Blake Lively gets support from ‘It Ends With Us’ author and ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ co-stars
CNN
By Lisa Respers France, CNN
(CNN) — Blake Lively is getting some high-profile support in the midst of allegations she’s made against her “It Ends With Us” director and co-star, Justin Baldoni.
The author of the book that film was based on, Colleen Hoover, posted a message of support on her Instagram stories over the weekend.
“@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met,” Hoover wrote, alongside a photo of her and the star embracing. “Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
Lively’s co-stars from another of her film projects has also rallied around.
America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel are fellow cast members of Lively in the 2005 movie “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” released a joint statement over the weekend, writing, “As Blake’s friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation.”
“Throughout the filming of ‘It Ends with Us,’ we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice,” the statement reads. “Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors’ stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding.”
They added, “We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment.”
“We are inspired by our sister’s courage to stand up for herself and others,” their statement concluded.
News broke over the weekend that Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department against Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment and a coordinated “plan” seeking to “destroy” her reputation.
The New York Times obtained the complaint.
Lively and Baldoni star as a couple based on characters from Hoover’s hit 2016 novel of the same name.
Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios, denied the allegations in a statement to CNN, calling the claims made by Lively “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media.”
“It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation, which,” Freedman added, “was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions.”
CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister contributed to this report
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