Everything we know about Blake Lively's lawsuit against 'It Ends With Us' co-star Justin Baldoni
Warning: This article contains mentions of sexual harassment.
Things got messy between Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni beyond the film's press tour.
ICYMI, the actress filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and creating a smear campaign against the former. Days since the complaint, the director has denied the allegations, while others, including It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover, have come out in support of Lively.
What exactly is the beef between the two?
The lawsuit
The complaint detailed how Lively resorted to holding a meeting to discuss her claims of a hostile work environment in January after the actors' and writers' strikes had ended. The actress's husband, Ryan Reynolds, was also present at the meeting.
The demand for the actor to stop "showing nude videos to Blake, no more mention of [his] alleged previous 'pornography addiction,' no more discussions about sexual conquests in front of Blake and others, no further mentions of cast and crew's genitalia, no more inquiries about Blake's weight, and no further mention of Blake's dead father."
Wayfarer Studios CEO Jamey Heath had also supposedly shown Lively a video of his wife naked and giving birth.
Lively further demanded, "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."
She also accused Baldoni and Heath of entering her makeup trailer without permission, "including when she was breastfeeding her infant child."
Although both parties agreed to implement and follow the "Protections for Return to Production" to complete the film, the lawsuit implied that Baldoni and his team used domestic violence "survivor content" to protect his public image.
Reports say that Baldoni "pivoted away" in the pre-agreed marketing plan created and delivered by Sony, who directed the team to focus more on Lily's strength and resilience instead of describing the film as a story about domestic violence.
Lively also accused her co-star of organizing a "multi-tiered plan" to damage her reputation.
'Completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious'
Following Lively's claim, Baldoni's team dismissed the allegations, saying that the former's claim was "categorically false" and an "attempt to fix" her negative reputation.
"It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real-time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions,” the director's lawyer Bryan Freedman told Variety.
"These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media,” he continued.
Freedman continued to say that Wayfarer Studios hired a crisis manager prior to the marketing campaign of the film "due to the multiple demands and threats made by Ms. Lively during production" including "threatening to not showing up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release, if her demands were not met."
Baldoni also accused the actress of threatening not to show up on set and promote the film. His legal team also claims Lively's camp had "planted negative, completely fabricated, and false stories with the media."
"It was also discovered that Ms. Lively enlisted her own representative, Leslie Sloan with Vision PR, who also represents Mr. Reynolds, to plant negative and completely fabricated and false stories with media, even prior to any marketing had commenced for the film, which was another reason why Wayfarer Studios made the decision to hire a crisis professional to commence internal scenario planning in the case they needed to address."
Baldoni dropped By WME
According to a report by Deadline, talent agency WME—which also repped Lively—dropped Baldoni on Saturday morning following the actress' lawsuit. The agency did not respond to requests for comment, as per the media outlet.
It Ends With Us press tour
The stars of the film, Lively, Jenny Slate, Brandon Sklenar, and Isabela Ferrer, participated in the campaigning, while Baldoni was notably absent. At the movie's premiere in August, Lively and Baldoni did not pose for photos together. Eagle-eyed social media users also noticed that the cast members don't follow the director.
Sklenar took to Instagram to defend rumors about the feud, without naming Lively and Baldoni. This came after the actress came under fire for her approach in promoting the film—as Baldoni talked about the domestic violence tackled by the film, users noted how Lively would instead mention her haircare line and Deadpool and Wolverine.
"I wanted to take a minute and address all the stuff swirling online. Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves," he wrote.
"What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what our intentions were in making this film,” he added.
Ahead of the premiere, People Magazine reported that there were creative clashes behind the scenes. Lively, who was also a producer, brought on board Reynolds to write the rooftop scene.
The Hollywood Reporter reported that there was a "fracture" in post-production as two "different cuts of the movie emerged." Sources said Lively commissioned Deadpool and Wolverine editor Shane Reid to work on a cut of the film.
'We stand with her in solidarity'
Meanwhile, various artists, including her The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel, issued statements of support to the actress.
In their Instagram statement, America, Amber, and Alexis stand with Lively "in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation."
"Throughout the filming of It Ends with Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice," the statement read.
The actresses were also upset by the "unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors' stories to silence a woman who asked for safety" and called the move a "hypocrite."
"We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment," they said while urging the public to read the full legal complaint in the New York Times.
American film director Paul Feig, who worked with Lively in the 2018 film A Simple Favor, also aired his sentiments on X, describing the actress as the "most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people" he has worked with.
"She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it’s awful she was put through this," he wrote.
I’ve now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people I’ve ever worked with. She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it’s awful she was put through this. https://t.co/K3vcWN3VfN
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) December 23, 2024
It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover has also expressed her support for Lively.
"You have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are," Hoover wrote in her now-expired Instagram story, alongside a photo of her hugging Lively in a theater with a link to a New York Times article on the lawsuit.
"Never change. Never wilt," she added.
It Ends With Us follows the story of Lily (Lively), who just moved and is ready to start her life after college. She then meets Ryle (Baldoni), who she falls for. Suddenly, her first love, Atlas (Brandon Sklenar), reenters her life, leaving Lily to choose between the two.