Legal Battle Erupts Between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Over Harassment Allegations**

Blake Lively accuses Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment, while Baldoni counters with a libel suit against The New York Times, claiming the report is damaging to his reputation.**

In a dramatic turn of events, actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have initiated rival lawsuits that intensify a controversy stemming from their recent project, "It Ends With Us." Lively has taken her grievances to a New York court, alleging sexual harassment by Baldoni and his publicity team during filming, while accusing them of orchestrating a campaign to tarnish her image. Baldoni, on the other hand, has filed a lawsuit against The New York Times, alleging that the paper collaborated with Lively to harm his reputation with misleading reporting.

Baldoni's lawsuit describes the Times' reporting as biased and claims that journalists failed to provide his team sufficient time to respond to serious allegations before publication. In contrast, Lively's lawsuit echoes many allegations put forth in an earlier civil rights complaint she filed in California, wherein she seeks compensatory damages due to 'lost wages' and 'mental anguish,' though she does not specify a total amount.

The New York Times stands firm, asserting that their reporting was based on a thorough examination of thousands of documents and accurately presented quotes from texts and emails. In the wake of these allegations, Baldoni was dropped by his talent agency—a development mentioned in his case seeking $250 million in damages and a jury trial. His legal representatives accuse the Times of collaborating in a 'smear campaign' aimed at reviving Lively's waning public image.

Lively's accusations detail an alleged attempt by Baldoni's team to detract from her reputation after she presented 30 demands related to workplace conduct safety during production, including restrictions on discussing sexual content on set. In earlier statements, Baldoni’s legal team labeled Lively's accusations as 'categorically false' and indicated that they resorted to employing a crisis management team after she purportedly threatened the film's continuity unless her demands were met.

"It Ends With Us," which debuted last summer, draws inspiration from a bestselling novel centered around complex relationship dynamics, with Lively portraying a woman involved with an emotionally abusive partner played by Baldoni, who has been linked to real-life domestic abuse experiences shared by author Colleen Hoover.