Jenny Slate Speaks Out on Blake Lively’s Justin Baldoni Allegations: EXCLUSIVE

Jenny Slate is lending her support to her “It Ends with Us” costar Blake Lively after Lively filed a legal complaint against Justin Baldoni, who directed and starred in the film. In the complaint, Lively accuses Baldoni of sexual harassment and engaging in a smear campaign aimed at damaging her reputation.

In a statement provided exclusively to TODAY.com, Slate said she stands by her “loyal friend” and “trusted source of emotional support.”

“As Blake Lively’s comrade and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those who are reported to have planned and executed an attack on her reputation,” Slate said. “Blake is a leader, loyal friend and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her.”

She continued: “What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing and utterly menacing. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery and I stand by her side.”

In “It Ends with Us”, Slate portrays Allysa, sister of Baldoni’s character and sister-in-law of Livelys.

In the complaint filed Dec. 20, Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment while filming “It Ends with Us.” She also said Baldoni retaliated and engaged in a public relations campaign to destroy her reputation ahead of the film’s August 9 release. Lively was the focus of a wave of criticism on social media around the time “It Ends with Us” was released.

Also named in the complaint is Jamey Heath, executive producer of “It Ends with Us” and CEO of the film’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, which was co-founded by Baldoni. Lively accused him and Baldoni of “repeated sexual harassment and other disruptive behavior,” according to the complaint. PR manager Jennifer Abel, crisis management expert Melissa Nathan and Nathan’s company, The Agency Group, are also named. They are accused by Lively of imagining and executing the PR campaign.

“I hope my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak out about misconduct and help protect others who may be targeted,” Lively said in a statement to TODAY.com on December 21.

Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and all of its representatives, said in a Dec. 21 statement to TODAY.com that Lively’s allegations are “completely false, outrageous and intentionally wild” and “yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation.”

Freedman also issued a statement on behalf of The Agency Group, saying in part, “The standard scenario planning that TAG PR prepared proved unnecessary as audiences found Lively’s own actions, interviews and marketing during the campaign distasteful and reacted organically to what the media even up to.”

TODAY.com has reached out to Abel for comment.

Based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 bestselling book of the same name, “It Ends with Us” follows a woman named Lily (Lively) who finds her relationship with husband Ryle (Baldoni) repeating a cycle of domestic abuse that she witnessed with her own parents.

Hoover shared her support for Lively on her Instagram story on Dec. 21, saying, “@blakelively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the person you are is. Never change. Never will.”

The book and film have both been shrouded in controversy after some said the plot romanticized domestic abuse. Also prior to the film’s release, fans began to speculate about possible tension between Lively and Baldoni as they did not appear together to promote the film.