Blake Lively Was Supposed to Host ‘Saturday Night Live’ Season 50 Premiere, Backed Out Amid Smear
Blake Lively has accused her “It Ends with Us” co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, of damaging her career through a targeted smear campaign. In a legal complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department, Lively revealed that the fallout from Baldoni’s alleged actions forced her to cancel several high-profile engagements, including hosting the much-anticipated Saturday Night Live Season 50 opener in September 2024.
The complaint describes a toxic work environment where Baldoni allegedly made inappropriate remarks about Lively’s appearance, engaged in uncomfortable discussions about his personal life, and pressured her into revealing her religious beliefs. Additionally, Jamey Heath, a producer on the film and CEO of Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios, allegedly showed Lively an explicit childbirth video involving his wife.
Lively’s filing claims that the smear campaign began when she attempted to address these concerns in a meeting with Baldoni in January 2024. Text messages and emails included in the complaint suggest that Baldoni and his team threatened to publicly discredit Lively if their issues became widely known.
The actress stated that the negative attention and fear of being forced to discuss these events publicly made it impossible for her to fulfill her professional commitments. Among those was her highly anticipated SNL hosting gig and a major corporate event for her hair care company.
The legal battle between Lively and Baldoni is ongoing, but the allegations have already sparked significant public debate and concern within the entertainment industry. Neither Baldoni nor Heath has publicly commented on the accusations so far.
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