The entertainment industry is now witnessing yet another controversy as the lead actors of It Ends With Us– Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni – are involved in a court battle. What started out as a s*xual harassment allegation has turned into a legal war with the two big names in Hollywood dealing a multimillion-dollar lawsuit.
While there is animosity between the lead actors, their battle has grown beyond and involved Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and some publicists as well. The complexity has escalated as each side presents new facts into the case that could shift the dynamics of this high-stakes drama.
Blake Lively’s sexual harassment accusations against Justin Baldoni started the legal battle
Blake Lively first took a legal route by filing a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department on December 31, 2024. The actress complained of being s*xually harassed by Justin Baldoni while filming It Ends With Us.
She further accused him of fat-shaming her and restricting her creative voice while shooting. Besides him, she also accused producer Jamey Heath, as well as publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel.
The case gained significant attention, much of which can be attributed to The New York Times article that featured Lively’s complaint. There were text messages from Baldoni’s publicists in the report, which allegedly showed them discussing how to “bury” her. These messages are playing a crucial role in the legal process that is ongoing at the time.
Lively’s lawyers submitted documents that alleged Baldoni and his team were making efforts to silence her. They said that after she reported instances of s*xual misconduct on set, she became the subject of a smear campaign created by Baldoni and his team.
It worsened when Lively’s team mentioned that the harassment allegations were linked to conflicts over the movie’s production process. According to the statement, Sony had specifically asked Lively to oversee their cut of the movie, and this led to a conflict between the two actors.
Justin Baldoni fires back at Blake Lively with a $400 million lawsuit
Justin Baldoni eventually responded to these accusations by filing a lawsuit for $400 million in the Southern District of New York. His complaint accuses Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy. Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, stated that he had “overwhelming” proof to show that the counter-allegations leveled against Lively were true.
Because of his lawsuit, new information is coming to the public. Baldoni’s filings state that Lively and Reynolds, along with representation agency WME, demanded that he should apologize for unspecified “mistakes” after the premiere of the film. The lawsuit alleges that Baldoni and his team were told that “the gloves would come off” if they did not cooperate.
The legal representation of Baldoni further claims that Lively and Reynolds tried to use their star power to “steal an entire film” from the director as well as the studios. The lawsuit states,
At bottom, this is not a case about celebrities sniping at each other in the press. This is a case about two of the most powerful stars in the world deploying their enormous power to steal an entire film right out of the hands of its director and production studio… When Plaintiffs have their day in court, the jury will recognize that even the most powerful celebrity cannot bend the truth to her will.
The lawsuit mentions a particular case of a “rooftop” scene rewrite where Lively called Baldoni to her penthouse, where Reynolds and another “megacelebrity friend” of hers apparently said Lively’s version was better.
The suit also concerns the text messages presented in Lively’s complaint and notes they were out of context. Freedman said that if so desired, they can provide full-text messages, emails, videos, and any other document that will support their case. However, Lively’s legal team has dismissed every counter-allegation from Baldoni, claiming it to be false and made up.
Justin Baldoni has targeted others with his legal actions
This legal war is no longer a simple one between Baldoni and Lively; it has also involved other people and publications. Baldoni first filed a complaint against The New York Times and accused the publication of conspiring with Lively’s team to defame him after presenting out-of-context text messages. According to People, Freedman stated,
Blake Lively was either severely misled by her team or intentionally and knowingly misrepresented the truth. Ms. Lively will never again be allowed to continue to exploit actual victims of real harassment solely for her personal reputation gain at the expense of those without power.
Let’s not forget, Ms. Lively and her team attempted to bulldoze reputations and livelihoods for heinously selfish reasons through their own dangerous manipulation of the media before even taking any actual legal action.
Stephanie Jones, who worked as a publicist for Baldoni, has taken an important role in the conflict. According to his lawsuit, Wayfarer Studios fired Jones because of her “bizarre” behavior and “rage-filled rants.” The suit accuses Jones of retaliating by providing Lively’s team with the controversial text messages.
Baldoni’s legal team has announced it will file more lawsuits, including the one against Jones. They believe that she coordinated with Lively’s camp to devise a drama of creating a false narrative about a smear campaign. The number of ongoing legal actions also indicates that this fight is far from over.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
