Blake Lively's 2009 Confession About 'Poisoning' Co-Stars Resurfaces Amid Explosive Justin Baldoni Lawsuit
Blake Lively previously opened up about her time on "Gossip Girl" and how she once attempted to turn her co-stars against co-star Penn Badgley.
Lively, who is now married to "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds, had previously revealed in a resurfaced 2009 interview with Glamour UK, per PEOPLE, that she tried to change the minds of the rest of the cast when she found out Badgley had been cast as Dan Humphrey.
Lively confessed at the time, "At first I was so upset that they hired him. I actually poisoned the whole cast against him."
But she soon realized who Badgley really was, saying, "But then they noticed that he wasn't a jerk and was actually a really nice, charming person."
"Almost immediately I realized that too, but it took me about a week to admit it."
However, Lively noted that there was no bad blood between the cast at the time. "We hang out after filming. We actually look forward to spending time together outside of work."
Badgley and Lively dated for three years before their 2010 split. They kept their breakup a secret to avoid upsetting the show.
The resurfaced interview comes as Lively continues to fight her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, who she has accused of sexual harassment, and conducted a smear campaign against her while working together on "It Ends With Us."
Justin Baldoni vs. Blake Lively
Baldoni has denied these claims and is countersuing Lively and Reynolds for $400 million, claiming they worked together to ruin his career.
Baldoni's attorneys issued a statement not long after he lodged his countersuit, saying they would create a website "containing all correspondence as well as relevant videos that quash [Lively's] claims. "
Lively's attorneys immediately requested a preemptive gag order to prevent Baldoni from releasing evidence — including leaked footage from the "It Ends With Us" set — and comments made by his lawyers.
At a pre-trial hearing in early February, the judge again warned the parties against speaking publicly about the case.
Lively and Baldoni may not have consented to avoid the sausage mill, but there will probably be a courtroom dogfight eventually.
In a letter filed with New York federal court on February 13, lawyers for both sides laid out their respective arguments as ftowhy it was "premature" and "inappropriate" to engage in settlement talks at this time. This is a sign that the case is likely headed to trial.
