Justin Baldoni; Blake Lively. Photo:Stewart Cook/Shutterstock; Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Justin Baldoni’s lawyer is speaking out in the wake of Blake Lively’s sexual harassment complaint against her It Ends with Us costar and director.

In a statement shared on Monday, Dec. 23, lawyer Bryan Freedman addressed Lively’s claims that Baldoni’s crisis publicists ran a smear campaign against her that damaged her reputation and businesses.

“TAG PR operated as any other crisis management firm would when hired by a client experiencing threats by two extremely powerful people with unlimited resources,” he said.

Freedman added that The Agency Group — also known as TAG PR — was doing their job when hired by Baldoni, and said the public was in control of their perception of Lively.

Justin Baldoni attends the “It Ends With Us” New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on Aug. 6, 2024 in New York City. Gotham/WireImage

“The standard scenario planning TAG PR drafted proved unnecessary as audiences found Lively’s own actions, interviews and marketing during the promotional tour distasteful, and responded organically to that which the media themselves picked up on,” he said in the statement. “It’s ironic that the New York Times, through their effort to ‘uncover’ an insidious PR effort, played directly into the hands of Lively’s own dubious PR tactics by publishing leaked personal text exchanges that lack critical context — the very same tactics she’s accusing the firm of implementing.”

PEOPLE reported in August that Baldoni hired crisis PR manager Melissa Nathan of TAG PR (who previously represented Johnny Depp) amid the release of his movie adaptation of the bestseller by Colleen Hoover.

Rumors of a rift between Lively and Baldoni sparked as the cast embarked on the official press tour for the movie. Baldoni did most of his press solo and did not pose for pictures alongside the cast at the film’s New York premiere. Fans were also quick to spot that Lively, Hoover, and Lively and Baldoni’s costar Jenny Slate do not follow Baldoni back on Instagram.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds at the ‘It Ends With Us’ premiere on Aug. 6, 2024. Getty Images

Lively’s complaint, a precursor to filing a discrimination lawsuit in California, alleges that Baldoni engaged in misconduct during the production of It Ends with Us including showing her explicit images and videos, asking her about her personal sex life and attempting to add intimacy scenes to the film that she had not originally agreed to, PEOPLE previously reported.

The legal filing states there was a meeting held to address Baldoni’s alleged actions and “the hostile work environment that had nearly derailed production.” It was attended by various producers, along with her husband Ryan Reynolds.

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Some of the demands that were addressed included safeguards likes a full-time intimacy coordinator, “no more showing nude videos or images of women … to [Blake] and/or her employees,” “no more mention of [Baldoni’s] previous ‘pornography addiction,’ “… “no more discussions to [Blake] … about personal experiences with sex,” “no more inquiries by [Baldoni] to [Blake’s] trainer without her knowledge or consent to disclose her weight,” and “no more mention by [Baldoni] of him ‘speaking to’ [Blake’s] dead father.”

“No more adding of sex scenes, oral sex or on camera climaxing by BL outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project,” were other requests the complaint alleges that Baldoni and the other filmmakers agreed to.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Jeff Spicer/Getty; Dia Dipasupil/Getty

A series of private text messages used as an exhibit in the complaint allegedly shows Baldoni texting and emailing with PR executive Jennifer Abel and Nathan as they planned, what Lively claims, was a smear campaign meant to “destroy” her reputation.

Freedman denied Lively’s allegations in a statement to PEOPLE on Dec. 21, calling them “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.”

After filing her complaint, Lively issued a statement to the New York Times, saying, “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”

Several celebrities have rallied behind Lively to support her, including her former The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars — America Ferreira, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel — who put out a joint Instagram statement, writing, “We stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation.”