'It Ends With Us' author Colleen Hoover supports Blake Lively after ...

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Blake Lively files harassment claim against 'It Ends With Us' co-star

Blake Lively has filed a legal complaint against Justin Baldoni, accusing her "It Ends With Us" co-star and director of sexual harassment on the set.

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Colleen Hoover has Blake Lively's back.

The "It Ends With Us" author is showing support for the actress after Lively filed a legal complaint accusing her co-star and director Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment.

In an Instagram Story posted Saturday, Hoover praised Lively and shared a photo of the two of them hugging at a screening of "It Ends With Us." She also linked to a New York Times' report outlining Lively's allegations that Baldoni subjected her to an online smear campaign.

"@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met," Hoover wrote. "Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt."

Lively starred in "It Ends WIth Us," the movie based on Hoover's best-selling novel, as Lily Bloom, a woman in an abusive relationship with Ryle Kincaid, played by Baldoni. In addition to starring, Baldoni directed the film.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni feuded. Next came the smear campaign, she alleges.

In the complaint obtained by USA TODAY on Saturday, Lively accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her on the set of the movie and setting out to ruin her reputation in retaliation for her allegations.

"Ms. Lively and other cast and crew experienced invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional and sexually inappropriate behavior by Mr. Baldoni and (producer Jamey) Heath," the complaint alleged. "Because Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath held all leadership positions on the production, they answered to no one, and brushed off or ignored the concerns Ms. Lively and others expressed."

An attorney for Baldoni's production company, Bryan Freedman, denied Lively's allegations in a statement to The New York Times, describing them as "completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious."

USA TODAY has reached out Baldoni's lawyers for comment.

All the allegations in Lively complaint: Unwanted kissing, smear tactics and more

Among other allegations, the complaint said that Baldoni "improvised physical intimacy" without Lively's approval, asked intrusive questions about her sex life, spoke of a "previous pornography addiction," and suggested he has "engaged in sexual conduct without consent" in the past.

In January, the complaint says, the parties met to discuss the "hostile work environment," where it was agreed there would be no more showing nude videos or images of women to Lively or her employees and no more physical touching or sexual comments by Baldoni or Heath to Lively or others.

Lively alleged that Baldoni and associates at his production company Wayfarer Studios subsequently coordinated a PR campaign against her because she had taken issue with his behavior.

"Mr. Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates embarked on a sophisticated press and digital plan in retaliation for Ms. Lively exercising her legally-protected right to speak up about their misconduct on the set, with the additional objective of intimidating her and anyone else from revealing in public what actually occurred," said the complaint, which was filed as a precursor to a lawsuit.

The filing noted that fans had previously speculated about tension between Lively and Baldoni after they didn't promote the movie together. "Some also pointed out that neither Lively or Hoover, nor the rest of the cast, follow Baldoni on Instagram (though he follows them)," read the complaint.

Hoover's novel "It Ends With Us" was followed by a sequel, "It Starts With Us." But although the film was a late summer success at the box office, earning $148.5 million in North America, no plans to adapt the second book have been announced.

Contributing: Jay Stahl