Once upon a time, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni were co-stars, collaborators, and seemingly on the same page about bringing It Ends With Us to life.
But behind the scenes, the chemistry was less romantic drama and more courtroom thriller.
What started as a simple discussion about whether their characters should kiss or talk (spoiler: they should have just stayed silent) has spiraled into a multi-lawsuit legal battle featuring allegations of harassment, retaliation, defamation, and a public relations war fit for a Hollywood script.
Act I: The Set Becomes a Battlefield
On the surface, the May 2023 footage from the It Ends With Us set showed two professionals engaged in a friendly creative discussion. But according to new lawsuits, Lively and Baldoni were growing to despise each other faster than a third-act breakup scene.
Lively claims that Baldoni—who was not only her co-star but also the director and studio head—overstepped boundaries and created a hostile work environment.
Baldoni, in turn, argues that Lively simply didn’t like taking direction. What could have been chalked up as “creative differences” in the past has now turned into a full-fledged legal battle with no end in sight.
Act II: Lawsuits, Lawsuits Everywhere
The lawsuits have been rolling in faster than bad reboots. Lively has accused Baldoni of harassment and retaliation, while Baldoni has countered with a defamation suit, claiming Lively and her camp spread damaging falsehoods. To make things even messier, Baldoni’s former publicist has also sued him—because, at this point, why not?
“This isn’t just a legal battle,” said one litigator. “It’s a PR campaign disguised as lawsuits.” But that doesn’t mean there aren’t real stakes. Each side needs an actual legal victory to prove they’re not just winning the war of public perception.
Act III: The Courtroom Becomes the Set
While Baldoni’s defamation suits face some procedural hurdles—especially when it comes to First Amendment protections—Lively’s harassment and retaliation claims might have more legal legs.
The retaliation claim is where things get particularly spicy. Lively’s legal team has receipts—actual text messages from Baldoni’s publicists discussing efforts to “destroy” or “bury” her.
That’s like finding leaked studio emails confirming a terrible sequel was greenlit for money, not quality. (Shocking, right?)
To prove retaliation, Lively doesn’t need to prove the harassment itself—just that she suffered consequences for speaking out.
If she can show she was demoted, fired, or otherwise harmed for raising concerns, the case could go all the way to trial.
Meanwhile, Baldoni’s team will have to argue that calling someone “sexy” and saying they “smell good” doesn’t rise to the level of defamation, especially when he’s already admitted to making those comments.
As one legal expert put it, “It’s tough to argue something is false when you’ve already confessed to it.”
Act IV: The Verdict Is Still Out
With multiple lawsuits in play and legal teams locked in an ongoing battle, it’s unclear how this real-life Hollywood drama will end.
But one thing is certain: No matter who wins in court, the real victors are the entertainment lawyers billing by the hour.
Will this feud end in a surprise reconciliation, or will it drag on for years, feeding endless headlines and inevitable tell-all books?
Either way, Hollywood is watching, and if there’s one lesson to take from this saga, it’s that sometimes, It Ends With Us should have just ended before it even started.
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