Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have filed competing lawsuits that escalate a dispute over allegations about what happened on the set of their movie “It Ends With Us.”

Lively filed a lawsuit in New York on Tuesday against the actor and his PR team, accusing him of sexual harassment on the set of the film and a plot to “destroy” her reputation.

Baldoni, meanwhile, has filed a lawsuit against The New York Times, which first reported Lively’s lawsuit and accused journalists of colluding with the actress to damage her reputation and ignoring evidence contradicting her claims.

The newspaper denied his allegations and said the original story was “meticulously and responsibly reported.”

Lively’s lawsuit includes many of the same allegations that surfaced in her civil rights complaint, often as a precursor to a lawsuit filed in California in December.

She is seeking damages, including “lost wages” and money for “mental pain and distress.” She does not mention a monetary amount.

In his own lawsuit against the New York Times first reported by Variety, Baldoni accuses defamation and fraud. He accuses journalists of colluding with the actress to “damage” her reputation and not giving his team the necessary time to respond to a “bombshell story.”

Baloni’s lawsuit alleges that the Times relied on “selected” and altered communications “deprived of necessary context and intentionally stitched together to mislead.”

A statement released to US media said: said the Times Their report was “based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and extensively in the article.”

Baldoni “didn’t find a single error.”

Baldoni was fired from his talent agency after the allegations were published in the newspaper. His lawsuit seeks a jury trial and $250 million (£199 million) in damages.

The actor’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, told CBS News that the newspaper “aided and abetted” a smear campaign aimed at reviving Lively’s… faltering public image.

Baldoni’s lawsuit includes many of the text messages and communications listed by Lively in which she accused his team of orchestrating a social media campaign to change public opinion against her.

In her own lawsuit, Lively accuses Baldoni and his team of tarnishing her public image after a meeting that included “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior.”

At the meeting, she reportedly made 30 demands related to alleged misconduct to ensure the film could continue to be produced. This included not describing genitals on set and not adding intimate scenes beyond those previously approved by Lively.

Lively’s legal team also accused Baldoni and his film studio Wayfarer of pursuing a “multi-stage plan” to destroy her reputation, which included social media manipulation and the use of journalist friends to promote certain narratives.

Baldoni’s lawyers had previously told the BBC that the allegations made by Lively were “categorically false” and said they had hired a crisis manager because Lively had threatened to derail the film if her demands were not met.

BBC News has contacted representatives from Lively, Baldoni and The New York Times for further comment.

“It Ends With Us” was released last summer and Lively plays a woman in a relationship with a charming but abusive boyfriend, played by Baldoni.

The film is based on a bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover. The 45-year-old author said her inspiration came from her mother’s domestic abuse.