Justin Baldoni vs Blake Lively: 'It Ends with Us' director sues ‘Gossip Girl’ star and Ryan Reynolds for $400 million

Justin Baldoni vs Blake Lively: “It Ends With Us” actor and director Justin Baldoni has filed a lawsuit against his co-star Blake Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, for defamation and extortion.

Justin Baldoni vs Blake Lively: What did Baldoni's lawsuit state? 

In the lawsuit filed by Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios in federal court in New York sought at least $400 million for damages that include lost future income. 

It alleged that Lively and Reynolds hijacked the production and marketing of the film “It Ends With Us" and manipulated media to smear Baldoni and others on the production with false allegations of sexual and other harassment.

In the new legal filing, Baldoni claims that Lively took control of the It Ends With Us production and, along with Reynolds, defamed him and attempted to extort him.

"Plaintiffs now have no choice but to fight back armed only with the truth -- and the mountain of concrete evidence disproving Lively's allegations," the lawsuit alleged as quoted by AFP

“Heartbreakingly, a film that Baldoni envisioned years ago would honor the survivors of domestic violence by telling their story, with the lofty goal of making a positive impact in the world, has now been overshadowed beyond recognition solely as a result of Lively's actions and cruelty,” the lawsuit stated as quoted by AFP. 

War between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni

The war between the stars was dragged into the spotlight when fans noticed during promotion of the film that they did not follow one another on social media. It soon emerged that Lively had complained of Baldoni's behavior on the set, accusing him of -- among other things -- speaking inappropriately about his sex life and seeking to add intimate scenes into the film that she had not previously agreed to. Lively also said lead producer Jamey Heath had watched her while she was topless, despite having been asked to turn away.

Then, Lively alleged, Baldoni ignited a PR campaign to smear her and divert attention away from complaints she might make about the men's alleged actions.

Earlier on January 1, Baldoni had slapped a $250 million libel lawsuit on The New York Times, according to an AP report. The suit, filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, claimed the NYT and Lively “coordinated a smear campaign” against him and nine other, the report added.

About It Ends With Us…

‘It Ends With Us’, a romantic drama that adapted author Colleen Hoover's 2016 best-selling novel of the same name, was released in August 2024. The film, based on the book by Colleen Hoover, touches on issues of domestic violence and abuse.

(With inputs from AFP)