The lawsuit between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has taken Hollywood by storm.
The conflict began during the production of It Ends With Us, where Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. She claimed he made inappropriate comments and engaged in unwanted physical contact during the shooting of the movie.
Blake Lively’s Side
Blake Lively has filed a federal complaint against Justin Baldoni alleging sexual harassment, defamations, and retaliation. In her lawsuit, she claims that Baldoni behaved inappropriately on set, including unwanted physical contact and explicit statements that produced a hostile work environment. She also claims that once she spoke out about Baldoni’s behavior, he tried to defame her with a targeted smear campaign. As part of her legal action, Lively filed a sexual harassment complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, She pushed authorities to take action against Baldoni for workplace conduct regulations. She subsequently filed a federal defamation lawsuit against Baldoni and his production team, the Wayfarer Studios, She accused them of employing retaliatory methods to destroy her career. Additionally, her lawsuit mentions Baldoni’s PR team, claiming they deliberately spread false information to publicly discredit her.
The retaliatory methods Blake Lively refers to allegedly took place before she filed her lawsuit. Before the legal battle, social media platforms like TikTok began circulating claims that Lively was rude to interviewers. A particular interview was posted on YouTube (The Interview), in which she appeared disrespectful to the interviewers. After that video gained a lot of attention, users began posting other footage depicting her as a “mean girl,” enforcing a negative image of her in the public’s eye. Lively claims this was a premeditated smear effort to harm her reputation. Ava Gomes watched all of the TikToks about Lively being rude to interviewers. Gomes thinks, “It is pretty obvious the interview was just trying to have small talk, but Blake Lively took it the wrong way and gave a rude response back, which was really unnecessary.”
Justin Baldoni’s Side
Justin Baldoni denies all charges and describes Blake Lively’s lawsuit as a smear campaign. In his $400 million countersuit, he accuses Lively, Ryan Reynolds, her husband, and their publicist of civil extortion and defamation, claiming they fabricated harassment claims to gain creative control over It Ends With Us. Baldoni claims that Lively portrayed texts and footage that show him in a negative light. He also sued The New York Times for bias, alleging that they overlooked facts in his favor. Despite claiming innocence, Baldoni has lost his talent agency’s representation.
With both lawsuits pending, the March 2026 trial will be a high-profile showdown. Lively’s team will present evidence of harassment and retaliation, while Baldoni’s defense will argue the claims were fabricated to ruin his career. The case is expected to draw intense media attention.
