It Ends with Us director and actor Justin Baldoni has sued co-star Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds for £326 million.
The legal battle - which first began in December 2024 - comes after Lively filed her first lawsuit against Baldoni, claiming she was the victim of sexual harassment and a campaign of 'social manipulation', as well as several more damning accusations.
Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios, among others, have now filed a 179-page lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, and others for damages that includes lost future income.
Everything included in Justin Baldoni's lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
Control and extortion
Baldoni, who co-starred in and directed It Ends With Us, has accused Lively and her husband of hijacking the production and promotion of the film.
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The plaintiffs say the pair allegedly took over the creative aspects of the film without permission.
Defamation and false allegations
It has also been claimed that Lively made false allegations of sexual and other harassment against Baldoni, dubbed as a 'smear campaign'.
"This is a case about two of the most powerful stars in the world deploying their enormous power to steal an entire film right out of the hands of its director and production studio," the suit says.
"Then, when Lively and Reynolds’ efforts failed to win them the acclaim they believed they so richly deserved, they turned their fury on their chosen scapegoat."
Marketing conflicts
Baldoni claims Lively allegedly didn't address the film's sensitive subject matter of domestic violence during the promotional campaign.
"Heartbreakingly, a film that Baldoni envisioned years ago would honour the survivors of domestic violence by telling their story, with the lofty goal of making a positive impact in the world, has now been overshadowed beyond recognition solely as a result of Lively’s actions and cruelty," the lawsuit says.
Professional and personal damages
Given Baldoni's exclusion from the film's promotion, it's been argued that Lively's actions caused professional harm to the director.
They have also cited personal humiliation, watching the film at a separate viewing theatre during the premiere.
"Surrounded by close friends, family, soda bottles, and a lot of love, the irony of being held in a basement on what was arguably one of the most important nights of Baldoni's career thus far, was not lost on anyone," the complaint reads.
The lawsuit also claims that Lively allegedly told Baldoni to get a nose job, but the director 'brushed it off and moved on with the scene'.
Collaborative breakdown
Following a breakdown in the relationship, Lively allegedly demanded more control of the script edits and wardrobe decisions, the suit claims.
Reynolds and their team allegedly took over the creative aspects of the film.
False narrative and media manipulation
"Lively knew full well that making those allegations would be a career death sentence for Plaintiffs, especially given that Baldoni has lived his private and public life as an impassioned advocate for gender equality and healthy masculinity," the lawsuit says.
Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni, told Newsweek: "This lawsuit is a legal action based on an overwhelming amount of untampered evidence detailing Blake Lively and her team's duplicitous attempt to destroy Justin Baldoni, his team and their respective companies by disseminating grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new and doctored information to the media.
"It is clear based on our own all out willingness to provide all complete text messages, emails, video footage and other documentary evidence that was shared between the parties in real time, that this is a battle she will not win and will certainly regret. Blake Lively was either severely misled by her team or intentionally and knowingly misrepresented the truth."
What have Blake Lively lawyers said?
Her lawyers called Baldoni’s new lawsuit 'another chapter in the abuser playbook'.
"This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim," they said in a statement on Thursday night.
"This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender."
Meanwhile, Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman previously told LADbible Group: "This lawsuit is a legal action based on an overwhelming amount of untampered evidence detailing Blake Lively and her team’s duplicitous attempt to destroy Justin Baldoni, his team and their respective companies by disseminating grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new and doctored information to the media."
He continued: "Let’s not forget, Ms. Lively and her team attempted to bulldoze reputations and livelihoods for heinously selfish reasons through their own dangerous manipulation of the media before even taking any actual legal action. We know the truth, and now the public does too. Justin and his team have nothing to hide, documents do not lie."
Topics: Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Celebrity
Anish Vij