Rachel Wolford, Jadetimes Editor R. Wolford is a Jadetimes news editor and reporter covering energy, politics, and culture
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are enmeshed in a growing legal storm, each filing counter lawsuits for hundreds of millions of dollars.
The dispute began following the filming and press tour of the 2024 movie, It Ends With Us, in which Baldoni directed and co-starred with Lively. What started as a promising collaboration in a film addressing domestic violence has devolved into a bitter court battle, with both parties leveling damaging accusations at each another.
Lively’s Allegations Against Baldoni: Harassment and Hostility
On December 20, 2024, Lively filed a formal complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging that Baldoni engaged in inappropriate conduct on the set of It Ends With Us. Lively claimed that Baldoni initiated unwelcome physical advances throughout filming, including an improvised kiss during a scene. She also stated Baldoni made inappropriate comments that created a hostile work environment for Lively and other co-stars of the film.
Additionally, Lively accused Baldoni and his team of orchestrating a smear campaign to tarnish her reputation after she raised her concerns. According to Lively’s legal team, this included leaked news stories and altered text messages and other communications aimed at discrediting Lively within the industry.
The Media War of Words: Baldoni vs. The New York Times
A day after Lively’s complaint, the New York Times published an article on December 24 titled “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” which detailed Lively’s charges of harassment and misconduct against Baldoni.
As Lively’s allegations went public, Baldoni responded with two lawsuits of his own. On December 31, Baldoni’s legal team filed $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times. In the complaint, Baldoni accused the paper of publishing a “self-serving narrative” that relied on altered texts between Baldoni and Lively as well as “cherry-picked” communications without context that supported Lively’s claims. One claim is that Baldoni repeatedly entered Lively’s makeup trailer “uninvited while she was undressed, including when she was breastfeeding.”
Baldoni’s lawsuit responds to this allegation by producing several text messages from Lively, including the message, “I’m just pumping in my trailer if you wanna work out our lines.”
Baldoni texted back, “Copy. Eating with crew and will head that way.” The lawsuit uses this text exchange to show Baldoni did not go to Lively’s trailer uninvited.
The Times has defended its article and said it was “meticulous and responsibly sourced.”
Baldoni’s Counter Lawsuit Against Hollywood Elite: Defamation and Sabotage
Baldoni also filed a second $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist Leslie Sloane on January 16. Baldoni claimed throughout the movie’s production, Lively tried to take over creative control of the film with wardrobe decisions and script rewrites. When Baldoni objected, he said Lively falsified allegations to undermine him.
Baldoni’s lawsuit also states that Reynolds and Sloane tried to use their influence to pressure Baldoni into complying with Lively’s demands, which escalated tensions during filming and on the press tour to support the film’s release.
What’s Next
As the legal drama plays out, both Lively and Baldoni claim they have truth on their side. Lively’s team insists they have receipts to back up her harassment claims, while Baldoni’s attorneys argue they can prove a coordinated effort to damage his reputation.
For the entertainment community, this case has become a touchstone for the high stakes involved when reputations are at risk both in the court room and in public opinion.
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