The lawsuit follows Lively's complaint about publicity tactics employed in the release of movie "It Ends With Us."

The director of the film “It Ends With Us” has sued The New York Times for libel over its story saying he sexually harassed and tried to smear the reputation of the film's star Blake Lively.

The dispute has ensnared the who's who of the Hollywood public relations machinery. The lawsuit marks the third legal action over the filming of ‘It Ends With Us.’

Times story detailed an alleged smear campaign involving film’s director and his publicists.

In a move straight out of the Donald Trump playbook, Justin Baldoni and his publicists have sued the New York Times for millions because of the paper’s explosive story on his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a smear campaign from the Jane the Virgin alum and his flacks.

The scandal surrounding "It Ends with Us" takes another turn, as a new suit points the finger at the Times for "libel and false light invasion of privacy" relying on "cherry picked" evidence.

Also suing the newpaper are the public relations teams accused of crafting a retaliatory smear campaign against Lively

"The Times story relied almost entirely on Lively's unverified and self-serving narrative," claims the lawsuit