Blake Lively blames Justin Baldoni for cancelation of 'Saturday Night Live' Season 50 opener hosting gig
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Blake Lively has claimed Justin Baldoni was the reason she canceled her scheduled appearance on 'Saturday Night Live' Season 50 in September.
The 37-year-old actress filed a lawsuit against her 'It Ends With Us' co-star over the weekend, accusing him of harassment and creating a hostile work environment.
Blake Lively claims she missed 'SNL' hosting gig due to Justin Baldoni's smear campaign
In the filing against Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively claimed that one of the repercussions of her co-star’s alleged smear campaign was for her to lose the opportunity to host the opener of Season 50 of 'Saturday Night Live'.
The complaint read, "The effects on Ms Lively’s professional life were immediate and substantial," as reported by Variety.
"Given the ongoing nature of the campaign and the associated negative public sentiment, Ms Lively did not believe she could proceed with public appearances or events without being forced to openly discuss what happened on set," it continued.
"For example, Ms Lively canceled a critical Target corporate event for her hair care company, and she backed out of her scheduled role to host the premiere episode of the 50th anniversary season of ‘Saturday Night Live’ in September 2024," Lively's counsel added in the filing.
Blake Lively claims Justin Baldoni's actions caused her and her family emotional distress
Elsewhere in the filing, Blake Lively claimed that the 'Five Feet Apart' actor caused "severe emotional distress" not only to her but also to her family, as per Hello! Magazine.
"There are days when she has struggled to get out of bed, and she frequently chooses not to venture outside in public. While she has fought to maintain her personal life and business interests, behind closed doors she has suffered from grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety," the filing mentioned.
It continued, "She also has been experiencing repeated and painful physical symptoms as a result of this experience."
Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, also reportedly suffered because of the messy situation, as the filing alleged, "Mr Reynolds, too, has been affected mentally, physically, and professionally by his wife and children’s pain. Worst of all, however, has been the impact on their young children, who have been traumatized and emotionally uprooted in ways that have substantially impacted their well-being."
In her lawsuit, the ' Gossip Girl' actress highlighted a meeting between her and Baldoni on January 6 regarding the issue of her returning to the sets of 'It Ends With Us'. The meeting was also reportedly attended by Reynolds as well as 'It Ends With Us' producer and Baldoni's Wayfarer Studios' CEO Jamey Heath.
Lively accused Baldoni of making inappropriate remarks and repeatedly mentioning her weight and her father's death.
While Baldoni reportedly agreed to the terms of not making inappropriate remarks, he and his team agreed to disagree on certain specifics, and the filming started the next day.
Nevertheless, in the complaint, filed with the California Civil Rights Department and a precursor to her lawsuit, the 'Sisterhood of Traveling Pants’ actress alleged that during the promotional period, Baldoni hired a crisis PR team to intentionally smear her reputation.
When she came to know about the said smear campaign, it reportedly caused her "mental, physical, professional, and financial harms that continue to this day," as per USA Today.
