached so far.
