April saw new developments in the lawsuit Blake Lively brought against fellow actor and “It Ends With Us” costar, Justin Baldoni, nearly two years ago.
The bad blood between the two Hollywood celebrities dates back to 2024, when they were filming the movie “It Ends With Us.” Lively starred as the main lead, while Baldoni was one of the male love interests, as well as serving as the film’s director. While the film was released to commercial success in August, rumors of a feud immediately surfaced when the two unusually did not give interviews together or pose together on the red carpet for the film’s premiere.
By December of the same year, Lively had filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, stating he had created a hostile workplace with his inappropriate comments. Rumors started flying, including one that Baldoni had hired a PR team exclusively to damage Lively’s reputation.
The highly publicized controversy involved countersuits from Baldoni alleging defamation, extortion and invasion of privacy from Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. Meanwhile, Lively sought a gag order for Baldoni, claiming a smear campaign, but was denied.
As hype around the movie died down, the public moved on to newer controversies and scandals. But in early April this year, the court dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 lawsuits, which included her sexual harassment claims against Baldoni, effectively removing him from the case. Some of the lawsuits were dismissed because they were filed under California law, but the actions took place outside of the state, and Lively is not a resident of California.
Other lawsuits were dismissed because Lively was a producer on the film, and therefore classified as a contractor and not an employee of Baldoni. Lawsuits regarding Baldoni creating a hostile work environment and gender discrimination against Lively were also dismissed, as the judge ruled they did not meet the criteria for any crimes.
The nature of Lively’s lawsuits is highly ironic. “It Ends With Us” is a film concerned with domestic abuse and its lasting impact, with Baldoni playing the abusive husband. However, Lively came under severe criticism during the tour for her dismissive approach to the film’s heavy topics. She also timed the press release to coincide with the launch of her hair care brand, as well as using the opportunity to promote her alcohol brand.
The remaining three lawsuits are concerning aiding and abetting, breach of contract and retaliation, and are set to go to trial on May 18. While Baldoni is no longer included in the lawsuit, he has confirmed his appearance in court as a witness. Other potential witnesses include a slew of Lively’s high profile friends such as Taylor Swift, Hugh Jackman, Gigi Hadid and the author of “It Ends With Us,” Colleen Hoover.
The breakdown in the working relationship between Baldoni and Lively is sad news for fans of the book and film. While Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios bought the rights for both the novel and its sequel, “It Starts With Us,” with the animosity between the stars it is unlikely that a second movie will ever be filmed.
