Rumors of a feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni began swirling when he was mysteriously missing from several set photos and promotional events leading up to the release of their film, It Ends With Us, on August 9, 2024. Lively later filed a lawsuit against Baldoni (he denied the claims and later initiated his own litigation against Lively) and the public is curious about what happened.
Why Did Blake Lively Sue Justin Baldoni?
Lively filed a lawsuit and accused Baldoni of inappropriate behavior on the set of It Ends With Us on December 20, 2024. In the documents viewed by In Touch, Lively claimed that an “all hands” meeting was held to address the “hostile work environment” that “nearly derailed” the production of the movie.
At the meeting, several demands were made regarding Baldoni’s behavior, including “no more showing nude videos or images of women, including producer’s wife,to BL and/or her employees, no more mention of Mr. Baldoni’s ‘pornography addiction’ or BL’s lack of pornography consumption to BL or to other crew members and no more inquiries by Mr. Baldoni to BL’s trainer without her knowledge or consent to disclose her weight.”
Lively also requested that an “intimacy coordinator” be on set during her scenes with Baldoni.
She added, “No more improvising of kissing. All intimate touch must be choreographed in advance with BL and an intimacy coordinator. No biting or sucking of lip without BL’s consent. And all intimate on camera touch and conversations must be ‘in character,’ not spoken from Mr. Baldoni to BL personally.”
The documents stated that after the meeting, “the parties agreed to implement and follow the Protections for Return to Production to ensure that the Film could be completed, marketed, and released safely and successfully.”
Blake Lively Claimed Justin Baldoni Organized a Smear Campaign
The marketing of It Ends With Us fell flat, and it was partially due to the fact that Baldoni and Lively had different ideas on how the film should be promoted. While Baldoni thought the focus should be on the trauma of domestic abuse, Lively wanted to put a spotlight on the resilience of her character, Lily Bloom, with a more upbeat marketing campaign. However, in the court documents, Lively claimed that Baldoni’s domestic abuse angle was merely a tactic to “protect his public image” and part of a larger smear campaign to “destroy” her reputation.
The lawsuit claimed that Steve Sarowitz, the leading financier for It Ends With Us, “divulged at the Film’s New York premiere on August 6, 2024, that he was prepared to spend $100 million to ruin the lives of Ms. Lively and her family.”
Baldoni then allegedly hired crisis communications expert Melissa Nathan created a proposal that included “[a] website (to discuss), full reddit, full social account takedowns, full social crisis team on hand for anything – engage with audiences in the right way, start threads of theories (discuss) this is the way to be fully 100% protected.” Nathan noted that “all of this will be most importantly untraceable.”
Justin Baldoni Called Blake Lively’s Claims ‘Categorically False’
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, released a statement to The New York Times the same day news of the lawsuit broke.
“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,” Freedman said.
Lively released a statement the following day on December 22, 2024.
“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,” Lively told TMZ.
Freedman released an additional statement on December 23, 2024, defending the actions of TAG PR, a.k.a. The Agency Group PR, the crisis management firm hired by Baldoni and named in Lively’s lawsuit.
“TAG PR operated as any other crisis management firm would when hired by a client experiencing threats by two extremely powerful people with unlimited resources,” the statement read. “The standard scenario planning TAG PR drafted proved unnecessary as audiences found Lively’s own actions, interviews and marketing during the promotional tour distasteful, and responded organically to that which the media themselves picked up on.”
Freedman also referenced the text exchanges between Baldoni and his PR team that were cited in the lawsuit, claiming that the messages were taken out of context.
“It’s ironic that the New York Times, through their effort to ‘uncover’ an insidious PR effort, played directly into the hands of Lively’s own dubious PR tactics by publishing leaked personal text exchanges that lack critical context — the very same tactics she’s accusing the firm of implementing,” the statement concluded.
Justin Baldoni Was Reportedly Dropped by His Talent Agency
Hours after word spread about Lively’s lawsuit, Deadline reported that Baldoni had been dropped by his talent agency, WME. Sources told the outlet that the decision “was made Saturday morning by WME leadership due, at least in part, to the sexual harassment and retaliation complaint filed late Friday.”
Lively, on the other hand, was still represented by WME at the time of publication.
Colleen Hoover Broke Her Silence on Blake Lively’s Lawsuit
The author of It Ends With Us, Colleen Hoover, spoke out in support of Lively after the lawsuit made headlines.
“@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met,” Hoover wrote via her Instagram Stories on December 22, 2024. “Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
Justin Baldoni Fired Back With a Lawsuit of His Own
Baldoni filed his own lawsuit on December 31, 2024, but his was aimed at the New York Times. He claimed that Lively “initially refused to permit his attendance” at the August premiere of It Ends With Us in an effort to “undermine” his authority as a director on the film.
“Only after significant pressure did she reluctantly agree to allow Baldoni and the Wayfarer team to attend, but under humiliating conditions,” the documents viewed by In Touch read.
The paperwork continued, “The Wayfarer team and their families, including Baldoni and [producer Jamey] Heath, were segregated from the main cast, barred from the exclusive after-party, and forced to organize their own event at additional cost. Baldoni’s participation on the red carpet was cut short, and his family and friends were confined to a makeshift holding area in the basement before being escorted into a separate theater after Lively’s departure. Not only had Lively stolen the Film, but she also robbed Baldoni and his team of any genuine opportunity to celebrate their hard work.”
This incident at the movie’s premiere was just one of the instances where Lively allegedly “systematically sidelined [him] from the marketing of his own Film.”
Justin Baldoni Claimed Ryan Reynolds ‘Aggressively’ Confronted Him
On top of the claims that Lively tried to halt Baldoni’s attendance at the premiere, the Five Feet Apart director also alleged that Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, “berated” him for “fat-shaming” Lively, according to the documents. The verbal altercation allegedly happened at Lively and Reynolds’ New York City penthouse.
“Reynolds and Lively’s inappropriate and humiliating berating of Baldoni—delivered, perhaps intentionally, as other celebrity friends were coming in and out of their penthouse—was prompted by Baldoni’s reasonable inquiry into crucial information needed to ensure safety and avoid injury in a scene,” the documents stated.
Justin Baldoni Released Raw Footage of ‘It Ends With Us’
In Lively’s lawsuit she accused Baldoni of “exploiting the lack of controls on set to behave inappropriately.” One example included in the documents was a scene where the characters slow danced that needed to be filmed for a montage in the film. Lively claimed Baldoni “he spoke to Ms. Lively out of character as himself” and “slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he said, ‘It smells so good.’”
In response, Baldoni released raw footage of the scene in question on January 21, 2025, and Freedman gave a statement to The New York Post.
“The scene in question was designed to show the two characters falling in love and longing to be close to one another. Both actors are clearly behaving well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism,” Freedman said.
However, Lively’s legal team slammed the clip and said that it lined up with her claims instead of vindicating Baldoni.
“Justin Baldoni and his lawyer may hope that this latest stunt will get ahead of the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is damning,” a representative for Lively told the outlet the following day. “Every frame of the released footage corroborates, to the letter, what Ms. Lively described in Paragraph 48 of her Complaint.”
Justin Baldoni Announced Plans to Launch Website of His and Blake Lively’s ‘Correspondence’
On January 22, 2025, Baldoni went even further in his attempts to clear up Lively’s sexual harassment claims and his attorney said that Baldoni planned to launch a website of all of the correspondence between himself and Lively, along with “relevant videos.”
“Justin Baldoni and team have nothing to hide,” Freedman told The New York Post. “Justin and team have the right to defend themselves with the truth and this is what we will be continuing to show with the upcoming website containing all correspondence as well as relevant videos that directly quash her claims.”
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Ask Judge to Issue a Gag Order
Lively and Reynolds filed documents on January 22, 2025, asking a judge to issue a gag order on Freedman.
“Ms. Lively also issued the Wayfarer Parties a cease-and-desist letter (the “First Cease and Desist”) demanding that they immediately cease and desist all unlawful conduct toward the Lively–Reynolds Parties and their affiliates, including their harassing and retaliatory media and online campaign against Ms. Lively,” the letter viewed by In Touch read.
The document continued, “Immediately thereafter, and virtually every day since, Mr. Freedman has given television interviews, appeared on podcasts, issued inflammatory written statements, and leaked information (including, remarkably, documents as banal as document preservation demands to third parties) to the Hollywood press and tabloid media.”
However, sources told TMZ that same day that they felt Lively’s request was “grossly unfair” considering Baldoni’s allegations of defamation against The New York Times. The insider added that the only thing Baldoni wants to do “is release videos and text messages to prove the allegations are false.”
The ‘NYT’ Allegedly Prepared Article About Justin Baldoni Before Blake Lively Filed Suit
On January 29, 2025, the Daily Mail reported that a composite image of Baldoni and Lively used in the article, “We Can Bury Anyone”: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine, from the New York Times had the date December 16, 2024, embedded in the URL of the image. Lively didn’t officially file a lawsuit against Baldoni until five days later on December 21, 2024.
Blake Lively’s Brother-in-Law Spoke Out in a Statement
Bart Johnson, who is married to Lively’s sister, Robyn Lively, apologized for saying “unkind” things on social media one day after he had previously called Baldoni a “fraud” in a since-deleted post on X. Johnson’s original message was reported by USA Today on December 27, 2024.
“He’s a fraud. He puts on the ‘costume’ of a hero, man bun and all. Used all of the trendy catchphrases & buzz words for his podcasts. None of it’s genuine. It’s all theater. And everyone fell for it. For years,” Johnson wrote, per the outlet.
However, a little over a month later, he seemingly regretted his behavior.
“Anytime I’ve said anything unkind about someone I’ve regretted it. Fortunately that’s almost never and definitely not when I’m at my best,” Johnson shared via X on January 29, 2025. “Regardless if it’s true or not, if it’s my opinion, even if I’m trying to speak truth or stand up for someone, it’s never good. Even in times where it might ‘feel’ justified and doing the right thing, it makes no difference. There’s a better way. It’s below the standard I have for myself and I regret it.”
Johnson continued, “I do sincerely apologize to anyone I’ve hurt or let down by saying something that sounds mean. I’ll do better. If you follow me you know you’ll be hard pressed to find more than one time I’ve criticized anyone on social. It’s not my jam. You can easily find a million times I’ve uplifted, supported, encouraged and uplifted my family, friends, followers & strangers. That’s what I’m committed to and where I find my happiness.”
He ended his message by saying that everyone has “flaws” and described himself as a “work in progress,” before adding that he was “doing his best” to “grow and be better.”
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Seek to Dismiss Justin Baldoni’s Lawsuit
On January 30, 2025, Lively and Reynolds told a judge that they were seeking to dismiss Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit, according to a report from Variety. Their notice was filed in compliance with Judge Lewis Liman’s order after he requested a letter from Lively and Reynolds that would “indicate in one sentence the Defendant’s intent to make a motion to dismiss.”
“The Lively-Reynolds Parties intend to move to dismiss Plaintiffs’ complaint,” said attorney Michael J. Gottlieb.
That same day, People reported that Lively allegedly requested that Baldoni’s attorney, Freedman, not take her deposition in court. Kevin Fritz, another of Baldoni’s lawyers, claimed that Reynolds and Lively’s counsel “stated their objection to the Wayfarer Parties’ lead counsel conducting the deposition of Blake Lively” in a letter to Judge Liman.
“Specifically, the Lively Parties’ counsel indicated that they object to Bryan J. Freedman, personally, taking Ms. Lively’s deposition, based upon unspecified statements made by Mr. Freedman,” Fritz continued, per the publication.
However, Lively’s legal team “declined” to “elaborate on the grounds for their objection.”
Justin Baldoni Launches Website About Blake Lively Lawsuit With Timeline of Events
Baldoni kept his promise to launch a website, as a site called The Lawsuit became available to the public on February 1, 2025. It included a PDF download of the lawsuit Baldoni filed against Lively and Reynolds, as well as another document listed as a “Timeline of Relevant Events.”
The “Timeline of Relevant Events” detailed Baldoni’s first contact with Hoover about adapting It Ends With Us into a film, as well as screenshots of alleged text messages between Lively and Baldoni and Baldoni and Reynolds.
Justin Baldoni Opens Up About His ‘Intense’ Year Amid Blake Lively Lawsuit
Baldoni appeared to become emotional as he spoke about his “intense” year in a teaser for an interview on the “Gent’s Talk” podcast shared on February 7, 2025.
“This morning I sent a text message,” he said in the preview. “I had anxiety. I haven’t talked about this yet.”
Baldoni then put his face over his hands and sniffled as the screen went black.
The actor’s full episode premiered on February 10, 2025.
Blake Lively Subpoenas Phone Companies for Evidence of ‘Smear Campaign’
Lively’s lawyers sent subpoenas to AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile requesting the phone records of Baldoni, Heath and Sarowitz, in an effort to uncover further evidence of the alleged smear campaign against her. They also requested the records of Baldoni’s publicists Jennifer Abel and Melissa Nathan.
“Phone records belonging to all of the individual defendants will expose the full web of individuals who were involved in the smear campaign against Ms. Lively,” a Lively representative said in a statement obtained by Us Weekly. “Such records will provide critical and irrefutable evidence not only about who, but also about when, where, and how their retaliation plan came together and operated.”
In response, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, told the outlet that “subpoenas are an ordinary part of the litigation.”
“What is extraordinary is what the Lively Parties are seeking. They are asking for every single call, text, data log, and even real-time location information for the past 2.5 years, regardless of the sender, recipient, or subject matter,” he continued in a statement. “This massive fishing expedition demonstrates that they are desperately seeking any factual basis for their provably false claims. They will find none.”
Justin Baldoni Sues His Ex-Publicist Over ‘Catastrophic’ Lawsuit With Blake Lively
Amid his legal battle with Lively, Baldoni and Abel filed a new lawsuit against his ex-publicist, Stephanie Jones, founder of the PR firm Jonesworks, on March 21, 2025, People reported. In the filing, the actor claimed that Jones violated client confidentiality when she allegedly leaked private messages that later became evidence in Lively’s December 2024 lawsuit against Baldoni.
“It is undeniable that Stephanie Jones initiated this catastrophic sequence of events by violating the most basic of privacy rights, as well as any remaining trust her clients held,” Baldoni’s lawyer told People in a statement.
Freedman’s statement continued, “No stranger to stirring up crisis scenarios for departing clients, Ms. Jones maliciously turned over communications from the phone she wrongfully took from her own partner to her cohort [Lively’s personal publicist] Leslie Sloane, immediately after Jones was terminated for cause by Wayfarer due to her own wrongful behavior.”
Jones previously filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and Abel in December 2024, claiming that the Man Enough author breached their contract.
“Ms. Jones’ lawsuit is based entirely on facts and concrete evidence,” Jones’ attorney, Kristin Tahler, told People in a statement in March 2025. “That suit clearly shows that Jen Abel conspired with Melissa Nathan and others to steal reams of confidential documents, clients and staff and eventually attempt to destroy the business that Ms. Jones spent decades building. Abel, Nathan, Baldoni and their codefendants attempted to achieve these outcomes through bullying distortion and outright disparagement. These facts are backed up by dozens of messages provided in the suit we filed months ago and cannot be credibly disputed. Having no facts or evidence, we see a familiar playbook — smear our client, culminating in the work of fiction masquerading as the counterclaims that were filed yesterday.”
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively File Motions to Dismiss Justin Baldoni’s Defamation Lawsuit
On March 18, 2025, Reynolds’ attorneys filed a motion to dismiss Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit. “The entirety of Plaintiffs’ defamation claim appears to be based on two times that Mr. Reynolds allegedly called Mr. Baldoni a ‘predator,’” the filing read, according to Deadline. “But, the FAC alleges no plausible facts that suggest Mr. Reynolds did not believe this comment to be true.”
Two days later, Lively also filed a motion to dismiss, with paperwork stating that “the Court should dismiss all claims against Ms. Lively with prejudice, deny leave to amend and award Ms. Lively all relief sought,” the outlet reported.
Lively’s filing also cited that “California law now expressly prohibits suing victims who speak out against sexual harassment or retaliation, whether in a lawsuit or in the press. This meritless and retaliatory lawsuit faces three insurmountable legal obstacles, including the litigation, fair report and sexual harassment privileges.”
A spokesperson for the actress told People in a statement, “The painful reality is that Ms. Lively is not alone in being sued for defamation after speaking up about workplace sexual harassment. That is exactly why California recently enacted AB 933, which codified Civil Code Section 47.1. While Ms. Lively has suffered greatly for speaking up and pursuing legal claims, it is important for others to know that they have legal protections. There is a specific law that shields them from being silenced or financially ruined simply because they had the courage to tell their truth.”
Justin Baldoni Asks Judge to Deny Requests for Dismissal
Baldoni asked a judge to deny Lively’s request for dismissal, according to court documents obtained by TMZ on April 3, 2025. He claimed that “there is sufficient evidence that [Lively] took a responsible part in publishing each of the allegedly defamatory statements by approving or authorizing them prior to publication,” the outlet reported.
Additionally, Baldoni alleged that Lively “told the NYT a false and damning story about an insidious PR sabotage operation deployed as revenge for sexual harassment complaints, with the knowledge and intent that the newspaper would publish that false story[.]”
“Ms. Lively and her circle of Hollywood elites cannot prevent my clients from exercising their constitutional right to petition the court to clear their names from her false and harmful claims,” his lawyer told TMZ in a statement. “What Ms. Lively is attempting to do is to set a dangerous precedent by barring the courthouse doors to my clients and punishing them for having their day in court, a right protected by the First Amendment. This right protects not only Mr. Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties in this particular case, but all Americans in the future who have false accusations levied against them and seek relief from our justice system.”
Freedman continued, “This must stop here, and we will continue to fight against this blatant attempt to block access to the court system and to weaken our nation’s Constitution to serve those who are in the position of power.”
Meanwhile, Baldoni also filed a request to deny Reynolds’ motion to dismiss, according to court docs obtained by People. The filing stated that the actor “pretends that the Wayfarer Parties’ First Amended Complaint (the ‘FAC’) fails to set forth any basis for his liability and that he merely acted as a supportive spouse. Not so. The FAC specifically alleges ample facts to support the Wayfarer Parties’ claims against him, based on both his direct actions and his liability as a co-conspirator,” the outlet reported.
A spokesperson for Reynolds told People on April 3, 2025, that Baldoni and the Wayfarer team “once again claim defamation without alleging who was defamed, what specifically was said or how anyone suffered actual harm. Unlike Mr. Baldoni, who built his brand pretending to be a man who is ‘confident enough to listen’ to the women in his life, Ryan Reynolds actually is that man and he will continue to support his wife as she stands up to the individuals who not only harassed her but then have retaliated against her.”
The statement continued, “Under New York law, California law and indeed in every jurisdiction of the United States, this lawsuit not only fails but may result in the Wayfarer Parties covering Ryan’s costs and attorneys’ fees for bringing such a frivolous case in the first place.”
