The controversy surrounding It Ends With Us continues as Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit is set to be examined in a Discovery+ series.
Baldoni vs Lively: A Hollywood Feud is set to come to screens in the coming months and will examine the explosive fallout between the former co-stars.
Their feud began in August 2024 when Lively, 37, faced intense criticism in after claims the two leading stars were embroiled in a bitter feud.
While doing press for the film, the pair stayed largely silent with Baldoni, 40, saying in a ‘movie like this’, there is ‘always friction’.
Lively then launched legal proceedings against the director in December 2024, with claims of sexual harassment stemming from the production of the film.
Baldoni then sued the New York Times for $250million (£185m) for their story about Lively’s harassment claims.
He then sued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds in January for $400m (£235m), citing defamation, extortion and more – which was tossed by a judge on June 9.
Now, Taylor Swift is involved and is set to hand over her text messages.
Here’s what you need to know about the complicated fallout and what’s been happening for the past few months.
Who is Blake Lively suing?
Lively is suing Justin Baldoni, the director of It Ends With Us, who also starred in the movie as the abusive love interest, Ryle Kincaid.
He made his acting debut in the soap opera The Young and the Restless in 2004.
One of his most popular roles came in 2014 when he starred as Rafael Solano in the sitcom Jane the Virgin alongside Gina Rodriguez.
In 2018, he starred as a young Barry Manilow in the biopic Con Man, which tells the story of the famous musician. He went on to direct the 2019 romantic drama Five Feet Apart, starring Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson.
In 2020, he directed the biopic Clouds covering the life of musician Zach Sobiech.
Baldoni wed Swedish actress Emily Foxler in 2013 after two years of dating. The couple share two children.
Why is Blake Lively suing Justin Baldoni?
Blake Lively sued her It Ends With Us co-star Baldoni for sexual harassment in a legal complaint.
Legal documents obtained by The New York Times allege that Baldoni treated Lively like a ‘sexual object’ and claims he entered her trailer while she was nude.
In the complaint for damages, which precedes a lawsuit, Baldoni, his publicists and Wayfarer Studios are listed among the defendants.
Baldoni and his team have denied the allegations.
The papers also allege the former Jane The Virgin star let his ‘friends’ watch Lively film sex scenes, which created a ‘hostile working environment.’
The filing also claims Baldoni was concerned with Lively’ body, saying: ‘On the second day of filming, for example, Mr. Baldoni made the rest of the cast and crew wait for hours while he cried in Ms. Lively’s dressing room, claiming social media commentators were saying that Ms. Lively looked old and unattractive based on paparazzi photos from the set.’
Lively claims Baldoni ‘routinely degraded’ her appearance, with the filing saying she told the director: ‘That she should look authentic in the scenes depicted in the photos, which were just after her character had been abused by her fictional husband, rather than “hot.”‘
(Picture: Virisa Yong/BFA.com/Shutterstock)
She claims the director contacted her fitness instructor and demanded she ‘lose weight in two weeks.’
In another incident, Lively alleges she felt ‘ogled and exposed’ after she says Baldoni asked her to remove her coat in a bar to see her outfit.
A woman, who witnessed the exchange, allegedly comforted Lively and shared similar experiences she had had with Baldoni.
The suit claims Baldoni was accused by another woman who felt uncomfortable on set after he said the leather pants she was wearing looked ‘sexy’, and refused to apologise when the woman confronted him.
It claims that when another actress complained about Baldoni’s comments during production, he wrote that he would ‘adjust accordingly’ in a written acknowledgement.
Lively said that on June 8, 2023, the same actress told her that she ‘actually cannot talk to Justin at all.’
The papers claim Baldoni became suspicious of the two women’s friendship and thought they might be ‘colluding against him.’
Lively’s complaint claims that during filming, the atmosphere on set became so uncomfortable that an all-staff meeting was called.
The filing claims the resolution was that Baldoni would obligate the cast and crew’s alleged demands that he stop showing Lively nude videos and images of women and no longer talk about sexual interactions in front of the actress.
This was in addition to stopping all discussions of her weight, and her deceased father, as well as no discussions of the cast and crew’s genitalia.
Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, who co-wrote some scenes, was in attendance at the meeting, the lawsuit claims.
It was also noted that there were to be ‘no more adding of sex scenes, oral sex on camera climaxing by BL (Blake Lively) outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project.’
The film did have intimacy coordinators on set, whose job is to choreograph intimate scenes so those involved feel safe and comfortable.
Another demand listed in the complaint was that the cast and crew were not to mention Baldoni’s alleged ‘pornography addiction’ that he had suffered from in the past.
The listed demands were allegedly approved by the studio, but tension continued through the marketing of the film.
Lively claims her conflict with Baldoni caused ‘severe emotional distress” to her family and her business.
What were the texts shared between Justin Baldoni and his PR crisis management team?
Since her complaint, texts have reportedly emerged between Baldoni and his PR crisis management team, discussing a social media smear campaign against her.
Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios are accused of embarking on a ‘multi-tiered plan’ to damage Lively’s reputation following a meeting to address accusations against Baldoni and a producer of the film of ‘repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour’, according to the legal document shared by The New York Times.
The complaint claimed Baldoni’s team conducted their own marketing campaign that was more like ‘social manipulation’ to ‘destroy’ the actress’ reputation.
It also unearthed texts reportedly from Baldoni’s publicist to the studio,
Columbia Pictures Wayfarer Studios’ publicist, claiming he ‘wants to feel like [Ms. Lively] can be buried.’
One exchange between public relations executives said to be involved in the campaign depicts them gleefully discussing how ‘easy’ it was to turn people online against Lively.
After feedback from Baldoni’s team, Melissa Nathan — who worked with Johnny Depp during the Amber Heard trial — allegedly said: ‘We can’t write, we will destroy her.’
In a statement to the New York Times, Lively said: ‘I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.’
Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its representatives, said the claims were ‘completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious’, adding that the studio ‘made the decision to proactively hire a crisis manager prior to the marketing campaign of the film.’
He added: ‘There were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; just internal scenario-planning and private correspondence to strategise, which is standard operating procedure with public relations professionals.’
Why did Justin Baldoni sue Blake Lively?
Baldoni denied all claims put forward against him and filed a countersuit against her, husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicist, Leslie Sloane – alleging extortion and defamation and an attempt to ‘destroy his reputation and career’.
On June 9, it was announced by People that Judge Lewis J Liman has granted a motion to dismiss the $400m countersuit, as well as the defamation filing against the publication.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, then shared a lengthy message over the ruling with Metro: ‘Ms Lively and her team’s predictable declaration of victory is false, so let us be clear about the latest ruling.
‘While the Court dismissed the defamation-related claims, the Court has invited us to amend four out of the seven claims against Ms Lively, which will showcase additional evidence and refined allegations.
‘This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation and a nonexistent smear campaign, which Ms Lively’s own team conveniently describes as “untraceable” because they cannot prove what never happened.
‘Most importantly, Ms Lively’s own claims are no truer today than they were yesterday, and with the facts on our side, we march forward with the same confidence that we had when Ms Lively and her cohorts initiated this battle and look forward to her forthcoming deposition, which I will be taking.
‘We are grateful for the organic show of support from the public and for the dedication of the Internet sleuth community who continue to cover the case with discernment and integrity.’
Why is Taylor Swift involved in the feud?
Lively’s bestie Taylor Swift has been pulled into the ongoing battle with Baldoni’s lawyer claiming that Lively threatened to leak private messages with Swift if the Fearless singer didn’t release a statement supporting her.
Lively’s lawyers denied these claims.
Baldoni’s legal team previously subpoenaed Swift and her legal team, but a spokesperson for the singer released a statement saying she had nothing to do with the film beyond licensing the use of her song My Tears Ricochet.
Baldoni’s team withdrew the subpoena, and Lively’s team sought to close off the issue, but the judge decided against this.
On June 19, Variety reported that a judge has ruled that Swift and Lively’s texts can be obtained by Baldoni.
‘Given that Lively has represented that Swift had knowledge of complaints or discussions about the working environment on the film, among other issues, the requests for messages with Swift regarding the film and this action are reasonably tailored to discover information that would prove or disprove Lively’s harassment and retaliation claims,’ Judge Liman decided.
What have Blake Lively’s co-stars said about the allegations?
Lively’s Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants co-stars America Ferrera, Amber Rose Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel have written a letter titled: ‘In support of our sister, Blake.’
The letter reads: ‘As Blake’s friends and sisters for over twenty years, we stand with her 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 ensured to discredit her voice.
‘Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors’ stories to silence a woman who asked for safety.
‘The hypocrisy is astounding. 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.
‘We are inspired by our sister’s courage to stand up for herself and others.
‘For anyone seeking more information or engaging in this important conversation online, please read the full legal complaint in the investigative reporting by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire and Julie Tate for the New York Times.
‘America Gerrera, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel.’
Lively has been defended by her sister, Robin, who shared screenshots from the New York Times piece that alleged messages sent in the lawsuit, and wrote: ‘FINALLY justice for my sister @BlakeLive.’
It Ends With Us author Hoover has also defended Lively, posting: ‘@blakelively 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. Never change. Never wilt.’
She then linked to the New York Times article at the centre of the feud titled We Can Bury Anyone: Inside A Hollywood Smear Machine.
A version of this article was originally published in December 2024.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
