Justin Baldoni reportedly used a negative social media post about Hailey Bieber as an example of how he hoped his PR team could organize a smear campaign against him It ends with us Costar Blake Lively, a newly filed complaint from her legal team claims.

A series of private text messages used as evidence in Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against the actor and director allegedly show Baldoni, 40, texting and emailing with public relations manager Jennifer Abel and crisis management expert Melissa Nathan, as they plan what Lively, 37, claims is a smear campaign designed to “destroy” her reputation.

Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has denied Lively’s allegations, calling them “false, outrageous and intentionally lewd with the intent to publicly offend” in a statement to PEOPLE on Dec. 21.

In an Aug. 4 exchange, the complaint obtained by PEOPLE on Dec. 21 shows that Baldoni screenshotted a post on X (formerly Twitter) about Bieber, 28, titled “Hailey Bieber’s Story of Bullying Many Women.” texted.

“This is what we would need,” Baldoni wrote in the text of the complaint, to which Abel responded: “Yes, I literally spoke to Melissa at break about what social and digital issues we discussed last night. “Focus on that.” Reddit, TikTok, (Instagram).”

According to the complaint, Abel sent a message to Nathan that same day that said, “It’s my thought this week to spread bits and pieces about how terrible it is to work with Blake…Just to get ahead of the game.” “

“Same thing,” Nathan replied at the time, noting that one of her journalist friends was “ready when we are,” the complaint says.

Fans have been speculating for several years about an alleged feud between Bieber and Selena Gomez, who previously dated Justin Bieber, but in September 2022, the Rhode founder addressed the ongoing rumors in a conversation on Alex Cooper’s Call her dad Podcast. The model told Cooper that it’s “not in her character to mess with someone’s relationship,” adding that it’s “all love” between her two Gomezes.

Lively claimed in her complaint filed in California, a precursor to filing a discrimination lawsuit, that she “suffered grief, anxiety, trauma and extreme fear” because of Baldoni’s behavior “behind closed doors.”

According to Lively’s complaint, “the emotional impact on Ms. Lively was extreme and affected not only her, but also her family, including her husband and four children.”

According to the complaint, the production and crew of It ends with us, including Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds, held a meeting to discuss Baldoni’s behavior towards the gossip Girl Alum. The protections sought included “no more impromptu kisses” and “no more personal, physical touching or sexual comments from Mr. Baldoni or Mr. Heath that should be tolerated by (Blake Lively) and/or any of their employees,” as well as any female cast or crew without their express consent.”

Other demands included: “No addition of sex scenes, oral sex, or on-camera climaxes by BL that go beyond the scope of the script BL approved when signing the project,” all of which Baldoni and the filmmakers agreed to. Lively claims in the filing that soon after, Baldoni took part in a “social manipulation campaign” to “destroy” her reputation.

Sony Pictures and Wayfarer Studios, of which Baldoni is co-chairman and co-founder, are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.

Elsewhere in the lawsuit, Lively’s lawyers shared Baldoni’s publicists’ alleged plan of action in the alleged smear campaign against her, including “planting stories about the use of feminism as a weapon and how people in BL’s circle like Taylor Swift have been accused of this.” Tactics to use ‘bullying’ to get what they want.”

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“Our recommended approach would be to provide reporters seeking comment with the appropriate background information if it is obvious that she is referring to you … to ensure that their stories are balanced and the speculation points to another of the many “People she had trouble working with (Leighton Meester, Anna Kendrick, Ben Affleck, etc.),” ​​the complaint states in publicists’ documents.

In a statement to The New York Times For his Dec. 21 report, Lively said, “I hope my legal action will help lift the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak out about wrongdoing and protect others who may be targeted.” become.”

Freedman, Baldoni’s attorney, said in his statement Saturday that Lively’s complaint was intended to “enhance her negative reputation.”

Freedman also claimed that representatives from Wayfarer Studios “did not take any proactive or retaliatory action and only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual reporting and to monitor social activity. What is expressly missing from the carefully selected correspondence is evidence that there was no proactive action taken with the media or otherwise; just internal scenario planning and private correspondence for strategy development, which is standard practice for PR professionals.”