Blake Lively’s Personal Trainer Accused of Being ‘Spy’

In a civil rights complaint in California, actor Blake Lively stated that her co-star, Justin Baldoni, had complained in a text message that her personal trainer was a “damn spy” on the set of the film It Ends With Us. She alleges that Baldoni invented claims that he was suffering from lower back pain as a front for complaining to the film crew about Lively’s personal trainer. Lively claims that her civil rights were violated during filming, including sexual harassment by Baldoni. Baldoni, who was also the director of It Ends With Us, has strongly denied any wrongdoing. Newsweek reached out to attorneys representing Lively and Baldoni via email for comment on Monday. Why It Matters Blake Lively attends the “It Ends With Us” U.K. Gala Screening on August 8. Lively accused co-star Justin Baldoni of treating her personal trainer as “a spy.” Blake Lively attends the “It Ends With Us” U.K. Gala Screening on August 8. Lively accused co-star Justin Baldoni of treating her personal trainer as “a spy.” Jeff Spicer/Getty Images Lively’s accusations, filed to the California Civil Rights Department in late December, offer a valuable insight into her bitter dispute with Baldoni. Rumors had been circulating for at least six months about a conflict between Lively and Baldoni, even as they promoted the film together. What To Know Lively’s allegations state that, in text messages sent to his production team, “Mr. Baldoni referred to Ms. Lively’s trainer as ‘a damn spy’ and sought to plant stories to portray his concerns as being motivated by his lower back pain.” It is unclear if Lively’s personal trainer, who is not named in the filing, had treated Baldoni for lower back pain or if Baldoni had allegedly used his lower back pain as an excuse to raise the topic of fitness. The filing implies that Baldoni accused Lively’s personal trainer of reporting back to her that Baldoni wanted her to lose weight after she had a baby. Her complaint states that “a few weeks before filming began and less than four months after Ms. Lively had given birth to her fourth child, Ms. Lively was humiliated to learn that Mr. Baldoni secretly called her fitness trainer, without her knowledge or permission, and implied that he wanted her to lose weight in two weeks. Mr. Baldoni told the trainer that he had asked because he was concerned about having to pick Ms. Lively up [physically lift Lively] in a scene for the movie, but there was no such scene.” What People Are Saying Author Colleen Hoover, who wrote the book on which the film It Ends With Us is based, posted a message on Instagram supporting Lively. “Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt,” Hoover wrote. She included a link to an article about Lively’s filings about Baldoni. Lively issued a statement in which she hoped her legal team “helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics.” Baldoni’s lawyer said in a statement that Lively’s suit was “intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media.” Read more What Happens Next The California Civil Rights Department states on its website that after it receives a credible complaint, it sends a copy of the complaint to the accused person—in this case, Baldoni. It then “independently investigates and assesses the facts and legal issues in each case.” “CRD may attempt to resolve complaints through conciliation or by referring the case to CRD’s Dispute Resolution Division when appropriate or required by law,” it states on its website. If it cannot reach a resolution and is satisfied that the plaintiff’s civil rights may have been violated, it notifies the parties “that the department intends to file a lawsuit in court.” Baldoni would then have to defend a lawsuit filed in court by the California Civil Rights Department, with Lively likely called as a witness.