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.
00:08This news comes after Lively filed a lengthy complaint against her It Ends With Us co-star
00:13and director Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment and an alleged coordinated effort to destroy her
00:18reputation. Feig, who directed the actress in 2018's A Simple Favor and its upcoming sequel,
00:24wrote on X,
00:30She 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,
00:42America Ferreira, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel, in publicly showing support for the actress.
00:47They wrote in a joint statement, in part,
00:49As Blake's friends and sisters for over 20 years,
00:51we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign
00:56waged to destroy her reputation.
00:57Throughout 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 and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice.
01:10According to Lively's complaint, an all-hands-on-deck meeting was held during filming to address her claims of a hostile work environment.
01:16During that meeting, Lively reportedly demanded that Baldoni stop the following alleged actions,
01:21showing nude videos or images of women to the actress,
01:24mentioning his alleged previous pornography addiction,
01:27discussing 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 allegedly 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,
01:58and 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.
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