Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, who worked together in It Ends With Us, have been embroiled in a much-public legal battle. Earlier, the actress filed a complaint accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment and orchestrating a campaign to smear her. Amid this, The Hollywood Reporter released a cover story portraying Blake and Justin as rivals, which did not sit well with the actress, prompting her to slam the publication for its 'sexist' depiction.
A representative for the actress provided a statement to The Daily Mail. They said, "The Hollywood Reporter should be ashamed of itself. The framing in this picture is outrageously insulting as it plays into every sexist trope about women who dare file a workplace complaint, turning them into the aggressor, and suggesting they deserve the retaliation that comes their way.”
The statement continued, "In addition, the story is extremely offensive as it incredibly seems to explain away documented examples of sexual harassment and retaliation by calling them 'cultural misunderstandings.'"
Take a look at the cover:
The cover story depicts Baldoni holding a copy of It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, while Lively is shown running behind him, loading a phone into a slingshot.
After Blake's shocking allegations against Justin, the talent agency WME dropped Baldoni as a client.
Colleen Hoover, the author of It Ends With Us on which the film is based, released a personal statement supporting Lively.
Later, the actors' union SAG-AFTRA also stood by Lively, releasing a statement that read in part, "We applaud [her] courage in speaking out on issues of retaliation and harassment and for her request to have an intimacy coordinator for all scenes with nudity or sexual content. This is an important step that helps ensure a safe set."
