Brandon Sklenar is speaking out in support of Blake Lively following her sexual harassment complaint filed against their It Ends with Us director and costar Justin Baldoni.
Sklenar, 34, who starred in the film with Lively and Baldoni, shared on his Instagram Stories on Monday, Dec. 23, a screenshot of the complaint filed by the actress on Dec. 20.
He included a link to the New York Times‘ archive of the legal documents, writing, “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD READ THIS.” Sklenar also tagged the Instagram account of Lively, 37, adding a red heart emoji.
Lively’s complaint, which is a precursor to filing a discrimination lawsuit in California, was filed against Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios, its co-founder Steve Sarowitz, It Ends with Us lead producer Jamey Heath and those named in an alleged effort to tarnish Lively’s reputation via an extensive retaliatory smear campaign: Jed Wallace, Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel.
Filed months after rumors of behind-the-scenes strife between Baldoni, 40, and the cast of the Colleen Hoover adaptation, the complaint alleges that Lively “has suffered from grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety” due to Baldoni’s alleged actions, which included “invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional and sexually inappropriate behavior.”
Bryan Freedman, a lawyer for Baldoni, told PEOPLE that Lively’s allegations are “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.”
In a statement shared on Monday, Dec. 23, Freedman addressed the claims of a smear campaign, saying that “audiences found Lively’s own actions, interviews and marketing during the promotional tour distasteful.”
It Ends with Us stars Sklenar as the older version of Atlas Corrigan, former flame of Lively’s Lily Bloom, a woman embarking on a relationship with Ryle Kincaid (played by Baldoni) that goes from romantic to abusive.
In August, the 1923 star posted an impassioned note to his Instagram, asking It Ends with Us fans to “be a part of something better together,” shouting out Hoover and his castmates, including Lively, Isabela Ferrer and Jenny Slate.
The post, which Sklenar edited Monday to include only a heart emoji as its caption, previously read, “Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about. It is, in fact, the opposite of the point.”
Sklenar then told Access Hollywood in September that the negativity surrounding the film “just seemed silly to me,” adding, “It’s an important film for so many women and so many survivors of domestic abuse and that’s what it’s all about, is making people feel heard and strong and loved.”
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Also voicing their support for Lively following her legal action in recent days are her sister Robyn, A Simple Favor director Paul Feig, actress Amber Heard and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars: America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel and Amber Tamblyn.
In addition, on Monday, Sony, the studio behind the film, issued a statement in support of Lively.
“We have previously expressed our support for Blake in connection with her work on and for the film. We fully and firmly reiterate that support today,” the statement read. “Further, we strongly condemn any reputational attacks on her. Any such attacks have no place in our business or in a civil society.”
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