Blake Lively receives support from SAG-AFTRA after suing It Ends With Us' Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment

Blake Lively is receiving support from SAG-AFTRA, which represents 160,000 actors in Hollywood, after accusing Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment.

On Monday, the labor union released a statement after the actress, 37, accused the Ends With Us costar of improvising unwanted kissing on set, inappropriate conduct and launching a smear campaign against her. 

'These are startling and troubling allegations. Employees have every right to raise issues of concern or to file complaints. Retaliation for reporting misconduct or inappropriate behavior is illegal and wrong,' SAG-AFTRA said.

The union continued: 'We applaud Blake Lively’s 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.' 

In her lawsuit, Lively Baldoni hired a crisis PR team to engage in a 'multi-tiered' plan to 'destroy' her reputation after she and her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48, complained of 'repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour', on set. 

The film was mired in controversy even before the lawsuit after fans noticed tensions between Lively, 37, and Baldoni, 40, when they were promoting the movie before its release. 

Lively has accused Baldoni, who also directed the film, of making sexual comments about the cast and crew, showing her explicit videos and images of women and discussing his previous alleged porn addiction.

Colleen Hoover, the author of the It Ends With Us book, also recently came forward to show her support for Lively. 

'@blakelively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive, and patient since the day we met,' the author wrote on Saturday. 'Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.'

The film, based on Hoover's novel, is about a woman's pursuit of a loving and healthy relationship, with Lively playing the lead character Lily Bloom and Baldoni as her love interest Ryle Kincaid.

In the film, Lily falls in love with Ryle before reconnecting with her first love (Brandon Sklenar) - amid a backdrop of domestic violence.

After suing Baldoni, Lively said: 'I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.'

Lively has garnered the further support as it emerged last night that she had made 30 demands of Baldoni and others on set.

In a complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department on Friday, Lively made several claims regarding her Baldon who she is suing for sexual harassment and allegedly launching a smear campaign against her.

The production of It Ends With Us was delayed in 2023 due to a writers strike. A day before filming resumed, a meeting was held to address the set's 'hostile work environment.'

At the January 4 meeting, Lively stated the issues she had with Baldoni and Jamey Heath, the Chief Executive Officer of Wayfarer and producer of the movie, according to the filing.

Reynolds, who did not appear in the film, joined her at the showdown meeting, according to the legal filing.

Everyone in attendance reportedly agreed to the 30 conditions the actress demanded in order to prevent further discomfort on set. Most of the points Lively brought up were sex-related.

The first request was 'no more showing of nude videos or images of women, including the producer's wife' to Lively or her employees, according to the filing released by the New York Times.

Another jaw-dropping requirement was that people on set stop discussing Baldoni and Heath's previous 'pornography addiction' and Lively's 'lack of pornography consumption.

Lively also asserted that no one should be talking about their sex lives, their genitalia or 'personal times that physical consent was not given in sexual acts, as either the abuser or the abused.'

The complaint revealed that Lively said no one was to bring up any previous HR complaints made against WayFarer Studios, which Baldoni is co-founder of. She also forbid anyone from asking her or her trainer about her weight.

Further complaints refer to Lively's deceased father and religion. Lively reportedly declared that there should be no more mention of Baldoni 'speaking to' her late father.

She also asked that Baldoni stop inquiring her about her religious beliefs and imposing his on her - she also wanted him to stop 'pressing' to sage her employees.

Health matters were also discussed, with Lively outlining that if her or her infant are exposed to COVID 'again,' she must be notified immediately.

Lively also set clear boundaries when it came to filming the movie's sex and intimacy scenes.

She demanded an intimacy coordinator be preset at all times in every scene involving Lively and Baldoni, adding that there should be no more 'improvising' kissing.

'No biting or sucking of lip without [Lively's] consent,' the document reads.

A later demand said that all sex scenes need coordinator present, as well as a 'monitor' pre-approved by Lively to oversee them.

Regarding scenes depicting rape or violence, Lively said that her character, Lily Bloom, must be played by a stunt double. She would only do close-up or pre-discussed scenes of this nature.

No additional sexual scenes outside of what Lively originally signed up for would be permitted, according to the filing.

'No more asking or pressuring [Lively] to cross physical picket lines,' another point summarized.

Lively also stated that no more touching or sexual comments from Baldoni or Heath would 'be tolerated' by her or any other women on set. All sex scenes would also have to be monitored by a representative of the actress.

Everyone working on these intimate scenes had to be hired professionals that Lively pre-approved, not 'friends' of the producer or director.

She also said that she would not film any more nude scenes without a SAG-compliant nudity rider - a document outlining the scene's specifics - in place. Any scenes shot without one, Lively said, should not be used without her legal team's consent.

Lively insinuated that Baldoni and Heath were barging into her trailer while she was nude and asked for 'no more entering, attempting to entire, interrupting, pressuring or asking' Lively to come inside for any reason while she is not dressed.

She also said she would no longer tolerate 'multi hour' unmonitored meetings with Baldoni crying in her trailer.

Producer Alex Saks was mandated 'to be given standard rights, inclusion, and authority per her job description' and Sony was to have a more 'active role' in the film's production.

For cast safety, an 'experienced' producer was asked to oversee the set.

It was agreed that Lively would not receive any 'abusive' or 'retaliatory' reactions to wanting to put these safeguard in place.

The final request was for an in-person meeting before production was resumed to go over these stipulations and ensure they would 'be adhered to for the physical and emotional safety' of Lively, her staff and the rest of the people on set.

Rumors of a rift between the movie's leads began to swirl amid its press run, after eagle-eyed fans noted a frostiness between the pair on the red carpet.

Relations soured even further during filming, and culminated in a HR meeting where various conditions were agreed to by Baldoni and his Wayfarer studio before Lively would consider resuming filming after the writers' strike, the filings state.

Then sometime before August 2, Baldoni hired crisis management expert Melissa Nathan, whose previous clients have included Jonny Depp, as part of his PR team which also included publicist Jennifer Abel.

Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, said: 'These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media.'

He added that the studio 'made the decision to proactively hire a crisis manager prior to the marketing campaign of the film'.

He continued: 'There were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; just internal scenario-planning and private correspondence to strategise, which is standard operating procedure with public relations professionals.'

Baldoni is also known for his role as Rafael Solano in the telenovela Jane The Virgin and wrote a book called Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity about pushing back against traditional notions of masculinity.

Lively has four children Reynolds, the Deadpool actor who is a co-owner of Wrexham AFC football team.

She has starred in films including The Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants, The Age Of Adaline, and A Simple Favour, and played Serena van der Woodsen in the hit teen drama series Gossip Girl.