Blake Lively Sues 'It Ends With Us' Director Justin Baldoni in New Lawsuit

Blake Lively has officially filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoniher actor and director in the film It ends with us.

Lively, 37, filed the lawsuit against Baldoni, 40, in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, December 31. Us Weekly can be confirmed. In addition to Baldoni, the actress is also suing publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abelin association with Wayfarer Studios.

Legal proceedings possible sexual harassmentretaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and lost wages. The claims are similar to those made in Lively's complaint filed last week with the California Department of Civil Rights.

“Ms. Lively today filed a federal complaint against Wayfarer Studios and others in the Southern District of New York,” Lively's attorneys said in a statement. We. “Ms. Lively previously filed a complaint with the California Department of Civil Rights in response to Wayfarer's retaliation campaign against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety issues. Unfortunately, Ms. Lively's decision to speak out has led to further retaliation and attacks.

The statement continued: “As alleged in Ms. Lively's federal complaint, Wayfarer and its associates violated federal and California state law by retaliating against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns. The defendants will now answer for their actions in federal court. Ms. Lively has brought this action in New York, where much of the relevant activity described in the complaint took place, but we reserve the right to pursue further action in other places and jurisdictions where appropriate.

Lively announced her legal action in a statement on Saturday, December 21 Us Weekly.

“I hope my legal action will help pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about wrongdoing and help protect others who may be targeted,” she said.

The trial comes the same day Baldoni filed a $250 million lawsuit vs The New York Times for a report on Blake Lively's sexual harassment allegations.

Baldoni was among 10 plaintiffs, including publicists Nathan and Abel, as well It ends with us manufacturers James Heath and Steve Saraovichinside a court case filed Tuesday, Dec. 31 in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The plaintiffs are suing for defamation and false invasion of privacy and claim that The New York Times “Selected” communication and omitted context to mislead readers in “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside the Hollywood Smear Machine.”

Piece, written by Megan Duhey, Mike McIntyre and Julie Tate Claims that Lively faced months of sexual harassment from Baldoni were published on Saturday, December 21.

The lawsuit alleges that Lively ran a “strategic and manipulative” smear campaign against Baldoni (not the other way around), using false “sexual harassment allegations to gain unilateral control over every aspect of the production.”

After filing the claim, Baldonis's lawyer Brian Friedman called Lively's allegations, which were published New York Times “malicious smear campaign”.

Related: Blake Lively is suing our Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment

Blake Lively is suing 'It Ends With Us' and director Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment. According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ and The New York Times, Baldoni's alleged behavior caused Lively, 37, “severe emotional distress.” The suit alleges that the meeting took place to address Lively's allegations that there was a “hostile (..)

“In this vicious smear campaign entirely orchestrated by Blake Lively and her team, New York Times bowed to the wishes and whims of two powerful 'untouchable' Hollywood elites, disregarding the journalistic practices and ethics of the once respected publication, using fabricated and manipulated texts and deliberately omitting texts that challenge their chosen PR narrative,” he said in a statement. We on Tuesday, December 31. “In doing so, they pre-determined the outcome of their story and aided and abetted their own disastrous PR smear campaign aimed at reviving Lively's self-inflicted battered public image and combating criticism among the online public. The irony is rich. “

He continued, “Make no mistake though, for we all unite to destroy NY Times no longer allowing them to mislead the public, we will continue this campaign of authenticity by also suing those individuals who have abused their power to attempt to destroy the lives of my clients. While their side embraces partial truths, we embrace the full truth and have all the communications to back it up. The public will decide for themselves, as they did when it first started.

Baldoni in advance categorically denied all of Lively's allegations via Friedman, who in a statement called the allegations “absolutely false, outrageous and deliberately concocted.” We. The statement also claimed that Lively filed the lawsuit to “correct her negative reputation” and “negotiate the narrative” surrounding the making of the film.