“It Ends with Us” author Colleen Hoover has expressed support for Blake Lively amid her sexual harassment allegations against Justin Baldoni.
Lively, who starred in this year’s feature adaptation of Hoover’s novel with co-star and director Baldoni, filed a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint against him Friday night. Hoover took to her Instagram Stories Saturday to share some words of encouragement with Lively in light of the looming accusations.
“You have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met,” Hoover wrote, sharing a picture of her and Lively hugging. “Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
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Although plagued with rumors of a dispute between Lively and Baldoni, “It Ends with Us,” which was released in August, was a box office smash grossing $350 million worldwide against a $25 million budget.
Lively’s complaint against Baldoni, lodged Friday with the California Civil Rights Department, detailed a meeting between the two “It Ends with Us” stars in which they discussed Lively’s return to the film after the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes had ended. During the meeting, Baldoni allegedly discussed his sexual past, pressured her into revealing her religious beliefs and complained about Lively’s weight to her trainer.
Jamey Heath, an “It Ends with Us” producer and the CEO of Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios, was also named in the complaint. Lively claims that he showed her a video of his wife giving birth and barged into her makeup trailer unannounced when she was breastfeeding her newborn baby.