Justin Baldoni’s $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times has brought further attention to the reported creative tensions between him and his It Ends With Us co-star, Blake Lively.
Baldoni, 40, is suing the newspaper for libel and false light invasion of privacy, alleging its reporting misrepresented the situation and falsely accused him of sexual harassment.
“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,” Baldoni’s lawsuit states.
According to the suit, the discord between Baldoni and Lively, 37, stemmed from what he describes as her “calculated and audacious attempt to seize control of the Film.”
The lawsuit includes text messages Baldoni sent to the movie’s editors, expressing his frustration at being excluded from the editing process.
“She’s kicked me out officially from the film now,” Baldoni wrote. “She’s finishing it all. I can’t be involved. Music, sound, VFX — everything. I’ll make it through somehow. Just need to feel it all.”
The tensions reportedly began during production when Lively accused Baldoni of inappropriate behavior during a meeting. Lively allegedly demanded access to the film’s editing bay during the 10-week “protected” period traditionally reserved for the director to craft their cut.
Baldoni’s lawsuit argues that Lively, an experienced professional with over 20 years in the entertainment industry, was fully aware that her request infringed on his creative rights. Despite this, Baldoni, alongside Wayfarer Studios and Sony, reluctantly granted her two days of access.
However, the lawsuit alleges that this arrangement was extended to 10 days, during which Lively worked alone in the editing bay.
Baldoni claims she dismissed the original editors and replaced them with her own team, including one editor frequently employed by her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
Baldoni contends that The Times omitted these critical details, distorting the narrative and absolving Lively of accountability for the creative conflict.
Rumors of tension between Baldoni and Lively first surfaced in August 2024, with reports suggesting a divided set during the filming of the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel.
A source told that the production split into “team Blake” and “team Justin” factions, with creative disagreements escalating to the point where the co-stars stopped speaking.
“[Justin] was made to feel that his vision wasn’t as important as Blake’s, and it stifled the creativity on set,” the source said. Meanwhile, another insider defended Lively’s involvement, claiming that her changes were aimed at delivering the best possible adaptation of the book.
Adding to the tension, Lively filed a sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni before the end of 2024, accusing him of fostering a “hostile work environment” on set.
Baldoni’s lawyer denied the allegations, calling them “outrageous” and suggesting they were an attempt to repair Lively’s “negative reputation.” On December 31, 2024, Lively officially filed her lawsuit against Baldoni.
Responding to Baldoni’s legal action, Lively’s attorney issued a statement, dismissing the claims in his lawsuit. “Nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about the claims advanced in Ms. Lively’s California Civil Rights Department Complaint, nor her federal complaint, filed earlier today,” the statement read.
The attorney added that Baldoni’s assertion that Lively’s administrative complaint was a ruse and that litigation was not her ultimate goal is false. “We encourage people to read Ms. Lively’s complaint in its entirety. We look forward to addressing each and every one of Wayfarer’s allegations in court.”
