Justin Baldoni’s Libel Accusations Confirm the Initial Tension Rumors With Blake Lively During 'It Ends With Us'

If you kept up with the drama between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively on It Ends With Us, then you know that speculation about what happened between them started the moment they walked onto the red carpet premiere. At the time, multiple sources speculated about creative differences between Lively and Baldoni, who also acted as the director and producer. Now, after legal action has been taken on both sides, fans are figuring out what those differences really were.

On Dec. 31, Baldoni filed a $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times accusing the outlet of libel and false light invasion of privacy for their story that broke Lively’s sexual harassment and retaliation suit against him.

“The Times story relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative, lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives,” the lawsuit reads, per Us Weekly.

Among the accusations made by Baldoni in the lawsuit, in addition to denying most of the allegations Lively made against him, was that Lively essentially removed him from the film.

“She’s kicked me out officially from the film now,” Baldoni wrote in one text chain with the movie’s editors. “She’s finishing it all. I can’t be involved. Music sound VFX everything. I’ll make it through somehow. Just need to feel it all.”

That control only continued when Lively reportedly requested to be in the editing bay during the film’s 10-week “protected” period, a time when only the director has full access and control.

“As a seasoned professional with over twenty years of experience in the entertainment industry — and having grown up in a family deeply involved in the field — Lively was fully aware of the implications of her request,” the suit explained. “In fact, her request explicitly acknowledged that it infringed upon Baldoni’s ‘protected period.’ Nonetheless, in the aftermath of the serious false allegations she had leveled against the production, Baldoni, [Wayfarer Studios], and Sony reluctantly agreed to grant her access to the editing bay for two days.”

But those two days reportedly soon turned into 10, including a time when Lively was editing alone. But that’s not where the accusations end. According to the suit, Lively then reportedly fired the film’s editors and hired her own, which included Shane Reid, who edited her husband Ryan Reynolds’ movie Deadpool & Wolverine.

Then, a few months later, Lively’s control over the movie continued when she “systematically sidelined [him] from the marketing of his own Film,” the suit says, per New York Post.

“Further undermining Baldoni’s role, Lively initially refused to permit his attendance at the Film’s premiere,” the filing detailed of the August 6 premiere in New York City. “Only after significant pressure did she reluctantly agree to allow Baldoni and the Wayfarer team to attend, but under humiliating conditions.”

Per the filing, Baldoni and his team were given a limited time on the carpet and “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,” the suit adds.

With everything that happened between them, it’s no secret they’re now battling it out in court.

Before you go, click here to see the most important celebrity lawsuits over the past 15 years.