Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against her. It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni alleges he coordinated efforts to damage her reputation.
The blockbuster film, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, was released in August and quickly became embroiled in controversy, with Lively, 36, at the centre.
Rumours of a feud between Lively and Baldoni, 40, surfaced during production, though the reasons were initially unclear. Baldoni dismissed the speculation then, attributing it to the natural “friction” on a project of this nature.
However, Lively remained silent about insider claims that Baldoni made her feel “uncomfortable” regarding her postpartum body.
Through her legal action, Lively has made her grievances public, alleging Baldoni created a toxic on-set environment and orchestrated a campaign to harm her professionally and personally.
According to the lawsuit, an all-staff meeting was convened during filming to address the escalating tensions. The suit claims that Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, who contributed to the script, attended the meeting.
Among the demands allegedly agreed upon during this meeting were prohibitions against Baldoni showing Lively nude videos or images, discussing her weight, or referencing her late father.
Other stipulations included a ban on explicit discussions about sexual interactions or the cast and crew’s genitalia and the removal of added sex scenes or explicit content outside the scope of Lively’s approved script.
Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that Baldoni’s past struggles with pornography addiction were deemed off-limits for discussion by the cast and crew. Lively claims the studio approved these measures, yet tensions persisted, culminating in further disputes over the film’s marketing.
Lively alleges that she wanted the promotional campaign to focus on her character’s resilience, while Baldoni prioritised the domestic violence themes central to the story.
She accused Baldoni’s team of conducting an alternative marketing campaign that amounted to “social manipulation” to tarnish her reputation.
The lawsuit includes alleged text messages from Baldoni’s publicist to the studio, with one stating, “We can’t write we will destroy her,” and another expressing an intent to “bury” Lively.
The actress claims the fallout from her conflict with Baldoni caused severe emotional distress to her family and negatively impacted her career.
Baldoni’s legal team has denied the allegations, calling them “false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.” His attorney, Bryan Freedman, accused Lively of filing the lawsuit as a ploy to repair her reputation.
He further claimed Lively’s behaviour on set contributed to the film’s challenges, alleging she threatened to skip filming and promotional events, ultimately leading to its underwhelming performance.
During the film’s promotion, Lively faced criticism for her seemingly lighthearted approach to marketing a movie with heavy themes such as domestic violence.
Fans expressed disappointment when Lively, during premieres and interviews, focused on her hair care range and her character’s wardrobe.
In one promotional video on the official It Ends With Us TikTok page, she encouraged viewers to “Grab your friends, wear your florals, and head out to see it,” drawing backlash for trivialising the film’s subject matter.
Neither Columbia Pictures nor Wayfarer Studios has commented on the lawsuit. As the legal battle unfolds, the allegations and responses from both parties continue to spark widespread public attention.
