Justin Baldoni has escalated his ongoing dispute with Blake Lively regarding their movie “It Ends With Us” by unveiling a website on Saturday, which includes modifications to his $400 million defamation lawsuit. The site offers a comprehensive chronology of events, including text messages, emails, and other correspondence aimed at refuting Lively’s accusations of inappropriate behavior on the film set where conflicts occurred.
The lawsuit additionally implicates Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s spouse, and portrays them as the architects of a scheme intended to harm Baldoni’s professional journey. Baldoni’s legal representatives aim to reveal this evidence in the hope that it will change the public discourse surrounding the controversy.
In his revised court filing, attorney Bryan Freedman for Baldoni presents this legal action not merely as a typical tussle within Hollywood, but rather as something of greater significance.
Essentially, Freedman stated that this situation isn’t merely about celebrities having a feud through media. Instead, it’s a matter of two highly influential stars misusing their immense power to seize a film from its director and production studio. When they failed to receive the recognition they thought they deserved, they shifted their anger towards their convenient target.
Freedman noted that Baldoni put up with over a year of what he termed Lively and Reynolds’ persistent and relentless actions, all the while demonstrating professionalism. However, this did not provide any shield for him.
A Once-Friendly Relationship Turns Toxic
In legal proceedings, it’s stated that Baldoni and Lively initially had a cordial professional relationship. As suggested by court documents, they would exchange personal anecdotes, humor, and internet memes. Their communication was frequent, almost daily, and Baldoni stood by Lively during challenging family health issues.
In the lawsuit, there’s an image of a conversation that took place on May 11, 2023, which includes Lively boasting about their accomplishment related to the book titled “It Ends With Us”.
It’s a fantastic sensation to accomplish tasks we can be proud of, as [Lively] stated. Doing it collaboratively makes it even better. When the pieces fall into place, there’s a special connection, and that moment is just as fulfilling as capturing it on screen, promoting it, or launching it. This is all about storytelling, and this is why we engage in it.
In response to your kind words, I couldn’t help but express my gratitude for our collaborative efforts. I’m genuinely proud of what we’ve achieved together, and I find myself fondly appreciating the sentimental side of you, Blake.
Lively jokingly replied, “Never met her.”
The conversation took on a lighter tone, as Baldoni remarked, “I even admire Blake Lively… don’t fret,” and Lively retorted humorously, “I’ve actually crossed paths with her. Even my medication has encountered her.
Disputing the Harassment Allegations
The court case mentions a meeting in June 2023, where Lively asked Baldoni to join her in her trailer for script practice during breastfeeding breaks. As stated by Baldoni’s lawyers, this encounter happened following the events that Lively has alleged were instances of harassment.
On June 2, 2023, as per Baldoni’s findings, I sent a message saying: “I’m here in my trailer if you’re ready to go over our lines.
The legal action further discusses Lively’s claims about uncomfortable intimacy scenes. Baldoni asserts that Lively declined meetings with the film’s intimacy advisor, forcing him to attend these consultations alone and subsequently communicate the advisor’s recommendations to her. These conversations reportedly happened in Lively and Reynolds’ home on various occasions, with Reynolds sometimes being present.
A snapshot reveals that Baldoni communicated to the woman producer about Lively’s choice of declining the preliminary meeting with the intimacy advisor.
He mentioned that she’s not interested in meeting the intimacy coordinator until they begin the project, which might disrupt the work process, as he put it.
The producer said, “It’s all right if she doesn’t wish to meet up at the moment. You’ll simply need to guide her through your ideas and those of our intimacy coordinator instead.
The Turning Point: Negative Press and Drafted Statements
According to Baldoni’s legal team, they assert that as unfavorable news about the film started emerging in August 2024, Lively and Reynolds tried to shift responsibility for the production issues onto him. Baldoni declares that this powerful duo coerced him to issue a statement from Wayfarer Studios, which threatened that if he failed to do so, they would intensify their actions against him.
In the lawsuit, the statement written as a draft reads: ‘IT ENDS WITH US had its share of troubles, for which we take complete responsibility. We deeply regret causing distress to people, both privately and publicly. Throughout the production, Blake Lively, Colleen Hoover, the entire cast, and crew displayed nothing but professionalism; any criticism directed towards them is our fault.
The statement goes on to say, “We came to an understanding with each other that the cast would individually promote the movie. This makes sense to us. We’ve always acknowledged that we’re not flawless and if we slip up unintentionally, we’ll take responsibility. It’s our duty to do so, not someone else’s, and that’s what it means to be ‘man enough.’ We aim to practice what we preach. We’re using this experience as an opportunity to learn and grow, and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we figure out a better approach. We’re extremely proud of the movie and the warm reception it’s received.
Baldoni claims that the statement aimed to distort public opinion by blaming him for the production’s issues, and he chose not to make it public.
A Timeline of Escalation and Legal Battles
In December, Lively submitted a sexual harassment claim with the California Civil Rights Department, which took the dispute to federal court on New Year’s Eve. On the same day, Baldoni retaliated by filing a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times, claiming they defamed him through an article about his alleged attempts to tarnish Lively’s reputation.
Several weeks passed, and then Baldoni filed a standalone lawsuit worth $400 million against Lively and Reynolds, alleging they had usurped the movie project and slandered him as a form of revenge due to creative disputes.
Baldoni referenced a well-known rooftop sequence from the movie where he alleges pressure was applied by Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and her friend Taylor Swift, to modify the scene using a revised script. In a lengthy six-minute audio message, Baldoni extended an apology to Lively for the controversy that ensued due to that particular scene.
The Gloves Are Off
The ongoing dispute between the two parties seems unyielding, with each side firmly entrenched in their stance. Baldoni’s website is now a repository of communications and evidence. Despite recent advancements, Lively has remained silent on this matter, while neither her nor Reynolds’ representatives have responded to our requests for comment.
Originally stemming from a disagreement over creativity on a movie production, this situation has transformed into one of the most heated legal battles in Hollywood, as both sides are vying to dictate the storyline.
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2025-02-05 19:56