What started as whispers of on-set tension has exploded into a full-blown legal battle with Blake Lively suing Justin Baldoni, her co-star and director of It Ends with Us. In her lawsuit, the actress alleges that Baldoni sexually harassed her and coordinated a smear campaign to ruin her reputation.
Related: What Really Happened With Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni’s It Ends With Us Drama
The lawsuit, first reported by TMZ, reveals shocking details about what allegedly transpired behind the scenes of the hit film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. Lively, 37, claims the work environment under Baldoni, 40, became so hostile that it triggered an emergency meeting with Sony Pictures executives, which her husband Ryan Reynolds also attended.
During the crisis meeting, Lively’s team presented a startling list of demands that shed light on the alleged toxic environment. These included stopping the display of nude videos and images to Lively, ceasing discussions about Baldoni’s reported “pornography addiction” and sexual conquests, and ending comments about cast and crew members’ genitalia. The lawsuit also states that Baldoni was instructed to stop making inquiries about Lively’s weight and to refrain from mentioning her deceased father.
The actress, who also served as producer on the film, further demanded there be “no more adding of sex scenes, oral sex or on camera climaxing” beyond what was outlined in her originally approved script. While Sony Pictures reportedly approved these requests, the situation only went downhill from there.
The lawsuit claims Baldoni and his team then launched what Lively describes as a “social manipulation” campaign to “destroy” her reputation. As evidence, the legal documents include explosive text messages from Baldoni’s publicist to a studio publicist stating the actor “wants to feel like [Ms. Lively] can be buried” and “We can’t write we will destroy her.”
The tension became pretty impossible to ignore during the film’s promotional tour, where Baldoni conducted solo interviews while Lively appeared with other cast members. At the New York premiere, Baldoni notably avoided posing for pictures with the cast. Meanwhile, eagle-eyed fans on social media noticed that Lively, Hoover, and co-star Jenny Slate don’t follow him on Instagram.
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has come out swinging against the allegations. “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 told Variety, calling it “yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film.”
Lively’s lawsuit also alleges that creative differences between the actor/director and actress/producer “eventually ballooned into a full-scale feud.” In August 2024, Rolling Stone reported that crew members rarely saw them together unless absolutely necessary. One source revealed to the outlet that “the principal cast and Colleen Hoover will have nothing to do with [Baldoni].”
In August 2024, co-star Brandon Sklenar became the first cast member to publicly address the controversy, defending Lively and the other women involved in the project. “Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves,” he wrote on Instagram. “Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about.”
Ironically, the behind-the-scenes drama may have contributed to the film’s success. Despite—or perhaps because of—the controversy, It Ends with Us became a box-office sensation, grossing more than $350 million worldwide. The film follows Lily (Lively), a woman who falls in love with Ryle (Baldoni), only to face the devastating reality of domestic abuse when their relationship turns violent. The film is now streaming on Netflix.
