Lawsuit, smear campaign, and tensions: A timeline of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's bitter fallout
The two former co-stars are closing out the year with a feud hotter than any box office hit.
SINAR DAILY REPORTER
The year might be winding down, but Hollywood drama knows no calendar. In the latest buzz over in Tinseltown, Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are lighting up the headlines with their ongoing fallout, delivering a real-life sizzling plot twist off the red carpet and silver screen.
As we know, the two collaborated on the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 'It Ends With Us' with Lively starring as the main lead cum producer, while Baldoni plays Lively’s love interest on-screen, simultaneously juggling his role as the film’s director.
In the lead up to the film’s release, it was overshadowed by a series of controversies.
Now, in the latest plot twist, Lively has filed a legal complaint against Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment and a smear campaign to "destroy" her reputation.
Let’s breakdown the key events leading up to Lively’s legal actions against Baldoni.
SUMMER 2024: TENSIONS SURFACE ON SET
Reports began to circulate about a hostile work environment during the filming of 'It Ends With Us'.
It was reported that the 'A Simple Favor' actress felt uncomfortable on set filming a kissing scene with Baldoni claiming the director “lingered” too long while kissing her on camera.
Rumours were also rife about Lively claiming she felt fat-shamed by Baldoni. For context, the scene required him to lift Lively, but due to ongoing back issues, he consulted the on-set trainer about her weight. This seemingly innocuous question however, reportedly struck a nerve with Lively.
AUGUST 2024: NYC PREMIER SPARKS RUMOURS
The film’s premiere in New York City added fuel to the fire. Lively and Baldoni’s lack of interaction on the red carpet did not go unnoticed.
While the entire cast members attended, Baldoni was largely absent from group photos.
Based on reports, he watched the premiere at a theatre in another location with family and execs from the production company, while Lively was in another theatre with her own set of guests.
To make things worse, eagle-eyed fans quickly noticed that neither the cast members nor the author bother to follow the director on social media.
MEAN GIRL NARRATIVE
In the heat of this, Lively was painted as tone deaf during her press interviews while promoting the movie, due to her light approach in discussing a film that deals with heavy themes of domestic violence and abuse.
Critics argued she missed a crucial opportunity to raise awareness, spotlight support services and empower survivors to seek help.
The controversy deepened when a clip of Lively went viral, featuring her cheerfully urging fans to "grab your friends, wear your florals, and head out to see it."
The upbeat tone of her statement clashed sharply with the movie's dark subject matter, leaving many questioning the sensitivity of the campaign.
It was also reported that the conflict escalated with several different cuts of the film being made, including one that Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds reportedly pushed for. For context, Reynold only had a small involvement in some of the film’s dialogue.
It also didn’t help when amidst the rumours swirling about the tension between her and Baldoni, a journalist, Kjersti Flaa shared a 2016 interview with Lively, titled “The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job.”
During the interview, Flaa congratulated Lively on her pregnancy, but Lively sarcastically shot back with, “Congrats on your little bump”, despite Flaa not being pregnant. The remark quickly cemented Lively’s reputation as a “mean girl.”
DECEMBER 20, 2024: LIVELY FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST BALDONI
Despite the tension with Baldoni, Lively did not issue a statement surrounding the rumours until a few months down the road on Dec 20, 2024 when she filed an 80-page lawsuit in California, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and fostering a toxic work environment.
Lively’s lawsuit lays out serious accusations of inappropriate behavior by Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath, detailing incidents that created an uncomfortable and unprofessional work environment:
Allegations of Misconduct: Lively’s lawsuit highlights disturbing claims against Baldoni and Heath.
Unwanted Physical Contact: Lively alleges Baldoni performed unscripted kissing scenes without her consent, leaving her feeling violated and uneasy.
Inappropriate Conversations: She claims Baldoni frequently brought up personal sexual experiences and his history with pornography addiction, despite her expressed discomfort.
Exposure to Explicit Content: According to the lawsuit, Heath showed her a video of his wife giving birth naked, an act she found deeply inappropriate and disturbing.
Invasion of Privacy: Both Baldoni and Heath are accused of entering Lively’s makeup trailer uninvited while she was in various stages of undress, breaching her privacy and personal boundaries.
DECEMBER 21, 2024: LAWSUIT GOES PUBLIC
The lawsuit was made public the following day, revealing allegations that Baldoni, alongside others, orchestrated a smear campaign against Lively. The legal document detailed what Lively called a "multi-tiered scheme" to damage her reputation after she raised concerns about his behaviour.
According to The New York Times, Baldoni had hired a crisis management expert, Melissa Nathan to orchestrate the campaign. Nathan also worked with Johnny Depp during his high-profile defamation trial, to manage the fallout.
This had paid off as Lively had been branded tone-deaf, difficult to work with and a bully, something that escalated within days of the film’s launch.
Excerpts from thousands of pages of text messages and emails entailing the efforst to tarnish Lively’s reputation were obtained through a subpeona.
The suit highlights internal communications pointing to deliberate efforts to manipulate public perception, including spreading negative stories and using social media to discredit her.
BALDONI'S RESPONSE
Baldoni’s legal team has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them baseless and defamatory. In a statement, his lawyer asserted that Lively’s claims are a calculated attempt to damage Baldoni’s reputation and lack any credible foundation.
In the latest update, Baldoni has reportedly been dropped by his talent agency, WME, following the legal complaint filed Lively, who is also represented by the agency.
SUPPORT FROM THE AUTHOR
Amid the controversy, Hoover, author of the novel adapted for the film, has publicly backed Lively.
In an Instagram post, Hoover praised Lively’s integrity and honesty, linking to coverage of the lawsuit. She commended Lively for the depth and dedication she brought to her role, expressing her belief in Lively’s character both on and off the screen.
