'It Ends With Us' author Colleen Hoover shows support for Blake Lively amid Justin Baldoni lawsuit
Author Colleen Hoover has expressed support for It Ends With Us star Blake Lively after the actress filed a lawsuit against her co-star and director Justin Baldoni.
On Dec. 22, the writer shared a photo of her hugging Lively in a theater with a link to a New York Times article on the lawsuit.
"You have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are," Hoover wrote.
"Never change. Never wilt."
The Instagram story is no longer available, as of writing.
The message comes after the Gossip Girl star filed a legal complaint accusing Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios of sexual harassment.
The complaint details a meeting held in January by Lively to address her claims of a hostile work environment on the set of It Ends With Us. She alleged that Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios CEO Jamey Heath displayed inappropriate behavior toward her, including describing their past sexual relationships to her and discussing their "previous porn addiction."
The actress also demanded that Baldoni not add any more sex scenes, oral sex, or on-camera climaxing featuring her other than what was in the script she previously approved.
"I hope my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted," the Age of Adaline star said in a statement to the New York Times.
On the other hand, Baldoni's legal team slammed the allegations and called them "categorically false."
His lawyer, Bryan Freedman, claims that the suit was a "desperate attempt to 'fix' [Lively's] negative reputation which she garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film."
Since news of the lawsuit broke out, Baldoni was dropped by talent agency WME.
Hoover is a New York Times best-selling author known for her works It Ends With Us, Slammed, and Hopeless.