Justin Baldoni recently opened up about a rather unusual experience during the premiere of his latest film, ‘It Ends With Us.’ In what seems like a story straight out of Hollywood drama, Baldoni shared that his family was ‘held in a basement’ during the premiere event based on a request from his co-star, Blake Lively.
The two actors were both part of the movie ‘It Ends With Us,’ which is based on a novel by Colleen Hoover published in 2016. The film was released this past August. However, there were whispers that there might have been some tension between the stars, as they weren’t seen together promoting the film.
Things took a legal turn when Blake Lively raised a lawsuit against Baldoni. She accused him of trying to tarnish her reputation, claiming his actions led to what she described as ‘severe emotional distress’ for her and her family. In response, Baldoni’s legal team has dismissed these accusations as entirely false.
Among her allegations, Lively mentioned a specific incident where her husband, Ryan Reynolds, participated in a discussion with Baldoni during the film’s production. The purpose was reportedly to address several of Lively’s demands for working conditions on the set. These demands included stopping any form of exposure to inappropriate content, avoiding inappropriate discussions, and respecting her personal boundaries.
Additionally, Lively placed certain boundaries in terms of the film’s content, asking for no more addition of explicit scenes. It appears that the production company, Sony Pictures, agreed to her terms.
Lively went on to allege Baldoni of trying to manipulate her socially, undermining her reputation deliberately. She claimed that he added unnecessary, explicit scenes, including those involving minors, which she found troubling and opposed to the spirit of the original book.
Baldoni did agree to remove some of the contested scenes. However, he introduced a different scene portraying his character Ryle and Lively’s character Lily experiencing a rather intense moment on their wedding night. He justified this addition as important for narrative reasons.
Despite agreeing to some changes, Blake Lively was reportedly questioned inappropriately about her personal life by Baldoni, which she deemed excessively invasive.
Baldoni’s attorney argued that Lively’s accusations were baseless and part of a plan to shift the blame onto Baldoni and his studio. They hired a crisis manager to deal with the potential negative impact of these unfounded claims on their film’s promotion.
Lively’s actions were said to have led the studio to take precautionary measures, fearing disruptions during the promotional campaign. Apparently, Lively even worked with another representative to potentially leak negative stories, thus heightening the tension.
Lively expressed hope that her legal stance against these tactics would help unveil and combat such retaliatory measures in the industry.
Moreover, Baldoni was among the plaintiffs in a substantial lawsuit against a major media outlet, accusing them of publishing damaging and false information about him.
The legal paperwork also claimed that Baldoni violated Lively’s privacy on several occasions during filming. Furthermore, allegations emerged that Lively insisted Baldoni and his family remain out of public view during the premiere, effectively keeping them isolated in a basement area to avoid any interaction.
This sentiment was captured in a photo shared by Baldoni, showing him with his wife Emily and their friends and family gathered around a table in a non-glamorous, makeshift setting. The scene was far from the usual red-carpet spectacle, underscoring the surreal nature of that night.
Amidst close companions and refreshments, there was an air of irony about being ‘held in a basement’ on what should have been a night of professional celebration for Baldoni.
Pictured amidst popcorn and soda, this snapshot of Baldoni’s premiere night sharply contrasted with what one might expect from a Hollywood film launch.
