Justin Baldoni has filed a new lawsuit against his former publicist Stephanie Jones, alleging she triggered the legal battle between him and It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively by leaking private text messages.

Baldoni and his publicist, Jennifer Abel, filed the suit on March 21, accusing Jones — founder of the PR firm Jonesworks — of violating client confidentiality by handing over the texts, which later became key evidence in Lively’s separate lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation.

“It is undeniable that Stephanie Jones initiated this catastrophic sequence of events by violating the most basic of privacy rights, as well as any remaining trust her clients held,” Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, said in a statement to multiple outlets.

He continued, “No stranger to stirring up crisis scenarios for departing clients, Ms. Jones maliciously turned over communications from the phone she wrongfully took from her own partner to her cohort [Lively’s personal publicist] Leslie Sloane, immediately after Jones was terminated for cause by Wayfarer due to her own wrongful behavior."

According to People, Baldoni’s complaint describes a scene two days before Abel’s last day at Jonesworks, where she was allegedly met by a security guard, a data extraction technician and an attorney.

According to the filing, Abel was "ushered" into a conference room, where the security guard was "blocking the exit." It was there, the complaint states, Abel was instructed to sign documents and told that Jonesworks would have grounds to sue if she did not allow them access to "proprietary information on her personal laptop."

Baldoni alleges that once Jones was in control of Abel’s phone, she locked Abel out of key accounts and turned over the contents to Lively’s publicist.

“Jones [had] turned over the contents of Abel’s phone to Lively and her team — without a subpoena — so they could slice and dice her communications to construct a false narrative,” the suit states.

For her part, Jones — who filed her own lawsuit in December — is pushing back.

“Ms. Jones’s lawsuit is based entirely on facts and concrete evidence," Jones's attorney, Kristin Tahler, said in a statement to People. "That suit clearly shows that Jen Abel conspired with Melissa Nathan and others to steal reams of confidential documents, clients and staff and eventually attempt to destroy the business that Ms. Jones spent decades building."

Justin Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, is firing back at Blake Lively's motion to dismiss the It Ends With Us director's $400 million lawsuit, calling her legal move "one of the most abhorrent examples of abusing our legal system."

In a statement shared with multiple outlets on Thursday, Freedman said, "Stringent rules are put into place to protect the innocent and allow individuals to rightfully defend themselves. Laws are not meant to be twisted and curated by privileged elites to fit their own personal agenda."

Freedman also reiterated his thoughts from earlier this week, when Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, filed a similar motion.

"We will continue to hold Ms. Lively accountable for her actions of pure malice which include falsely accusing my clients of harassment and retaliation," he said. "Her fantastical claims will be swiftly debunked as discovery moves forward, easily disproved with actual, evidentiary proof."

In Lively's motion to dismiss, her legal team cited a California law that protects individuals from retaliatory lawsuits if they report allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct. If successful, Baldoni could be on the hook to cover Reynolds and Lively's legal fees, according to the Los Angeles Times.

More from Yahoo Entertainment: Blake Lively files motion to dismiss Justin Baldoni's 'vengeful' lawsuit, citing this California law

Blake Lively is seeking to have Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit against her dismissed, arguing that his claims are legally baseless.

In a motion filed Thursday, obtained by Yahoo Entertainment, Lively’s legal team called the suit “a profound abuse of the legal process,” citing California’s Assembly Bill 933, a 2023 amendment that protects individuals from defamation claims when speaking about sexual harassment or retaliation.

Lively’s filing comes just two days after her husband, Ryan Reynolds, submitted his own motion to dismiss, arguing that Baldoni’s lawsuit is driven by “hurt feelings” rather than defamation.

According to the Los Angeles Times, if Lively’s motion is granted, Baldoni’s claims would be thrown out — and he could be required to cover her legal fees.

In a statement obtained by Yahoo Entertainment, Lively's lawyers Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson called Baldoni's suit "meritless and retaliatory."

"California law now expressly prohibits suing victims who make the decision to speak out against sexual harassment or retaliation, whether in a lawsuit or in the press," the lawyers stated. "In an epic self-own, the Wayfarer Parties’ attempt to sue Ms. Lively 'into oblivion' has only created more liability for them, and deservedly so, given what they have done."

A spokesperson for Lively added in a statement to Yahoo: "While Ms. Lively has suffered greatly by speaking up and pursuing legal claims, it is important for other people to know that they have protections, and that there is a specific law that expressly protects them from being silenced or financially ruined by a defamation lawsuit because they had the courage to speak up."

— Taryn Ryder contributed reporting

Ryan Reynolds is asking a court to dismiss Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit against him, arguing that Baldoni's claims are based on “hurt feelings” rather than legal merit, according to Variety.

Baldoni alleges that Reynolds’s Deadpool & Wolverine character Nicepool was created to mock Baldoni’s “woke feminist” image. In a motion filed Tuesday, Reynolds’s lawyers did not dispute that the character was inspired by Baldoni but argued that Baldoni’s response reflected “thin-skinned outrage.”

Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit claims that Reynolds berated him for allegedly “fat shaming” Blake Lively during the filming of It Ends With Us, called him a “sexual predator” and pressured Hollywood talent agency WME to drop him as a client.

In a statement obtained by Yahoo Entertainment, Reynolds’s attorneys, Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, argue that Baldoni’s defamation claims are legally baseless, asserting that Reynolds’s alleged remarks about Baldoni being a “predator” are constitutionally protected opinions.

“That is not defamation unless they can show that Mr. Reynolds did not believe that statement to be true,” the statement read. “The complaint doesn’t allege that, and just the opposite, the allegations in the complaint suggest that Mr. Reynolds genuinely believes Mr. Baldoni is a predator.”

Reynolds also addressed the lawsuit through a spokesperson, calling the claims against him “simply a list of grievances attempting to shame” him for “being the man Mr. Baldoni has built his brand pretending to be, a man who is ‘confident enough to listen’ to the woman in his life.”

— Taryn Ryder contributed reporting

The legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is getting the documentary treatment.

According to Variety, He Said, She Said: Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni, a 90-minute special from U.K.-based ITN Productions, is premiering today on Britain’s Channel 5. A condensed 60-minute version is set to air in the U.S. on Investigation Discovery and will be available to stream on Max and Discovery+ on March 31.

The documentary delves into Lively’s allegations that Baldoni engaged in sexual misconduct on the set of It Ends With Us and hired a PR firm to orchestrate an online smear campaign against her. Baldoni denies the claims and has countered with a $400 million defamation lawsuit against the actress.

Ian Russell, head of international at ITN Productions, called the project "a timely and in-depth telling of the Hollywood story which has captured the global zeitgeist."

In addition to highlighting Lively's and Baldoni's respective claims, the special will also examine key evidence from both sides while also exploring the social media frenzy surrounding the case.

Justin Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, clarified his previous reference to Blake Lively as a "victim" during an interview on The Town podcast with host Matthew Belloni, released on March 13.

Freedman originally made the remark during a pretrial conference on March 6 with Judge Lewis Liman, while responding to Lively’s legal team regarding her request for a stronger protective order. At the time, Freedman told the judge that no one "has any intent of harming Ms. Lively in any way," adding, "My clients have a right to defend themselves. That is in no way abusing the victim."

On the podcast, Belloni pressed Freedman about the phrasing. "It is interesting you said ‘not abusing the victim,’" the host said. "Does that mean you agree that Blake is a victim here?"

Freedman responded, "I actually think that a lot of people are victims here," before listing several individuals involved in the case. "I think Justin [Baldoni] is a victim here, I think Melissa Nathan is a victim. I think Jed Wallace is a victim. I think Jen Abel is a victim. I think Steve Sarowitz is. Jamey Heath is."

Belloni followed up, "But you did say Blake is a victim in a court hearing."

Clarifying his statement, Freedman replied, "What I said is, 'This is not attacking the victim.'" When Belloni pointed out that he had "put scare quotes" around the word "victim," Freedman added, "Yeah. Well, ‘victim’ can be in the eye of the beholder."

Blake Lively has been granted a modified protective order in her ongoing legal dispute with It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni, though the court limited the scope of the restrictions she sought, People reported.

On Thursday, Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled that while certain confidential materials will remain protected, an "Attorneys’ Eyes Only" designation — which Lively's team initially requested — can apply only if disclosure is "highly likely to cause a significant business, commercial, financial or privacy injury."

In his ruling, the judge acknowledged the risk of industry gossip, stating: "Where confidential information is not disclosed to the media, it may spread by gossip and innuendo to those in the tight artistic community in a position to do harm to one or the other of the parties but in a manner that might not be readily and immediately detected."

Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, also issued a statement, arguing that the defense never sought the deeply personal information that Lively claimed needed extra protection.

"We are fully in agreement with the Court’s decision to provide a narrow scope of protections to categories such as private mental health records and personal security measures that have never been of interest to us, as opposed to Ms. Lively’s exceedingly overbroad demand for documents for a 2.5-year period of time, which the court rightly quashed," Freedman said, according to People. "We remain focused on the necessary communications that will directly contradict Ms. Lively’s unfounded accusations."

Last week, a hearing was held about Lively’s request for a stronger protective order, based on threatening messages she and other parties allegedly received as a result of the case. Meanwhile, Baldoni’s team argued that her request was excessive and could block access to critical evidence.

The court ultimately rejected her attempt to impose strict limits on all materials, focusing instead on protecting highly personal information.

?Over the weekend, Blake Lively attended the South by Southwest festival premiere of Another Simple Favor in Austin, Texas. She greeted fans and showed her excitement about reprising her role as Emily Nelson in Paul Feig’s sequel to the 2018 comedy-mystery A Simple Favor.

Her appearance comes amid her highly publicized legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, which seemed to be the elephant in the room as a protester briefly appeared on the red carpet holding a sign that read "Justice for Justin Baldoni. Blake lied," before being escorted out.

Though Lively appeared in high spirits, speculation about tension with co-star Anna Kendrick surfaced.

When asked by Entertainment Tonight about working with Kendrick again, Lively responded enthusiastically: "Oh, it's the best! I'm so happy to be here." In another clip, Kendrick gave a more reserved response, saying, "Oh, you know," before continuing to interact with fans.

The exchange fueled rumors of a rift, but director Feig quickly shut them down, responding to online speculation with a blunt: "Um ... you're wrong."

Lively’s SXSW appearance marks another chapter in her high-profile return to the spotlight, as she navigates ongoing legal tensions with Baldoni, who has filed a $400 million lawsuit against her, Ryan Reynolds and the couple's publicist.

Justin Baldoni’s legal team thinks Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are playing the celebrity card in their legal battle.

A hearing was held on Thursday about Lively’s request for a stronger protective order in the case, which stems from It Ends With Us workplace allegations. Her request was based on threatening messages she and other parties allegedly received about the case.

Lively’s legal team requested to have certain discovery material categorized as "Attorney’s Eyes Only," limiting what’s made public, given the nature of the case, personally and professionally — from Lively’s medical records to business trade secrets. That includes text messages to high-profile individuals that may not be directly related to the case.

Lively's attorney, Meryl Governski, made their argument, saying her client’s “health and mental health records … have no business being publicly [shared].” She said there is no way to “unring the bell if this information is released publicly.”

The attorney said that the way the case has played out so far, amid accusations that Baldoni waged a smear campaign against Lively for accusing him of sexual harassment, there “are 100 million reasons for these parties to leak information because the PR value is greater than complying with the court’s orders.”

The lawyer said they “want to ensure that we're able to protect our client's information — and not just take [Baldoni attorney Bryan Freedman's] word for it that he would hold it in good faith.”

She said protecting texts especially was crucial. Among the adjacent players in this case are such celebrities as Taylor Swift.

“There is a significant chance of irreparable harm if marginal conversations with high profile individuals with no relevance to the case were to fall into wrong hands,” the attorney told the court.

Judge Lewis J. Liman, of the U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, told Lively's attorney, "There is a huge amount of information that is of PR value ... that will, if the case goes forward, become public. So a lot of what you were talking about is just inherent in the nature of the case. If you sue a high profile person in this industry as to which there's a lot of attention paid, it's going to get picked up by the press."

Freedman argued for Baldoni that the existing protective order they all agreed to should be sufficient. “It completely protects the parties,” he said, and he agreed that Lively’s health records should be “confidential. We have no intention of violating the court’s order… We aren’t disclosing anything to the public.”

Freedman suggested the order went beyond the scope of what was necessary because A-listers are involved.

"It feels like what the other sides are asking for is that because there is celebrity, because there are people who are powerful people in the industry, that somehow they get treated differently, and somehow there's a different law that applies to them” that wouldn’t to everyday people.

Freedman said, "We think the [current] order protects all of the parties, and frankly, we see no difference because someone is a celebrity."

Lively and Reynolds’ security detail was also a topic — and keeping information about that private.

Freedman said that “no one is interested in what somebody's security is doing… It’s not even remotely relevant to the case.” He said that the rules “should be no different than for any other case.”

Liman said he would take it all under advisement and would provide a ruling at a future date.

Amidst her ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively has hired a crisis PR manager with “deep government ties,” Variety reported on Friday.

According to the outlet, Lively has enlisted the help of Nick Shapiro, the CIA’s former deputy chief of staff and senior adviser to former director John Brennan.

A spokesperson for Willkie Farr & Gallagher, the law firm representing Lively, said in a statement, “The litigation team for Ms. Lively retained Mr. Shapiro to advise on the legal communications strategy for the ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit occurring in the Southern District of New York.”

Shapiro is the founder and CEO of the PR firm 10th Avenue Consulting, which he launched in 2015 following a long career in the federal government. According to his LinkedIn, Shapiro “has more than 20 years of crisis management, national security and strategic communications experience in the White House, at the CIA and in the private sector.”

Lawyers for Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are clashing — yet again — over what case details should remain private as their legal battle continues.

Days after Lively's attorneys filed a request for an "Attorney's Eyes Only" protective order last week, arguing that the high-profile nature of the case and allegations of sexual harassment could lead to "threats" and "possible witness intimidation," Baldoni's legal team is biting back.

On Feb. 25, Baldoni’s attorneys filed a letter to the court questioning why Lively is pushing for privacy.

"Given how actively the Lively Parties have publicized and litigated Ms. Lively’s claims in the media, we are surprised to now learn how vehemently she wants to prevent the public from accessing material and relevant evidence," they wrote in the letter, according to People.

Baldoni’s attorneys went on to argue that Lively’s amended complaint already made many details public and claimed she lacks a "good faith" belief that further disclosure "would unnecessarily violate [her] privacy rights."

Lively’s lawyers pushed back the same day in a letter of their own, stating that Baldoni’s opposition relies on the false claim that she is trying to suppress evidence.

"Certain online content creators who frequently parrot the Wayfarer Parties’ line ... have used similar misleading accusations," they wrote, according to a People magazine report, adding that this "manufactured echo chamber" they say has been fueled by Baldoni's legal team justifies the need for stronger privacy protections.

Blake Lively is calling out the Hollywood Reporter over a recent story that depicts her as the biblical David wielding a smartphone-loaded slingshot against Justin Baldoni’s Goliath.

“The Hollywood Reporter should be ashamed of itself,” a spokesperson for the actress told the Daily Mail Friday. “The framing in this picture is outrageously insulting as it plays into every sexist trope about women who dare file a workplace complaint, turning them into the aggressor, and suggesting they deserve the retaliation that comes their way.”

The story in question explored Baldoni’s Baha’i faith and its possible influence on the escalating legal battle between him and Lively.

However, Lively’s team took issue with how the piece frames the allegations, stating that “the story is extremely offensive as it incredibly seems to explain away documented examples of sexual harassment and retaliation by calling them ‘cultural misunderstandings.'”

Blake Lively is seeking additional legal protections in her ongoing battle with Justin Baldoni, her co-star and director in It Ends With Us.

On Thursday, Feb. 20, attorneys for Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, submitted a letter to Judge Lewis J. Liman in the Southern District of New York requesting a stronger protective order, beyond the court’s standard model.

According to People, their proposed protective order includes an “Attorney’s Eyes Only” category for highly sensitive information, arguing that revealing certain materials could cause "competitive, business, commercial, financial, personal or privacy injury."

Lively’s lawyers went on to cite her recently filed amended complaint as justification for the request.

"As detailed in Ms. Lively’s Amended Complaint, Ms. Lively, her family, other members of the cast, various fact witnesses, and individuals that have spoken out publicly in support of Ms. Lively have received violent, profane, sexist, and threatening communications," the letter states.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds's longtime publicist, Leslie Sloane, is seeking to be removed from Justin Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit, arguing that she was unfairly “dragged” into the legal battle.

In a motion filed Feb. 20 in New York federal court, Sloane’s attorney, Sigrid McCawley, claimed that Baldoni’s lawsuit is a “smoke and mirrors exercise” meant to distract from Lively’s sexual harassment and retaliation claims against him. The filing argues that Baldoni has no “basis” for accusing Sloane of planting “malicious stories” or leading a “smear campaign.”

Sloane’s legal team also rejected Baldoni’s extortion allegations, stating that his lawyers have failed to “identify where or how the alleged extortion occurred” or show that Sloane “received anything of value” as a result.

The motion also defends Lively, pushing back against Baldoni’s claim that the lawsuit stems from a creative dispute over It Ends With Us. “When Ms. Lively bravely spoke up about Baldoni’s predatory behavior, he and his team used every weapon in their arsenal to blame, embarrass, and silence her," Sloane’s attorneys argue.

Baldoni’s lawsuit accuses Sloane of orchestrating a “character assassination plot” and a “smear campaign” against him at Lively’s direction. His amended complaint — which his legal team publicly posted online — includes an alleged text from Sloane to a Daily Mail reporter on Aug. 8, stating, “They are panicking as the whole cast hates him.”

However, Sloane’s attorneys argue that the message is a statement of opinion and does not constitute defamation.

McCawley’s filing also directly calls out Baldoni’s public image: “Justin Baldoni has spent years profiting off the feminist and #MeToo movements," the motion states. "His conduct in this dispute is therefore sheer hypocrisy, beginning with his egregious sexual harassment of multiple employees, and continuing with his ongoing campaign to discredit and blame his victims and punish anyone who speaks out against him.”

In a resurfaced interview, Justin Baldoni opened up about Taylor Swift's involvement in casting Isabela Ferrer, who plays the younger version of Blake Lively's character in It Ends With Us.

"I was casting and I ... had brought in and showed [Ferrer's] casting tape to Blake and Taylor, and they were both like, 'Yes, her!' And that's a true story," he said about Swift’s influence.

When asked how the production secured one of Swift’s songs for the film, Baldoni responded, "I had nothing to do with it; I mean this was all Blake. Like I said, Blake was involved in all aspects of this production, and she is also a marketing genius."

In a separate interview at the film’s New York City premiere in August 2024, Ferrer also acknowledged Swift’s involvement: "She was a helpful part of the process of the audition, which I found out later after I got it, and that rocked my world," Ferrer told a reporter.

The statements appear to contradict a recent Us Weekly report, citing sources that claimed Swift "was not a producer on the film and had no creative involvement."

An amended complaint filed this week by Blake Lively’s attorneys argues that texts from her husband, Ryan Reynolds, prove she and her publicist, Leslie Sloane, deliberately remained silent despite speculation about on-set tensions with It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni.

"Ms. Lively expressly instructed her publicist, Leslie Sloane, not to engage with press inquiries, including ones regarding the on-set behavior of Mr. Baldoni, Mr. Heath, or Wayfarer," her lawyers state. "In other words, Ms. Lively’s instructions to her publicist were the opposite of a smear or exposing him, even while she believed he was behind the attacks on her."

One text from Reynolds to Sloane, dated Aug. 29, 2024, reads:

"Thanks for sending. It's imperative we stay silent on everything and speak to nobody. As I mentioned in Denmark before Blake's premiere to not talk to ANYONE about any of these attacks on Blake. Just making sure you haven't done that at any point?"

Sloane responded, "I have not per your instructions."

The complaint also details the toll the lawsuit has taken on Lively and her family.

"The emotional impact on Ms. Lively has been extreme, not only affecting her, but her family, including her husband and four children," the complaint states, before adding that Reynolds has also been affected "mentally, physically, and professionally."

Ryan Reynolds’s SNL 50 joke about his legal battle with It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni was reportedly his own idea, according to the show’s longtime cue card handler.

During the anniversary special on Sunday, Reynolds quipped, “Great! Why? What have you heard?” when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler asked how he was doing.

The joke quickly drew criticism from Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, who told Hot Mics podcast host Billy Bush the next day, “I’m unaware of anybody, frankly, whose wife has been sexually harassed and has made jokes about that type of situation.”

However, in an interview with Australian radio show Fifi, Fev & Nick this week, veteran SNL cue card handler Wally Feresten revealed that Reynolds swapped in the line himself.

“He had a different line in rehearsal, and he pitched that [line] to replace it,” Feresten said. “That was his idea to do it. We wouldn’t want to do anything too controversial unless they were in on it. So yeah, that was his line. That was his idea to do.”

Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, is pushing back against Blake Lively’s amended lawsuit, saying it lacks hard evidence to support her allegations.

Speaking to TMZ, Freedman called the filing "underwhelming" and dismissed it as "filled with unsubstantial hearsay of unnamed persons who are clearly no longer willing to come forward or publicly support her claims."

Freedman also noted that his clients, Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, have been transparent in "providing receipts, real-time documents and video showing a completely different story than what has been manipulated and cherry-picked to the media."

Lively’s latest filing alleges that two other women on set were uncomfortable with Baldoni’s behavior. She said both women are willing to testify and provide supporting documents in court.

Freedman, however, remains unfazed.

"Since documents do not lie and people do, the upcoming depositions of those who initially supported Ms. Lively’s false claims and those who are witnesses to her own behavior will be enlightening," he told TMZ. "What is truly uncomfortable here is Ms. Lively’s lack of actual evidence."

New allegations in Blake Lively’s amended lawsuit claim that Wayfarer Studios co-founder and billionaire Steve Sarowitz backed an effort to "socially manipulate" and "destroy" Lively’s reputation.

According to the complaint, a witness overheard Sarowitz at the New York premiere of It Ends With Us on Aug. 6 declaring that he was "prepared to spend $100 million to ruin the lives of Ms. Lively and her family."

Later that month, Sarowitz allegedly told another witness that if Lively or her husband, Ryan Reynolds, "ever cross the line, ever, then I will go after them."

"I will protect the studio like Israel protected itself from Hamas," Sarowitz said, according to the complaint. "There were 39,000 dead bodies. There will be two dead bodies when I’m done. Minimum. Not dead, but ‘you’re dead to me.’ So that kind of dead. But dead to a lot of people. If they ever get me to that point. Then I’ll make it worth their while. Because I’m gonna spend a lot of money to make sure the studio is protected."

In her amended lawsuit, Blake Lively says she had multiple conversations with two other female cast members on the set of It Ends With Us, both of whom allegedly expressed discomfort over Justin Baldoni and co-producer Jamey Heath's behavior.

Lively says that she filed a formal complaint with Sony on May 26, 2023, about the alleged misconduct. A few days later, another female cast member submitted her own complaint, prompting Sony to escalate the concerns to Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni's production company.

According to the lawsuit, Baldoni responded to the female cast member in writing, stating firmly that "adjustments would be made." However, Lively alleges in the complaint that Wayfarer took no action to investigate or implement protections.

By June 8, 2023, the same female cast member allegedly told Lively that she was increasingly concerned about the conditions on set, adding that she found it "difficult" to speak with Baldoni.

"I know I find it really hard to speak to him," Lively responded, per the complaint. "I try to cover it with busyness but not sure that covers what's going on."

Later, another female cast member also confided in Lively, saying she felt uncomfortable on set.

When production resumed following a months-long delay due to the Hollywood guild strikes, Lively says she reassured a female cast member about a list of protections that Wayfarer Studios and Sony had agreed to before filming restarted.

"You don't need to hug anyone," Lively told the cast member, according to the complaint. The actress allegedly responded with gratitude.

Lively went on to add that Baldoni "won't touch you. Or shouldn't. I don't think he or Jamey [Heath] will," expressing her belief that the environment would be "a professional set and we're getting good work."