Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's Explosive Legal Battle Explained

Baldoni Secures the Film Rights to 'It Ends With Us'

Baldoni's Wayfarer Studios secured the movie rights to Colleen Hoover's It Ends With Us in 2019, and the Jane the Virgin star was immediately enthusiastic about turning the book into a movie. 

However, once the project hit theaters, fans quickly noticed Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Jenny Slate and Hoover no longer followed Baldoni on Instagram. Baldoni's visible isolation fueled conspiracy theories online about what went down on set.

Wedding Sparks Outrage

While doing press for It Ends With Us, Lively's past interviews began to trend on social media platforms such as X, formerly known as Twitter, and TikTok. 

Lively and her husband tied the knot at the Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant, S.C. —  which features nine slave cabins.

Lively and Reynolds apologized for the decision, but the wedding venue left a stain on their reputations. 

Is Blake Lively a Mean Girl?

Kjersti Flaa shared her 2016 interview with the Gossip Girl alum around the time It Ends With Us premiered, where Lively appeared to body shame the entertainment journalist.

Flaa congratulated Lively, who was pregnant at the time, on her "little bump."
Lively quickly quipped, "Congrats on your little bump," but unlike the actress, Flaa wasn't expecting and was dealing with fertility issues.

Blake Lively Was Branded as 'Insensitive'

Once the film hit theaters, social media users quickly noticed that Baldoni discussed the project's main focus, domestic violence, while Lively chose to promote her haircare brand, Blake Brown, and seemingly avoided talking about abusive relationships.

Conservative television personality Meghan McCain branded Lively's behavior as "very insensitive" and "strange."

Blake Lively Takes Legal Action

In December 2024, Lively filed a legal complaint and lawsuit against Baldoni and his production company accusing the director of sexual harassment. Along with creating a hostile work environment, Lively claimed Baldoni orchestrated a smear campaign against her. The fashionista's 2016 interview with Flaa was referenced by the The New York Times.

Baldoni wasn't the only Wayfarer employee named in the complaint, as Wayfarer's chief executive officer, Jamey Heath, was accused of engaging in "inappropriate and unwelcome behavior toward Ms. Lively and others on the set."

Wayfarer's co-founder Steve Sarowitz, independent contractor Jed Wallace and publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, were also named in the documents. 

"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 said in a statement to The New York Times.

Baldoni Responds

Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman told People that Lively's litigious behavior was her attempt to "fix her negative reputation," adding that her allegations are "false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt."

In Lively's suit, she included extensive texts from Wayfarer's team, but Baldoni's legal representative accused the mom-of-four of "cherry-picking" the messages.

Baldoni vs. The New York Times

On December 31, 2024, Baldoni filed a $250 million lawsuit against the The New York Times for libel. Baldoni accused the outlet of publishing an article "rife with inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and omissions" that leaned on Lively's "self-serving narrative."

What Did Ryan Reynolds Do?

Reynolds contributed to the development of It Ends With Us. However, from Baldoni's perspective, Reynolds was an intimidating figure.
"Reynolds launched into a tirade, berating Baldoni in what Baldoni later described as a 'traumatic' encounter, stating he had 'never been spoken to like that in his life,' " Baldoni's complaint alleges.
The actor was seen in New York City in January in his first outing since the drama exploded.