The "It Ends With Us" scandal in 4 points After Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni now also files a lawsuit
Actress Blake Lively accuses her co-star Justin Baldoni of harassment and defamation of character. He also considers himself defamed and is suing the "New York Times". An overview of the "It Ends With Us" file.
05.01.2025, 22:18
06.01.2025, 07:44
dpa
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- The lawsuits surrounding Blake Lively and her co-star and "It Ends With Us" director Justin Baldoni are piling up.
- After the actress accused Baldoni of harassment and damage to her reputation, he filed a complaint against the "New York Times" and demanded compensation.
- He claims that the US daily newspaper uncritically adopted a "self-serving portrayal" of Lively in a detailed article.
The scandal between Blake Lively (37) and her "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni (40) has been simmering in Hollywood for a while now. The actress made headlines once again just before Christmas: various US media outlets, including "Variety", reported that she had filed a lawsuit against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department.
And the case is not getting any quieter at the start of the year. According to reports, Lively has now formally filed a complaint with the federal court in New York. The complaint is against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and other parties.
Meanwhile, Baldoni and several of the other defendants are suing the US daily newspaper "New York Times". Why? Because the "New York Times" is said to have uncritically adopted a "self-serving portrayal" of Lively in its detailed article that caused the bombshell to explode. As the "New York Times" writes, Baldoni is therefore demanding 250 million US dollars in damages. He claims that the article about Blake Lively's claims that she was the victim of a smear campaign defamed him.
What does the lawsuit
by Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni say?
Lively accuses Baldoni, who not only acted alongside her in the film but also took on the role of director, of repeated sexual harassment. She and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds (48), had addressed and reprimanded this behavior by Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath at a meeting.
Reynolds wanted to support his wife, saying Baldoni's behavior had caused her family "severe emotional distress". Baldoni, meanwhile, accuses Reynolds of insulting him during an argument because he allegedly "fat-shamed" Lively.
A crisis meeting ensued. According to TMZ, Lively then demanded that "no more nude videos or pictures of women be shown on set, that Baldoni no longer address his alleged former porn addiction (...) and that genitalia of cast and crew no longer be mentioned".
Months earlier, the fact that the leading actresses appeared on the promo tour without Baldoni had caused a stir. He now claims in his lawsuit that he was explicitly excluded.
Meanwhile, Lively's lawsuit states that Baldoni and the production company pursued a multi-stage plan to damage Lively's reputation. The aim was to silence her. Among other things, rumors were deliberately planted on social media platforms.
The "New York Times" article provides detailed insights into this. Baldoni had brought in the same agency that had already advised Johnny Depp (61) in his dispute with Amber Heard (38).
Baldoni's comments about Lively's figure and those of other women on set were among the actions complained about on set. In addition, Baldoni repeatedly turned up unannounced in her trailer when she was changing and he kissed her in front of the camera without prior agreement.
Baldoni and Heath discussed her personal sexual experiences and her former pornography addiction and tried to put pressure on Lively to reveal details about her intimate life.
Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman did not respond to a request for comment on Lively's lawsuit. However, he had previously described the allegations as "completely false, outrageous and deliberately salacious".
Who is suing whom
in the Lively-Baldoni case?
Lively's lawsuit was filed on the same day as the defamation lawsuit Baldoni and others filed against the New York Times in Los Angeles Superior Court, in which they demanded at least 250 million US dollars.
The newspaper said it stands behind its reporting, has worked "meticulously and responsibly", and will "vigorously" defend itself against the allegations.
The other defendants in Lively's lawsuit and plaintiffs in the defamation suit include production company Wayfarer and crisis communications expert Melissa Nathan. Her text message was quoted in the Dec. 21 Times headline, "'We Can Bury Anyone': The inner workings of a Hollywood smear machine".
The article was published after Lively filed a complaint, the precursor to her lawsuit.
Who stands by whom?
Over the past few weeks, various people have taken Lively's side. Amber Heard, for example, who told US broadcaster NBC: "Social media is the absolute personification of the classic adage: 'A lie travels halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on'. I have seen this first hand and with my own eyes. It's as terrifying as it is destructive."
Author Colleen Hoover, 45, posted on Instagram that Lively had been "nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient". The actress' friends America Ferrera (40), Amber Tamblyn (41) and Alexis Bledel (43) also spoke out in a joint statement: "As Blake's friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand in solidarity with her as she fights back against the campaign to destroy her reputation that is being reported."
Baldoni's wife, Emily Baldoni (40), continues to stand by her husband. Brandon Sklenar (34), co-star of the two, posted the link to the "New York Times" article in an Instagram story and told his followers: "For the love of God, read this." He then added Blake's name and a red heart emoji.
Scandal became public during
"It Ends With Us" press tour
The relationship drama "It Ends With Us" - German title: "Nur noch ein einziges Mal" -, a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel from 2016, was released in US cinemas in August and exceeded expectations with box office takings of USD 50 million.
However, the film's release was overshadowed by speculation about disagreements between Lively and Baldoni. Baldoni kept a low profile when promoting the film, while Lively took center stage with Reynolds, who was on a press tour for his film "Deadpool & Wolverine" at the same time.
Lively was accused of not taking the sensitive issue of domestic violence, which the movie "It Ends With Us" revolves around, seriously during the press tour. Instead, the actress used the press tour to promote her own hair products. This angered many fans.
She turned the movie into an event, they said, because she announced, among other things: "Pack your girlfriends, put on some flowery dresses and watch the movie!"
Now that Lively has filed a lawsuit, "Variety" quotes her legal team as saying: "The defendants will now have to answer for their behavior in federal court." In a statement from the actress herself, which was mentioned in the "New York Times" article among others, Lively previously said: "I hope my lawsuit will help lift the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics used to harm people who speak out about misconduct - and protect others who may be targeted."
