Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are embroiled in a heated dispute stemming from their work together on the film ‘It Ends With Us’.
The issue began when a December 2024 New York Times report alleged that Baldoni sexually harassed Lively during production and participated in a smear campaign against the actress.
Baldoni’s team denied these claims, and his attorney, Bryan J. Freedman, stated that his clients lost multimillion dollars in damages due to the report.
Freedman claimed that Lively’s allegations were false and caused significant financial and emotional distress to Baldoni and his team.
“In this vicious smear campaign fully orchestrated by Blake Lively and her team, the New York Times cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful ‘untouchable’ Hollywood elites, disregarding journalistic practices and ethics once befitting of the revered publication by using doctored and manipulated texts and intentionally omitting texts which dispute their chosen PR narrative,” said Freedman.
Lively’s attorney, Michael Gottlieb, countered that Baldoni’s team launched a “retaliation campaign” against Lively, which has been “devastating” for her.
Gottlieb plans to file an amended complaint with new claims and additional defendants.
The dispute has led to a court case, with a judge warning both sides to avoid litigating the matter in the press or risk having the trial date moved up.
The case is set to go to trial in March 2026, with New York district court judge Lewis J Liman warning all warring parties to cease media war, litigating their cases in mass media.
Lively has filed to dismiss Baldoni’s lawsuit against her and Reynolds. The lawsuit, which was filed in response to Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni for sexual harassment and conducting a smear campaign, claims that Lively defamed Baldoni.
However, Lively and Reynolds are seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed. A federal judge is set to consolidate the two lawsuits, with a trial date potentially scheduled for March 9, 2026.
Baldoni sued Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for $400 million, accusing the couple of defamation, extortion, and invasion of privacy.
Baldoni also claimed in the lawsuit that Lively and Reynolds initiated a smear campaign against him, pointing out that their actions were motivated by a desire to ruin his image and professional life.
