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When the box office hit film It Ends With Us premiered in theaters this past summer, speculation about what happened between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, the movie’s two co-stars, ran rampant. Fans picked up on tensions between them at the New York CIty red carpet premiere in August, noticing Lively and Baldoni didn’t pose for any photos together and avoided each other altogether.
In the weeks that followed, a relentless news cycle and social media fodder about the possible drama between Lively and Baldoni ensued, not to mention further speculation about the dynamics between Baldoni and other members of the cast who also unfollowed the film’s director on social media. As Rolling Stone reported, tension between the two co-stars was brewing behind the scenes, according to three crew members who worked alongside the actors. The silence from both Lively and Baldoni left fans wondering what exactly happened between them during the making of It Ends With Us.
Now, a complaint filed by Lively against Baldoni alleged he sexually harassed her on set and orchestrated a smear campaign against her. A lawyer for Baldoni denied the allegations and claimed in a statement to Variety that Lively’s lawsuit is an attempt to “fix her negative reputation.”
Here’s a breakdown of everything we know that’s played out publicly and behind-the-scenes of It Ends With Us involving Lively and Baldoni’s controversy.
It Ends With Us Makes Headlines During Production
In 2019, Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios bought the rights to adapt Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel It Ends With Us. Baldoni, best known for acting as Rafael on Jane the Virgin, signed on as the film’s director and co-star, playing the role of Ryle Kincaid. Then in January 2023, Lively was announced as Lily Bloom, the film’s lead character opposite Baldoni, as well as a co-executive producer.
Production ran from March through June 2023 in New Jersey. Because of the story’s preexisting, rabid fan base, people were excited to learn every bit of information about the film’s production as it was released. Not only were fans curious to learn which actors were cast in the project but they were also eager to see leaked paparazzi photos of Lively and Baldoni from the set. It Ends With Us even made headlines in the summer of 2023 because production shut down during the writers’ strike.
The Film’s New York City Premiere Sparks Questions
Fast forward more than a year later to the film’s premiere on Aug. 6, 2024. Fans who were excitedly anticipating their beloved novel becoming an adaptation for the big screen noticed that Lively and Baldoni didn’t pose together for photos on the red carpet, which isn’t common for two leads in a film. Page Six also reported at the time that the actors sat in different theaters during the premiere. In the process of their online sleuthing, fans also realized that not only did Baldoni and Lively manage to complete their press tour without interacting much, if ever, but the majority of It Ends With Us cast members, as well as author Colleen Hoover, also didn’t follow Baldoni on social media.
Behind-the-Scenes Allegations Ramp Up, Baldoni Hires Crisis PR
After fan speculation and online vitriol picked up steam following the It Ends With Us premiere on Aug. 6, Baldoni hired crisis management and PR professional Melissa Nathan. Nathan’s clients include Johnny Depp, Drake, and Logan Paul. At the time, Baldoni hiring a crisis PR professional propelled the public’s curiosity about why the actor and director would feel the need to protect himself.
The day after The Hollywood Reporter published a story about Baldoni hiring Nathan to represent him, TMZ reported that Lively allegedly told people about two instances in which Baldoni made her uncomfortable during filming. According to TMZ, sources claimed that Lively felt like Baldoni lingered longer than he should have when they engaged in a kissing scene. The outlet also alleged she felt fat-shamed when he asked his on-set trainer how much she weighed before lifting her in a scene.
It Ends With Us Co-Star Brandon Sklenar Speaks Out
Despite the ongoing reports of behind-the-scenes drama, neither Baldoni or Lively publicly commented or addressed the press. While rumors swirled about possible conflicts between Baldoni and Lively, the majority of the film’s cast members stayed silent except for Brandon Sklenar, who plays Lively’s other love interest Atlas Corrigan in It Ends With Us.
Addressing the endless online negativity that Lively was receiving, Sklenar wrote on Instagram, “The women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves. Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about. It is, in fact, the opposite of the point.”
The actor continued his statement, appearing to allude to possible issues on set. “What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what our intentions were in making this film,” he continued. “It’s been disheartening to see the amount of negativity being projected online.”
The Film, Which Depicts Domestic Violence, Gets Backlash for Marketing Campaign
While people obsessed over possible theories and opinions about why Lively and Baldoni weren’t copacetic, Lively also faced backlash for what fans considered to be a tone deaf marketing strategy around It Ends With Us. The film, which depicts domestic violence, was promoted with pop-up experiences for fans that recreated Lily’s flower shop as a photo opportunity, and Lively launched her hair care line Blake Brown while on the It Ends With Us press tour. After public scrutiny, Lively shared a post on her Instagram story about domestic violence with a link to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Baldoni’s production company also announced a partnership with the No More Foundation, a nonprofit that provides domestic and sexual violence survivors with resources and access to help.
Online Hate for Lively Continues to Build
Outside of the It Ends With Us drama, the online hate for Lively continued to build. In a viral clip, Norwegian journalist Kjersti Flaa shared footage from a 2016 interview with Lively which she said made her “want to quit” her job. With nearly six million views, the video sparked animosity toward Lively amidst other unconfirmed rumors and speculation regarding It Ends With Us.
Lively Files a Complaint Against Baldoni for Alleged Sexual Harassment, Smear Campaign
Amid the drama and conversation surrounding the film, It Ends With Us was a massive success at the box office. Opening to the public on Aug, 9 and remaining in theaters until the end of October, Forbes reported the movie made more than $148 million in domestic ticket sales. In its opening weekend alone, Variety reported the film amassed more than $50 million in North American markets. Continuing its popularity and reach, It Ends With Us began streaming via Netflix on Dec. 9.
Shortly after the movie became available on Netflix, the New York Times reported that Lively had filed a complaint against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios on Dec. 21 to the CA Civil Rights Department as a “precursor to a lawsuit.” In the complaint, Lively alleged she experienced “severe emotional distress” from what she claimed was a toxic production and movie release. According to the filing, obtained by Rolling Stone, there was a meeting held with Sony Pictures addressing Baldoni’s alleged behavior. Baldoni and his team were given a list of demands from Lively and her team which allegedly included asking him to refrain from discussing his previous “pornography addiction,” sexual conquests, and the cast and crew’s genitalia, per the filing. The document also claimed that Baldoni was told “no more adding of sex scenes, oral sex or on camera climaxing by BL outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project.”
The complaint further alleged that Baldoni and Jamey Heath, CEO of Wayfarer Studios and producer on It Ends With Us, walked into Lively’s dressing room uninvited while she was breastfeeding. Heath also allegedly showed Lively a naked video of his wife and watched Lively in her dressing room when she was topless having her body makeup removed, per the complaint.
In addition to Baldoni’s alleged on-set behavior, the filing accused the actor’s “crisis management” and publicity team of engaging in a “social manipulation” campaign to smear Lively’s reputation.
“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 about her complaint in a statement to the Times.
Following the filing, Baldoni was reportedly dropped by talent agency William Morris Endeavor. WME also represents Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds.
Lively’s Friends and Collaborators Come Out in Her Defense
In the wake of these recent developments, more people have spoken out on Lively’s behalf. Hoover shared a post in support of Lively alongside a photo of the two of them. “@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met,” she wrote on her Instagram stories. “Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
Lively’s longtime friends and collaborators on the beloved Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants films also spoke up in defense of their friend. In a shared statement, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel wrote, “We stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation. Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice.”
Director Paul Feig who has worked with Lively on A Simple Favor and its upcoming sequel also supported the actress. “I’ve now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented, and kind people I’ve ever worked with,” he wrote. “She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it’s awful she was put through this.”
Sony Pictures also backed the actress and in a statement to Rolling Stone, the studio said it “fully” supported Lively amid the Baldoni allegations.
Baldoni Pushes Back in a $250 Million Lawsuit Against The New York Times
After Lively’s complaint reignited an abundance of conversation about her dynamics with Baldoni and the making of It Ends With Us, Baldoni filed a lawsuit against the Times for $250 million on Dec. 31 alongside producer James Heath and Baldoni’s publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel. The suit accused the newspaper of libel and false light invasion of privacy.
“The Article advances its false narrative by cherry-picking out-of-context (and in some cases doctored) private communications never intended for public disclosure or consumption to advance a highly inflammatory, one-sided narrative plainly designed to villainize Plaintiffs,” the filing claimed. “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.”
Among other details in the lawsuit, Baldoni alleged that Reynolds “aggressively berated Baldoni during a meeting at their penthouse in New York, accusing him of ‘fat shaming’ Lively.” Baldoni claimed he continued to “bend to [Lively’s will]…in an effort to avoid further confrontation with Lively and Reynolds and rebuild rapport with his co-star.”
Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman (who is also representing Heath, Nathan, and Abel) alleged in a statement that it was Lively who conducted a “vicious smear campaign.” Freedman claimed that the Times published Lively’s story because she and Reynolds are Hollywood elites, although a spokesperson for the Times disagreed, saying their story was “meticulously and responsibly reported.”
“It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article,” Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades told Rolling Stone. “To date, Wayfarer Studios, Mr. Baldoni, the other subjects of the article and their representatives have not pointed to a single error. We published their full statement in response to the allegations in the article as well.”
The publication added, in an updated statement on Jan. 2, that the reporters on the story sought comment from Baldoni and others, which included “references to specific text messages” and “asked them to identify inaccuracies” in the reporting. “Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer and the other subjects chose not to have any conversations with The Times or address any of the specific text messages or documents,” the updated statement said.
Lively Sues Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios for Sexual Harassment
On the same day that Baldoni sued the Times, Lively also filed a lawsuit against Baldoni in the Southern District of New York. In the lawsuit, Lively claimed she was sexually harassed by Baldoni and Heath during the production of It Ends With Us and was then retaliated against in an alleged smear campaign intended to “silence” her and “eviscerate” her credibility. Lively also named Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios, Heath, Wayfarer co-founder Steve Sarowitz, Nathan, and Abel in the lawsuit.
The complaint stated that Lively experienced “severe emotional harm” after an alleged “sophisticated, coordinated, and well-financed” attack plan helmed by Baldoni’s team. Lively claimed Baldoni’s publicists planted stories in the media and “weaponized a digital army” turning public opinion against her.
The suit also claimed that Baldoni improvised a scene in It Ends With Us in which he “leaned forward and slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he said, ‘It smells so good.’” Lively also alleged that Baldoni tried to add an additional sex scene that she didn’t originally agree to that included their characters climaxing together on their wedding night. According to the filing, Baldoni allegedly “intrusively” asked Lively if she and her husband climaxed simultaneously.
“There are days when [Lively] has struggled to get out of bed, and she frequently chooses not to venture outside in public,” the lawsuit claimed. “She also has been experiencing repeated and painful physical symptoms as a result of this experience.”
Reynolds is also mentioned in the lawsuit. The complaint claims that Reynolds “has been affected mentally, physically, and professionally by his wife’s and children’s pain.”
Baldoni Responds With a Lawsuit Against Lively and Reynolds for $400 Million
On Jan. 16, Baldoni filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, also naming her husband Reynolds, and publicist Leslie Sloane. In the suit, Baldoni accused the trio of defamation, extortion, and invasion of privacy. He also alleged Lively tried to “destroy” him by perpetuating false allegations of sexual misconduct.
According to the lawsuit, Baldoni claimed Lively “deliberately and systematically robbed” him and Wayfarer Studios of their film, and alleged that the actress “refused to return to production” unless Wayfarer signed a “Protection for Return to Production” document. That document that Baldoni apparently signed in order to continue filming allegedly “insinuated misconduct had occurred during filming,” although Baldoni has denied any misconduct ever occurred. He then claimed that Lively used this document to “seize control” of It Ends With Us including the movie’s editing, marketing strategy, wardrobe, and music.
Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, said in a statement that Baldoni’s lawsuit is “based on an overwhelming amount of untampered evidence detailing Blake Lively and her team’s duplicitous attempt to destroy Justin Baldoni, his team and their respective companies by disseminating grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new and doctored information to the media.”
Meanwhile, attorneys for Lively said Baldoni’s lawsuit is “another chapter in the abuser playbook.”
Voice Memos, BTS Footage Shed Light on Baldoni and Lively’s Relationship While Filming
Baldoni’s legal team released a video of the actor and Lively filming a scene in which Lively alleged Baldoni sexually harassed her. In Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni, she claimed that during the scene where they slow dance and their characters are falling in love, Baldoni “leaned forward and slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he said, ‘it smells so good.’”
A title card in the video, which was released on Jan. 21, reads: “Both actors are clearly behaving well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism.” The video also shows Baldoni going in for a kiss at one point and Lively hesitates, saying, “I think it’s more romantic if we’re, like, dancing and talking.”
Attorneys for Lively said the footage released by Balodni’s team shows the actress leaning away when he attempts to kiss her, corroborating her account.
“Any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognize Ms. Lively’s discomfort,” representatives for Lively said.
Then on Jan. 27, The Daily Mail published a six-minute voice memo that Baldoni sent Lively, allegedly in the midst of a script rewrite. In the voice memo, which was apparently sent to Lively at 2:00 in the morning, Baldoni repeatedly apologized for upsetting his co-star.
“I’m really sorry I fucked up. That is a fail on my part. One thing you should know about me is I will admit and apologize when I fail. I am far from perfect. I’m a very flawed man, as my wife will attest, and I’m going to fuck up,” Baldoni said. “I’m going to say the wrong thing. I’m going to put my foot in my mouth. I’m going to piss you off probably, but I will always apologize and find my way back to center. That is one thing I can assure you of. I’m sorry I made you feel that way.”
Baldoni ended the voice note by saying, “You probably have kids all over you and a baby on your boob and you’re listening to me ramble at 2 in the morning.”
On Feb. 1, Baldoni’s team even launched a website that shows the amended complaint he filed against Lively, as well as a timeline of events according to his perspective. The timeline includes a number of screenshots of emails and text messages between Baldoni and Lively as well as other details about their relationship and communicating during filming.
Trial Date for Baldoni and Lively Set for March 2026, but Judge Says it Might Start Earlier if Lawyers Don’t Stop Engaging With Press
A pre-trial conference was held at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on Feb. 3 in which Judge Lewis Liman addressed attorneys for Baldoni and Lively. Judge Liman expressed concern that the public campaigns have the potential to impact the possible jury pool. While Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni is currently set to be heard on March 9, 2026, Judge Liman said the date may be moved up if each party’s legal representatives don’t adhere to the New York rules of Professional Conduct for trial publicity, meaning if they continue to make statements that will have a “substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding in the matter.”
Actress Jenny Slate Files Complaint With Sony Against Wayfarer Studios’ CEO Jamey Heath
According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter published on Feb. 21, It Ends With Us co-star Jenny Slate filed a complaint with Sony against Wayfarer Studios’ CEO Jamey Heath. Heath, who was also a producer on the film, allegedly made comments to Slate about motherhood that made her feel uncomfortable. Days before The Hollywood Reporter’s story was published, Lively’s lawyers filed an amended complaint saying that two other actresses felt uncomfortable on the It Ends With Us set, one of the unnamed actresses in the complaint allegedly being Slate.
Slate was renting an apartment in New York City during filming and, according to The Hollywood Reporter, she told Heath she wasn’t happy with the space, where she was living with her toddler. Even though she wasn’t thrilled with the accommodations, Slate reportedly didn’t want to move because she didn’t want to lose her $15,000 security deposit. In response, Heath allegedly told Slate that Wayfarer Studios would reimburse her for the security deposit if she wanted to find a different living situation, but used language “that made Slate so uncomfortable,” apparently focusing “intensely on the sanctity of motherhood and Slate’s role as a mother.”
While Slate nor Heath have commented publicly on the matter, one source told The Hollywood Reporter that “Heath has a different understanding of their interaction” which was intended to be a kind gesture.
Lively Asks Court for Order of Protection
Since filing the lawsuit against Baldoni in December, Lively and Reynolds said they have been on the receiving end of “violent, profane, sexist, and threatening communications.” Because of this, they submitted a letter on Feb. 20 asking the court to strengthen the protective order on confidential filings pertaining to the case.
The couple asked the judge to add a specific category “For Attorney’s Eyes Only” that would help protect documents “of such a highly confidential and personal, sensitive, or proprietary nature that the revelation of such is likely to cause a competitive, business, commercial, financial, personal or privacy injury.”
Not only did attorneys for Lively say that she’s been subjected to online harassment and “pornographic trolling,” but they also said that one witness for the case who supports Lively received a threatening message that her family “would be sexually assaulted and killed unless the witness agreed to ‘make a statement and give the truth.’”
Representatives for Baldoni told Variety, “We do not condone dangerous rhetoric targeted toward anyone no matter the situation,” and said Baldoni has also received anonymous threats.
