Actor Justin Baldoni has initiated a $400 million defamation lawsuit against actress Blake Lively and her publicist, following allegations of sexual harassment and a smear campaign during the production of It Ends With Us, a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. The legal dispute, filed in the Southern District of New York, marks a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two co-stars.
Baldoni, who both directed and starred in the film alongside Lively, accuses Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, of orchestrating false sexual harassment claims against him, which he claims were intended to sabotage his reputation and the production. The lawsuit is based on a 179-page complaint that alleges Lively sought to “destroy” Baldoni’s career with fabricated accusations and coordinated efforts to damage his public image through artificial social media campaigns.
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, released a statement asserting that the legal battle would be a decisive one. He promised that the evidence, including text messages, emails, and video footage, would prove that Lively’s actions were either the result of being misled or were intentionally deceptive. Freedman also emphasized Baldoni’s transparency, claiming that he and his client have “nothing to hide.”
The legal clash follows Lively’s own lawsuit filed in December 2024, accusing Baldoni, his producing partner Jamey Heath, and his publicists of engaging in a smear campaign. The controversy intensified after text messages between Baldoni and his team were disclosed in a New York Times report, leading Baldoni and his representatives to file a $250 million lawsuit against the newspaper for defamation.
Freedman responded to the New York Times report by stating that the correspondence presented was incomplete and selectively edited, omitting key details that would clarify the situation. He defended the private communications as standard protocol in public relations strategy, meant to manage media narratives and scenarios rather than actively engage in misinformation.
In the broader context, Baldoni’s lawsuit represents a larger dispute over control of the film It Ends With Us, with the actor accusing Lively and Reynolds of using their influence to wrest the project from his hands and undermine the production. Freedman indicated that more legal actions are expected in the future, underscoring the high stakes of the ongoing litigation.
As this legal drama continues to unfold, the lawsuit raises important questions about the intersection of power, public relations, and celebrity influence in the film industry.
