'A Simple Favor' director Paul Feig is speaking out in support of Blake Lively, along with her 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' cast mates. This news come after Lively filed a lengthy complaint against her 'It Ends With Us' co-star and director Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment and an alleged coordinated effort to destroy her reputation.
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00A Simple Favor director Paul Feig is speaking out in support of Blake Lively,
00:04along with her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants castmates.
00:09This news comes after Lively filed a lengthy complaint against her
00:12It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni
00:15for sexual harassment and an alleged coordinated effort to destroy her reputation.
00:20Feig, who directed the actress in 2018's A Simple Favor and its upcoming sequel,
00:24wrote on X,
00:25I've now made two movies with Blake, and all I can say is she's one of the most professional,
00:29creative, collaborative, talented, and kind people I've ever worked with.
00:33She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her.
00:36I think it's awful she was put through this.
00:38Feig joins Lively's Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants castmates,
00:41America Ferreira, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel,
00:44in publicly showing support for the actress.
00:46They wrote in a joint statement, in part,
00:48As Blake's friends and sisters for over 20 years,
00:52we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back
00:54against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation.
00:58Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us,
01:00we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set,
01:04and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated
01:07and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice.
01:10According to Lively's complaint,
01:12an all-hands-on-deck meeting was held during filming
01:14to address her claims of a hostile work environment.
01:17During that meeting, Lively reportedly demanded
01:19that Baldoni stop the following alleged actions,
01:22showing nude videos or images of women to the actress,
01:25mentioning his alleged previous pornography addiction,
01:28discussing his sexual experiences in front of Lively and others,
01:31mentioning the cast and crew's genitalia,
01:33and asking about Lively's weight.
01:35Lively additionally claimed that Baldoni and company
01:38allegedly engaged in a social manipulation campaign to destroy her reputation.
01:42The filing includes 22 pages of text from Baldoni's publicist Melissa Nathan,
01:46who heads her own crisis PR firm,
01:48about how he, quote,
01:49wants to feel like Ms. Lively can be buried,
01:52to which Nathan replied,
01:53we can't write we will destroy her.
01:55Brian Friedman, the attorney for Baldoni,
01:57Wayfarer Studios, and all its representatives,
01:59released a statement slamming Lively's claims.
02:02For much more on this story and all the latest updates,
02:04go to THR.com.
02:06This is The Hollywood Reporter News.