Federal action comes hours after film’s director sued New York Times for libel over story about Lively’s accusations

The actor Blake Lively has sued the director of It Ends With Us, Justin Baldoni, and several others associated with the film, alleging harassment and a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set.

The federal lawsuit was filed in New York on Tuesday, hours after Baldoni and many of the other defendants in Lively’s suit sued the New York Times for libel for its story on her allegations, saying the newspaper and the star were the ones conducting a coordinated smear campaign.