Justin Baldoni, director and co-star of It Ends With Us, has launched a scathing lawsuit against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist, Leslie Sloane.
Baldoni alleges the trio orchestrated a smear campaign to sabotage his role in the film and wrest creative control from him, demanding a staggering $400 million in damages, as TMZ reported.
Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, filed the federal suit, accusing Lively and her team of using underhanded tactics to undermine him. According to court documents, Lively was allegedly determined to make Baldoni “the real-life villain” to distract from her controversial actions during the movie’s promotion.
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Baldoni points out that while Lively promoted her haircare and alcohol brands, she downplayed the movie’s serious themes surrounding domestic violence.
The feud reportedly began during the film’s production in May 2023, when Baldoni claims Lively initiated a “takeover strategy” to control the project. Matters escalated when Lively enlisted the help of Reynolds and her close friend Taylor Swift to rewrite a pivotal rooftop scene.
Baldoni alleges a meeting at the couple’s New York penthouse turned into an ambush, where Reynolds and Swift both championed Lively’s changes. He felt pressured to agree, texting Lively afterward to express approval of her edits.
In one of the lawsuit’s more colorful moments, Lively described her collaborators as “dragons” in a Game of Thrones reference, saying, “I’m Khaleesi, and like her, I happen to have a few dragons… we all benefit from those gorgeous monsters of mine.”
Tensions boiled over during a January 2024 meeting to discuss reshoots. Baldoni accuses Lively of arriving armed with a “17-point demand list” and claims she weaponized Reynolds to attack him, describing it as Lively unleashing “Reynolds on Baldoni and Wayfarer.”
Despite complying with most of her demands, Baldoni alleges she continued to threaten the project unless given full editorial control.
The final blow came when Sony Studios pitted Lively’s version of the film against Baldoni’s in audience testing. Although Baldoni’s version scored higher, Sony ultimately released Lively’s cut.
Baldoni claims he was forced to resign as director, only to endure further humiliation when the cast unfollowed him on social media and rallied behind Lively.
The suit also alleges Sloane spearheaded a PR campaign to frame Lively as a martyr while vilifying Baldoni. Sloane allegedly collaborated with Baldoni’s former publicist, using texts to fabricate damaging narratives about him.
Adding insult to injury, Baldoni states Lively delayed serving her legal papers until the day California wildfires erupted in Pacific Palisades, accusing her of exploiting the chaos for personal gain.
Justin Baldoni is suing Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for $400 million, alleging defamation and extortion tied to “It Ends With Us.” The lawsuit follows Lively’s recent claims accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation. pic.twitter.com/qaHXQLQkWV
— Yahoo Entertainment (@YahooEnt) January 16, 2025
Baldoni has also filed a separate $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times for an article accusing him of leading a smear campaign against Lively.
With legal battles mounting and allegations flying, the drama surrounding It Ends With Us has become as explosive as the film itself.
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