It Ends In Court: A Breakdown of the Justin Baldoni v. Blake Lively Feud
By Emma Turlington ‘25
Setting The Stage
Contrary to the title of the film and New York Times Best-Selling Novel, It Ends With Us, the legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively has yet to reach a verdict. In fact, the ensuing battle between the actors continues to evolve by the day, with new information and new testimonies claiming primary front-page real estate for countless news outlets across the country.
It Ends With Us (2016) is a romantic drama novel by author Colleen Hoover which tells the tale of a woman impacted by the generational cycle of domestic violence. Lively and Baldoni portray the two main characters, Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid. After acquiring the rights to the novel five years ago, Baldoni signed on to direct and produce the film adaptation.
It Starts With A Lawsuit
It became abundantly clear to online spectators that a rift had formed amongst the cast. Throughout the promotional press tour, which coincided with the film's debut, Lively and Baldoni were rarely seen together and their approaches towards marketing the film clashed greatly. Months later, after an abundance of online chatter and speculation, the legal battle officially began. The suit was set in motion when the plaintiff, Blake Lively, sued the following defendants over claims of defamation by an orchestrated smear campaign in retaliation to her complaints of on-set sexual harassment:
Justin Baldoni, co-star to Lively and co-founder of Wayfarer Studios
Jamey Heath, Chief Executive Officer of Wayfarer Studios
Steve Sorowitz, co-founder and lead financier for Wayfarer Studios
It Ends With Us Movie LLC
Melissa Nathan, provider of crisis management and communications services for Baldoni
The Agency Group PR LLC
Jennifer Abel, Chief Executive Officer and founder of RWA Communications LLC
In the 100+ page lawsuit filed by Lively in December, she maintains that Baldoni created a hostile work environment and overstepped major professional boundaries despite being made aware of concerns. In the face of a drafted list of protections made by Lively, details of the suit claim that Baldoni orchestrated a PR campaign to sway public opinion and ruin the lives of her and her family “in retaliation for exercising her legally-protected right to speak up about misconduct on the set.”
In a series of text message receipts between the defendant, his publicist, and other members of his team, Lively compiles evidence that supports her claim that Baldoni sought to manipulate the social media scene by means of astroturfing, or strategically planting comments that appear to be from haphazard, inadvertent members of the media.
Reporting on the feud, The New York Times published an article titled “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.” This prompted Baldoni to make his next move, ultimately suing the news outlet for libel, a type of defamation in the form of publishing false information to damage reputation. The plaintiffs, Baldoni and his publicists, claimed that their reporting was “deliberately sliced,” and reliant upon an unverified and self-serving narrative.
What Happened Next
In addition to the suit filed against The New York Times, Baldoni issued a lawsuit against Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, seeking $400 million in damages on claims of defamation, civil extortion—an act of forcibly obtaining something by means of intimidation, coercion, or threats—and invasion of privacy. Here, Baldoni reiterates that Lively’s unfounded claims of sexual harassment were explicitly fabricated to ruin his reputation and defame his position as an ally to women. He also asserts that Lively and Reynolds attempted to forcibly take control of public opinion and intimidate him into renouncing his innocence.
In his suit he addresses Lively’s claims of sexual harassment on set of the film, releasing unseen footage to the public aiming to prove such claims false. Additionally, Baldoni released an in-depth, detailed timeline of events with text messages between Lively and himself.
Lively’s representatives deny this new evidence as proof of his innocence, deeming his actions as abusive and manipulative attempts to save face.
Latest Updates
Amid the ongoing legal brawl, there has been vocal opposition, and support, for both Lively and Baldoni. Hoover, author of the novel who initially came forward in support of Lively, has retreated from social media. The deactivation of her accounts and retraction of her initial statement causes speculation about her alliance with either cast member to swirl online.
The most recent update to the case came just days ago, with Lively obtaining new legal representation. As of February 28, 2025, Lively has appointed former CIA Deputy Chief of Staff Nick Shapiro to join her legal team.
It Ends In Court
With the rapid evolution of the case and the influx of new evidence, it is unclear how this trial will shake out. A pre-trial meeting was held at the beginning of February in a federal courthouse in Manhattan. The trial is set to occur in March of 2026, though Judge Liman claims he may be forced to try the case earlier if it continues to be “litigated in the press.”
Emma Turlington is a senior majoring in Communications
Sources
Getty, T., Nación, J. (2025, Jan. 7). Blake Lively in London on Aug. 8, 2024; Justin Baldoni in New York City on Aug. 6, 2024. _______People Magazine. https://people.com/justin-baldoni-lawyer-promises-to-release-evidence-blake-lively-bullying-_______8770498
Lively v. Wayfarer Studios LLC, 1:24-cv-10049, (S.D.N.Y.)
Nanji, N. (2025, Feb. 2). Justin Baldoni ramps up Blake Lively feud with new website. British Broadcasting Corporation. _______https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceql32dq8d7o
Roeloffs, M.W., Murray, C. (2025, March 8), Justin Baldoni Vs. Blake Lively Feud Explained: Lively Hires Former CIA Official _______For Legal Communications. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2025/02/28/justin-baldoni-vs-_______blake-lively-feud-explained-lively-hires-former-cia-official-for-legal-communications/
Rufo, Y. (2025, Feb. 4). Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni: What you need to know. British Broadcasting Corporation. _______https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cewxj0qw2p9o
Simonetti, I. (2024, Dec. 31). Justin Baldoni Sues New York Times, Escalating Feud Involving ‘It Ends With Us’ Co-Star Blake _______Lively. Wall Street Journal.https://www.wsj.com/business/media/justin-baldoni-sues-new-york-times-escalating-_______feud-involving-it-ends-with-us-co-star-blake-lively-4275c1b7
