Blake Lively<\/a> is suing her It Ends With Us<\/a> co-star Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment<\/a> and a campaign to \u201cdestroy\u201d her reputation, months after the release of their box office hit. <\/p>\n The 37-year-old plays Lily Bloom in the film based on the TikTok sensation, It Ends With Us, <\/a>a novel by Colleen Hoover<\/a>. Baldoni, who directed the film, stars as Ryle Kincaid, her abusive partner. <\/p>\n Rumors of an on-set feud had been percolating online<\/a>, as the pair appeared to avoid each other during the film\u2019s promotional tour. Lively was called out for a \u201ctone-deaf\u201d approach to the movie,<\/a> as some felt she failed to treat its heavy subject matter with the appropriate solemnity. <\/p>\n However, the lawsuit also alleges that fan backlash was part of a carefully orchestrated effort by Baldoni\u2019s PR team, <\/a>whose lawyers have counter-alleged that Lively\u2019s lawsuit is likewise an attempt to \u201cfix her negative reputation\u201d.<\/p>\n Baldoni is a married father of two and has positioned himself as an avid supporter of women\u2019s rights, adding further fuel to the controversy. He has since had an award for being an \u201cally to women\u201d rescinded.<\/a><\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Blake Lively has sued Justin Baldoni in a bombshell lawsuit alleging a smear campaign (Getty Images)<\/p>\n The actor and director sued The New York Times for $250m. He additionally sued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds for $400m for allegedly attempting to \u201cdestroy\u201d his reputation and career. A judge, however, tossed both lawsuits in June 2025.<\/p>\n January 2023 \u2013 Casting for<\/strong> It Ends With Us<\/strong> is announced <\/strong><\/p>\n After the success of Hoover\u2019s bestseller, Baldoni optioned the story for a film adaptation through his company, Wayfarer Studios, in January 2019. Lively was cast as the lead in the film <\/a>in January 2023, with Baldoni starring alongside her.<\/p>\n Hoover was excited by the prospect of both as she wrote on Instagram at the time, \u201cOur Lily is going to be played by Blake Lively – Blake Lively y\u2019all! She\u2019s my dream Lily. And then when I first met Justin Baldoni<\/a>, who is directing the film for us, I immediately wanted him to be Ryle. I just thought that he had what it takes to play that character. And the good news is, he\u2019s going to be Ryle – so we have our Ryle and our Lily.\u201d<\/p>\n 9 August 2024 \u2013 <\/strong>It Ends With Us<\/strong> is released, Baldoni praises Lively<\/strong><\/p>\n The film was released in August, with Baldoni praising Lively <\/a>as \u201cstrong, funny and intelligent \u2014 all the things you want from a female heroine\u201d. He added, \u201cThere wasn\u2019t a part of this production that she didn\u2019t touch and have an influence on. And everything she put her hands on and her mind to, she made better.\u201d<\/p>\n It goes on to be a box office success,<\/a> grossing a worldwide total of $351m (\u00a3291m). <\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n \u2018It Ends With Us\u2019 was a box office success (Sony)<\/p>\n 13 August \u2013 Feud rumors circulate as Lively and Baldoni avoid each other, director hires Johnny Depp\u2019s crisis management PR firm<\/strong><\/p>\n Rumors of a feud start circulating on social media as Baldoni and Lively avoid each other during the film\u2019s promotion. Internet sleuths notice that the stars do not follow each other on social media, with many of the film\u2019s cast following Lively but not Baldoni. Hoover also notably keeps her distance from Baldoni. <\/p>\n TMZ<\/a> alleged that the rife was a result of \u201cfat-shaming,\u201d inappropriate comments and Baldoni kissing for too long during scenes. There had also been rumors online that the rift had been caused by Lively and her Deadpool and Wolverine star husband, Ryan Reynolds, being too involved with the film.<\/p>\n Baldoni hires crisis management and PR professional Melissa Nathan, whose previous clients include Johnny Depp, Drake and Travis Scott, according to Deadline.<\/a> Nathan represented Depp during his successful defamation trial against Amber Heard, which occurred during rumors of an organized social media campaign against her. <\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Lively stars as Lily Bloom in the film (Sony)<\/p>\n 15 August \u2013 Lively faces backlash for \u2018tone deaf\u2019 marketing<\/strong><\/p>\n Lively, known for her upbeat demeanor and comedic rapport with husband Ryan Reynolds, begins to face backlash online for a \u201ctone-deaf\u201d approach<\/a> to the movie\u2019s marketing. <\/p>\n Criticism focused on Lively promoting her new haircare line during her movie tour, encouraging cinemagoers to \u201cbring their florals\u201d in an echo of the \u201cwear pink\u201d trend around Barbie last year, and for avoiding explicit mention of domestic violence.<\/p>\n Hundreds of social media critics flooded Lively\u2019s comments, suggesting that she had misread the room. Commercial tie-ins promoting the film have also raised eyebrows, including the actor\u2019s themed cocktails. One is called the \u201cRyle You Wait\u201d and is named after a character in the film who throws Bloom down the stairs.<\/p>\n Following the criticism, Lively shared a message to her Instagram <\/a>stories, writing: \u201cOne in 4 women aged 18 and older in the US alone have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n Her co-star Brandon Sklenar defends Lively<\/a> amidst what he calls the \u201cdisheartening\u201d backlash, after a clip of an interview <\/a>with the two of them also goes viral. <\/p>\n 15 August \u2013 Interview with journalist Kjersti Flaa resurfaces<\/strong><\/p>\n Amid the criticism surrounding Lively, a Norwegian journalist, Kjersti Flaa, posted a clip of a 2016 interview with the actor<\/a>, which made her \u201cwant to quit\u201d her job.<\/p>\n The sit-down was in promotion of Lively\u2019s film Caf\u00e9 Society, directed by Woody Allen. Lively was accompanied by her co-star Parker Posey.<\/p>\n Sharing the clip to YouTube<\/a>, Flaa titled the video: \u201cThe Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job.\u201d<\/p>\n Flaa began the interview by congratulating the actor on her \u201clittle bump\u201d after which Lively sarcastically responded: \u201cCongrats on your little bump.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking about the film, the journalist said she found it \u201cvisually amazing\u201d and asked whether Lively and Posey enjoyed the fashion, which played a big role in a film set in the 1930s.<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Flaa has denied she was involved in a coordinated smear campaign (YouTube\/ Kjersti Flaa)<\/p>\n Lively is then seen ignoring Flaa, and instead turns to Posey to say: \u201cEveryone wants to talk about the clothes, but I wonder if they would ask the men about the clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n 9 December \u2013 Baldoni awarded at Vital Voices event celebrating men who \u2018elevate women\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Baldoni was awarded a 2024 Voices of Solidarity Award from Vital Voices, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending sexual and domestic violence. The star-studded event was dedicated to celebrating men who \u201celevate women, combat gender-based violence and promote gender equality worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Baldoni accepts \u2018Voices of Solidarity Award\u2019 (Getty Images for Vital Voices G)<\/p>\n 21 December \u2013 Lively files bombshell lawsuit against Baldoni alleging sexual harassment <\/strong><\/p>\n In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ<\/a>, Lively claims Baldoni exhibited behavior that caused her \u201csevere emotional distress\u201d.<\/a><\/p>\n The lawsuit states there was a meeting attended by individuals including Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds<\/a>, Baldoni and their lawyers, to address The Age of Adeline star\u2019s claims, per TMZ.<\/p>\n Lively had a number requirements in order for her to work on the film that \u2013 according to the lawsuit cited by the outlet \u2013 included \u201cno more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake, no more mention of Baldoni\u2019s alleged previous \u2018pornography addiction,\u2019 no more discussions about sexual conquests in front of Blake and others, no further mentions of cast and crew\u2019s genitalia, no more inquiries about Blake\u2019s weight, and no further mention of Blake\u2019s dead father.\u201d<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Lively is suing Baldoni for \u2018sexual harassment\u2019 and a \u2018toxic workplace environment\u2019 (Getty Images)<\/p>\n Additionally, \u201cno more adding of sex scenes, oral sex or on camera climaxing by BL outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project,\u201d were other requirements included in the lawsuit, according to TMZ.<\/p>\n Per the outlet, the lawsuit says that the distributors of the film, Sony Pictures, approved Lively\u2019s requests. However, the actor claims in the filing that Baldoni then began a campaign to \u201cdestroy\u201d her reputation in response.<\/p>\n Baldoni\u2019s lawyer, Bryan Freeman, told TMZ that Lively\u2019s lawsuit had been filed in order to \u201cfix her negative reputation\u201d.<\/p>\n He added to the outlet that the A Simple Favour star\u2019s allegations are \u201cfalse, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n The lawyer added that Lively had caused issues on the film set by \u201cthreatening to not [show] up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release.\u201d<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Sklenar has shown his support for his co-star Lively (Getty Images)<\/p>\n 22 December \u2013 <\/strong>New York Times<\/strong> investigation alleges PR campaign orchestrated to \u2018bury\u2019 Lively<\/strong><\/p>\n Private messages obtained by The New York Times <\/a>appear to show an intentional attempt to \u201cbury\u201d Lively. <\/p>\n The battle over creative control was pitched as an idea for talking points during the press campaign, but Baldoni is said to have wanted more, as he said \u201cNot sure I\u2019m feeling the protection I felt on the call\u201d, following a conversation according to the report.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know we can bury anyone,\u201d Baldoni\u2019s PR Nathan is alleged to have said, per The New York Times.<\/a><\/p>\n Baldoni is said to have sent examples of a viral social media thread accusing another celebrity of bullying writing, \u201cThis is what we would need.\u201d<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Lively\u2019s sister Robyn has come to her support (Getty Images for Disney)<\/p>\n The Times alleged, \u201cMs Nathan soon floated proposals to hire contractors to dominate social media through \u2018full social account takedowns,\u2019 by starting \u2018threads of theories\u2019 and generally working to \u2018change narrative.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018All of this will be most importantly untraceable,\u2019 she wrote.\u201d<\/p>\n When approached by The Times, Flaa denies that she was involved in an organised smear campaign <\/a>against Lively. Addressing the situation further in a new YouTube<\/a> video, Flaa said that she would \u201cnever take money to jeopardize my integrity as a journalist.\u201d<\/p>\n 22 December \u2013 Baldoni dropped by talent agency <\/strong><\/p>\n Baldoni, previously represented by the WME<\/a> agency, parted ways with the actor following Lively\u2019s lawsuit, per The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lively \u2013 who is also repped by WME along with her husband, Ryan Reynolds<\/a> \u2013 accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and alleged the actor had launched a campaign to \u201cdestroy\u201d her reputation.<\/p>\n 23 December \u2013 Hollywood stars come out in support of Lively<\/strong><\/p>\n Colleen Hoover, Gwyneth Paltrow, America Ferrera, Amy Schumer, <\/a>and Paul Feig share messages supporting Lively and stand<\/a> with her in the aftermath of the allegations being made public. Lively\u2019s sister and actor Robyn also weighed<\/a> in as she wrote, \u201cFINALLY, Justice for my sister Blake Lively\u201d.<\/p>\n In a statement, Lively said, \u201cI hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.\u201d<\/p>\n See the full list of celebrities supporting Lively here. <\/a><\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Ferra, Paltrow, and Hoover have voiced their support for Lively amidst the claims (Getty)<\/p>\n 23 December \u2013 Baldoni\u2019s lawyers respond to sexual harassment lawsuit <\/strong><\/p>\n Bryan Freedman said in a statement, \u201cAudiences found Lively\u2019s own actions, interviews and marketing during the promotional tour distasteful, and responded organically to that which the media themselves picked up on\u201d, according to People.<\/a><\/p>\n He defended the PR company involved saying, \u201cTAG PR operated as any other crisis management firm would when hired by a client experiencing threats by two extremely powerful people with unlimited resources.\u201d<\/p>\n 23 December \u2013 Lively unable to make <\/strong>Saturday Night Live<\/strong> appearance due to lawsuit <\/strong><\/p>\n In the Gossip Girl alum\u2019s complaint, her lawyer claimed she was unable to continue with other work because of the backlash she was receiving as a result of Baldoni\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n This purportedly included the opportunity to host the season 50 premiere of SNL<\/a> on September 28, 2024, which was instead hosted by Jean Smart. The Independent has contacted NBC for comment.<\/p>\n 24 December \u2013 Baldoni has Award for being \u2018ally to women\u2019 rescinded<\/strong><\/p>\n In a statement shared on their social media and website<\/a>, Vital Voices stated that the lawsuit, which \u201calleges abhorrent conduct\u201d stands \u201ccontrary to the values of Vital Voices\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe communications among Mr Baldoni and his publicists included in the lawsuit \u2013 and the PR effort they indicate \u2013 are, alone, contrary to the values of Vital Voices and the spirit of the Award.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have notified Mr Baldoni that we have rescinded this award.\u201d<\/p>\n 24 December \u2013 Lively and Baldoni\u2019s <\/strong>It Ends With Us<\/strong> co-star addresses lawsuit claims<\/strong><\/p>\n Brandon Sklenar, who plays Lively\u2019s teenage love interest in It Ends With Us, shared a link to her lawsuit <\/a>and captioned the Instagram post: \u201cFOR THE LOVE OF GOD READ THIS,\u201d adding a red heart emoji while also tagging Lively.<\/p>\n 24 December \u2013 Baldoni\u2019s podcast co-host leaves show amid lawsuit <\/strong><\/p>\n Journalist and author Liz Plank, longtime co-host of The Man Enough Podcast, announced her departure following allegations of misconduct leveled against co-host Justin Baldoni by his It Ends with Us co-star Blake Lively. <\/p>\n \u201cAs this chapter closes for me, I remain committed to the values we\u2019ve built together,\u201d Plank said. \u201cWe all deserve better, and I know that together, we can create it.<\/p>\n 25 December – Baldoni\u2019s former publicist sues him over breach of contract<\/strong><\/p>\n Stephanie Jones files a lawsuit against Baldoni for breach of contract<\/a>, linking her dismissal to the alleged smear campaign against Baldoni\u2019s It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively.<\/a><\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Justin Baldoni\u2019s podcast co-host Liz Plank exits podcast amid Blake Lively lawsuit (Getty Images)<\/p>\n 27 December \u2013 Ryan Reynolds hints at difficult time in first post since feud became public<\/strong><\/p>\n Lively said negative press also affected her husband, Deadpool actor Reynolds, whom she married in 2012, and their four children.<\/p>\n While Reynolds has not addressed the furore directly, he hinted at a difficult time in the post<\/a>, which saw him appear in character as the Marvel antihero for a short clip that co-starred Wonder Woman actor Lynda Carter.<\/p>\n In the caption, he suggested that recent experiences had eaten away at him, calling it a time where he \u201creally didn\u2019t feel like putting the suit on\u201d.<\/p>\n 31 December \u2013 Baldoni\u2019s lawyer hints they will file \u2018explosive\u2019 countersuit<\/strong><\/p>\n The Daily Mail<\/a> reported that \u201can explosive counter lawsuit will be filed by Baldoni\u201d<\/a> on January 2. The publication reported that the legal document, which Baldoni\u2019s attorney Bryan Freedman has been preparing, claims Lively\u2019s Vision PR team was responsible for smears against Baldoni, not the other way round.<\/p>\n Freedman told Deadline<\/a> that he could not confirm when the lawsuit would be filed, but that it would contain some surprises.<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Baldoni claims he was \u2018aggressively berated\u2019 by Reynolds (Getty Images)<\/p>\n \u201cI am not going to speak to when or how many lawsuits we are filing but when we file our first lawsuit, it is going to shock everyone who has been manipulated into believing a demonstrably false narrative,\u201d the lawyer said. \u201cI will be supported by real evidence and tell the true story.\u201d<\/p>\n 1 January \u2013 Baldoni sues <\/strong>The New York Times<\/strong> for $250m, claims Reynolds \u2018aggressively berated\u2019 him<\/strong><\/p>\n Baldoni and nine other plaintiffs including publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel brought a $250m lawsuit against the newspaper alleging libel and false-light invasion of privacy.<\/p>\n The suit, which has been seen by The Independent, was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and claims that the Times reporting \u201c\u2018cherry-picked\u2019 and altered communications stripped of necessary context and deliberately spliced to mislead.\u201d<\/p>\n He claims he was \u201caggressively berated\u201d by Reynolds after Baldoni, who suffers from back problems, asked Lively how much she weighed before he lifted her, \u201cto ensure he could safely perform the lift without injury.\u201d<\/p>\n 1 January \u2013 Lively officially sues Baldoni <\/strong><\/p>\n The Hollywood star, 37, initially filed a legal complaint in December <\/a>that detailed the claims against her co-star and director, with whom she had been rumoured to have clashed while shooting the adaptation of Colleen Hoover\u2019s best-selling 2016 novel.<\/p>\n In the lawsuit filed on 1 January in New York federal court, Lively accused Baldoni and his PR team of organising a sophisticated scheme to undermine her reputation, in retaliation for speaking up about alleged misconduct on set<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2 January <\/strong>\u2013New York Times<\/strong> and Baldoni\u2019s lawyers respond<\/strong><\/p>\n In a statement to The Independent, a New York Times spokesperson said: \u201cThe role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead.<\/p>\n \u201cOur story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article. To date, Wayfarer Studios, Mr. Baldoni, the other subjects of the article and their representatives have not pointed to a single error. We published their full statement in response to the allegations in the article as well.<\/p>\n \u201cWe plan to vigorously defend against the lawsuit.\u201d<\/p>\n In a separate statement, Baldoni\u2019s attorney Bryan Freedman told The Independent: \u201cIn this vicious smear campaign fully orchestrated by Blake Lively and her team, the New York Times cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful \u2018untouchable\u2019 Hollywood elites, disregarding journalistic practices and ethics once befitting of the revered publication by using doctored and manipulated texts and intentionally omitting texts which dispute their chosen PR narrative.<\/p>\n \u201cIn doing so, they pre-determined the outcome of their story, and aided and abetted their own devastating PR smear campaign designed to revitalize Lively\u2019s self-induced floundering public image and counter the organic groundswell of criticism amongst the online public. The irony is rich.<\/p>\n \u201cMake no mistake however, as we all unite to take down the NY Times by no longer allowing them to deceive the public, we will continue this campaign of authenticity by also suing those individuals who have abused their power to try and destroy the lives of my clients. While their side embraces partial truths, we embrace the full truth – and have all of the communications to back it. The public will decide for themselves as they did when this first began.\u201d<\/p>\n 17 January \u2013 Baldoni countersues Lively and Reynolds for $400m <\/strong><\/p>\n After weeks of threatening to countersue Lively and Reynolds, Baldoni finally filed a $400m lawsuit <\/a>against the couple for allegedly attempting to \u201cdestroy\u201d his reputation and career.<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Justin Baldoni sues Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for $400m (Getty)<\/p>\n In the suit, Baldoni accused Lively and Reynolds of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contractual relations, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage.<\/p>\n \u201cThis lawsuit is a legal action based on an overwhelming amount of untampered evidence detailing Blake Lively and her team\u2019s duplicitous attempt to destroy Justin Baldoni, his team and their respective companies by disseminating grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new and doctored information to the media,\u201d Baldoni\u2019s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, shared in a statement with The Independent.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is clear based on our own all out willingness to provide all complete text messages, emails, video footage and other documentary evidence that was shared between the parties in real time, that this is a battle she will not win and will certainly regret. Blake Lively was either severely misled by her team or intentionally and knowingly misrepresented the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n When reached for comment, Lively\u2019s legal team told The Independent that Baldoni\u2019s lawsuit was \u201canother chapter in the abuser playbook\u201d.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThis is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim. This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender,\u201d they said. <\/p>\n 21 January \u2013 Baldoni releases \u2018damning\u2019 video and Lively hits back<\/strong><\/p>\n In an attempt to prove Baldoni\u2019s innocence, his legal team released a seven-minute-long video<\/a> showing Lively and Baldoni\u2019s interaction while shooting a dance scene in the film.<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Justin Baldoni releases behind-the-scenes clip to try and clear his name (Sony Pictures)<\/p>\n The clip revealed their conversation was mostly professional, with the unedited footage showing the moment, previously highlighted by Lively, that saw Baldoni kiss her neck while commenting on Lively\u2019s scent. In the clip, Baldoni said Lively \u201csmells good\u201d in response to concerns she was getting spray tan on him.<\/p>\n Following the clip\u2019s release, Lively swiftly shared her own statement in response to the unedited footage released by Baldoni\u2019s production company Wayfarer and his lawyer Bryan Freedman, calling it \u201cdamning\u201d evidence supporting her allegations.<\/p>\n \u201cJustin Baldoni and his lawyer may hope that this latest stunt will get ahead of the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is damning,\u201d Lively\u2019s legal team told MailOnline<\/a>, who obtained the video.<\/p>\n According to Lively\u2019s legal team, \u201cevery frame of the released footage corroborates, to the letter, what\u201d the actor \u201cdescribed\u201d in her original complaint.<\/p>\n Addressing the contents of the clip, Lively\u2019s team said the actor was uncomfortable during the filming of these scenes due to Baldoni \u201cattempting to kiss her, kissing her forehead, rubbing his face and mouth against her neck, flicking her lip with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and talking with her out of character\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery moment of this was improvised by Mr Baldoni with no discussion or consent in advance and no intimacy coordinator present. Mr Baldoni was not only Ms Lively\u2019s co-star, but the director, the head of studio and Ms Lively\u2019s boss,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n 25 January \u2013 Baldoni\u2019s sister breaks silence to praise his \u2018dedication to truth\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Baldoni\u2019s younger sister, Sara, shared her first Instagram post in over a year<\/a> to celebrate the actor\u2019s 41st birthday.<\/p>\n \u201cHappy birthday JB,\u201d she wrote in the caption. \u201cI love you and I celebrate you \u2013 the man you are, the love you embody, the strength of your connection to God, the essence of your being, your dedication to truth, to service and to love \u2013 today and all days.\u201d<\/p>\n Sara added: \u201cI am so proud to call you my big brother and annoyingly squeeze the hell out of you until the end of time.\u201d<\/p>\n Her post came days after Baldoni\u2019s wife, Emily, also broke her Instagram silence to honor the Jane the Virgin alum on his January 24 birthday<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHappy birthday my love. Celebrating the man, husband, and father that you are. I\u2019d choose you again and again,\u201d Emily wrote alongside a photo of them and their two children on a beach.<\/p>\n 27 January \u2013 Baldoni apologises to Lively in leaked voice memo<\/strong><\/p>\n In a leaked voice memo that Baldoni allegedly<\/a> sent to Lively during the production of the movie, he can be heard apologising to his co-star.<\/p>\n The nearly seven-minute-long audio message is believed to have been sent after Baldoni questioned changes Lively made to a rooftop scene \u2013 months before their explosive lawsuit<\/a>.<\/p>\n Baldoni\u2019s response to the edits Lively had made to a pivotal scene in the movie led the upset actor to express her disappointment with Baldoni, for which he said he was \u201creally sorry\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cMan, reading the second part of your message, my heart sank and I\u2019m really sorry. I, for sure, fell short and you worked really hard on that,\u201d Baldoni said in the voice note.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel really grateful that you feel safe enough to tell me that that\u2019s how you feel and share that with me. And I\u2019m really sorry. I f***ed up. That is a fail on my part.\u201d<\/p>\n In the message, which Baldoni said was sent at 2am, he said he is \u201cfar from perfect\u201d, adding: \u201cI\u2019m a very flawed man, as my wife will attest. But I will always apologise and then find my way back to centre. That is one thing I can assure you of. And I\u2019m sorry I made you feel that way \u2013 that must have felt terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n 28 January \u2013 Trial date set<\/strong><\/p>\n Within hours of the audio message\u2019s release, New York federal judge Lewis J. Liman informed both parties to prepare for a March 9, 2026 trial.<\/a><\/p>\n He also moved an initial conference from mid-February to early February and told lawyers to be prepared to address complaints about pretrial publicity and attorney conduct.<\/p>\n Liman took the actions after Lively\u2019s lawyers claimed in a filing on Monday (January 27) that an attorney for Baldoni was trying to taint potential jurors over lawsuits the actors have filed against each other.<\/p>\n 30 January – Lively and Reynolds ask for Baldoni\u2019s lawsuit to be dismissed<\/strong><\/p>\n The couple\u2019s attorneys filed a notice on January 30<\/a> stating that they will seek to dismiss Baldoni\u2019s counter lawsuit. This is in compliance with Judge Lewis Liman\u2019s order, which outlined how the case will proceed.<\/p>\n The judge had reportedly asked for a letter that would \u201cindicate in one sentence the Defendant\u2019s intent to make a motion to dismiss\u201d. Liman will later set a deadline for when to file the motion.<\/p>\n Following the judge\u2019s instruction, lawyer Michael J Gottlieb said: \u201cThe Lively-Reynolds Parties intend to move to dismiss Plaintiffs\u2019 complaint.\u201d<\/p>\n Leslie Sloane, who is a publicist for Lively and Reynolds and was also named as a defendant in Baldoni\u2019s lawsuit, submitted a similar statement to the court on January 29.<\/p>\n Baldoni\u2019s team said that they are eager to take Lively\u2019s deposition as soon as possible but claimed that her representatives have indicated that they don\u2019t want his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, to do the deposition due to \u201cunspecified statements made by Mr Freedman\u201d.<\/p>\n 1 February – Baldoni launches website with fresh claims about the case<\/strong><\/p>\n Days before the first court hearing on the case, Baldoni\u2019s team launched a website<\/a> containing two legal documents about the dispute with Lively. The documents feature an amendment claiming that the New York Times had access to Lively\u2019s lawsuit against him at least 11 days before they published their report. The newspaper said that the filings were \u201crife with inaccuracies\u201d.<\/p>\n 5 February – Lively sued by crisis PR she claimed \u2018weaponized a digital army\u2019 against her <\/strong><\/p>\n Jed Wallace, of crisis PR firm Street Relations, Inc, brings a $7 million defamation lawsuit against Lively<\/a> alleging that she has no evidence to support her claim that Wallace “weaponized a digital army around the country from New York to Los Angeles to create, seed and promote content that appeared to be authentic on social media platforms and internet chat forums.”<\/p>\n In a statement to The Independent, Lively\u2019s legal team said: \u201cAnother day, another state, another nine-figure lawsuit seeking to sue Ms Lively \u2018into oblivion\u2019 for speaking out against sexual harassment and retaliation.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not just a publicity stunt\u2014it is transparent retaliation in response to allegations contained within a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint that Ms. Lively filed with the California Civil Rights Department.\u201d<\/p>\n 10 February \u2013 Baldoni speaks out on \u2018intense year\u2019 in old interview filmed months before legal drama ensued<\/strong><\/p>\n In November 2024, prior to all of the legal drama, Baldoni sat down for an interview on Gent\u2019s Talk podcast, where he opened up about his \u201cintense year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis morning, I sent a text message to my best friend Jamey [Heath] and the president of my company, Tera [Hanks],\u201d he said in the episode, released on February 10, \u201cand I told them that I wasn’t in the best place. I told them that I was exhausted, that I haven’t given myself time to recover or time to heal.\u201d<\/p>\n Baldoni further divulged that he \u201chad an intense year\u201d full of \u201ca lot of material success and a lot of emotional stress.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cIt was very hard on me and my family,\u201d he admitted. \u201cWhen I checked in with myself I realized that I just haven’t given myself the time to heal from this year.\u201d<\/p>\n 13 February \u2013 Lively subpoenas Baldoni\u2019s phone records, while<\/strong> It Ends with Us<\/strong> author Colleen Hoover erases actors from Instagram page<\/strong><\/p>\n Lively\u2019s legal team has reportedly sent subpoenas to the three major US phone companies AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, requesting Baldoni\u2019s phone records, according to US Weekly<\/a>. They have also sought the phone records for Baldoni\u2019s publicists, Jennifer Abel and Melissa Nathan, in an attempt to \u201cexpose the full web of individuals\u201d they allege are involved in the smear campaign against Lively. <\/p>\n \u201cSuch records will provide critical and irrefutable evidence not only about who, but also about when, where, and how their retaliation plan came together and operated,\u201d Lively\u2019s representative told the publication. <\/p>\n Baldoni\u2019s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, responded to the subpoenas, telling US Weekly that while \u201csubpoenas are an ordinary part of the litigation,\u201d it\u2019s the extent of what Lively\u2019s lawyers are seeking that is \u201cextraordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey are asking for every single call, text, data log, and even real-time location information for the past 2.5 years, regardless of the sender, recipient, or subject matter,\u201d he said. \u201cThis massive fishing expedition demonstrates that they are desperately seeking any factual basis for their provably false claims. They will find none.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, as the legal battle continues, It Ends with Us author Colleen Hoover has wiped all mention of Lively and Baldoni<\/a> from her Instagram page. <\/p>\n Hoover, who quit Instagram last month, returned to the social media platform on Wednesday. Though she still follows Lively, she has deleted all of the photos she had shared with her and Baldoni. <\/p>\n In fact, all references to the It Ends with Us promotional tour, which took place in summer 2024, are gone.<\/p>\n 18 February \u2013 Lively says other women will testify against Baldoni for making them \u2018uncomfortable\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Lively has filed an amended complaint<\/a>, claiming that she was not the only woman Baldoni made uncomfortable on set. <\/p>\n In the new filing, Lively claims she has corroboration of her original claims, with other women allegedly willing to testify in court against Baldoni. <\/p>\n Though the women are unnamed, the document states that they have \u201cgiven Ms. Lively permission to share the substance of their communications\u201d and \u201cthey will testify and produce responsive documents in the discovery process.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe experiences of Ms. Lively and others were documented at the time they occurred starting in May of 2023,\u201d it continues. <\/p>\n \u201cImportantly, and contrary to the entire narrative Defendants have invented, Mr. Baldoni acknowledged the complaints in writing at the time. He knew that women other than Ms. Lively also were uncomfortable and had complained about his behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n 5 March \u2013 Judge Liman says <\/strong>New York Times\u2019 <\/strong>motion to dismiss Baldoni\u2019s lawsuit has \u2018substantial grounds\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n The ruling indicates that the suit \u2013 <\/strong>in which Baldoni accused the outlet of colluding with Lively\u2019s team to tarnish his reputation \u2013 could be thrown out.<\/p>\n 18 March \u2013 Reynolds moves to dismiss Baldoni\u2019s $400 million lawsuit<\/strong><\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Ryan Reynolds\u2019s lawyers argued that Baldoni could not sue over \u2018hurt feelings\u2019 (Getty)<\/p>\n In papers filed on March 18, Reynolds is seeking to have the claims brought against him by Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios dismissed.<\/p>\n Reynolds alleged the suit doesn\u2019t prove he defamed Baldoni and is \u201ca list of grievances attempting to shame Mr. Reynolds for being the man Mr. Baldoni has built his brand pretending to be.\u201d<\/p>\n “What does Ryan Reynolds have to do with that (Lively and Baldoni’s dispute), legally speaking, other than being a supportive spouse who has witnessed firsthand the emotional, reputational, and financial devastation Ms. Lively has suffered?” his lawyers wrote in a memorandum supporting the motion.<\/p>\n 20 March \u2013 Lively moves to dismiss Baldoni\u2019s $400 million lawsuit<\/strong><\/p>\n In the filing, Lively claimed Baldoni\u2019s lawsuit was \u201cvengeful and rambling\u201d and urged the court to \u201cdismiss all claims against Ms. Lively with prejudice, deny leave to amend, and award Ms. Lively all relief sought,\u201d including legal fees and damages for \u201creputational and emotional harm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Court should dismiss all claims against Ms. Lively with prejudice, deny leave to amend, and award Ms. Lively all relief sought,\u201d a memorandum filed with the motion to dismiss reads.<\/p>\n Lively\u2019s lawyers also said the suit was part of a “sinister campaign to bury and destroy” the actor. <\/p>\n 2 June – Lively withdraws emotional distress claims after Baldoni lawyers seek medical records<\/strong><\/p>\n Lively was reportedly seeking to withdraw her claims that Baldoni intentionally and negligently inflicted emotional distress <\/a>on her during the production of their film.<\/p>\n The decision is thought to be a response to attempts by Baldoni\u2019s legal team to obtain Lively\u2019s medical records, including therapy notes and other health details, as part of the discovery process.<\/p>\n 9 June \u2013 Judge tosses both of Baldoni\u2019s lawsuits against<\/strong> The New York Times<\/strong> and Lively and Reynolds<\/strong><\/p>\n In a major victory for Lively and Reynolds, Judge Liman dismissed Baldoni\u2019s lawsuit against the couple. Baldoni\u2019s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times was also tossed. <\/p>\n Baldoni was suing Lively<\/a>, Reynolds, their publicist, and The New York Times <\/a>for defamation. In the lawsuit, Baldoni alleged that they tried to destroy his career using false allegations.<\/p>\n However, the judge threw out both lawsuits<\/a>, ruling that Lively\u2019s accusations of sexual harassment were legally protected.<\/p>\n He allowed Baldoni to amend and refile some of the actor\u2019s allegations regarding interference with contracts, imposing a deadline of June 23.<\/p>\n \u201cToday\u2019s opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times,\u201d Lively\u2019s lawyers said in a statement to The Independent.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we have said from day one, this \u2018$400 million\u2019 lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it. We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys\u2019 fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.\u201d<\/p>\n 3 November – Baldoni\u2019s lawsuit formally ends<\/strong><\/p>\n Baldoni\u2019s $400m defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively and Reynolds formally comes to an end after a final deadline expires.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Blake](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Justin-Baldoni-Blake-Lively-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\u2018It](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/441017525_370398178707879_5743524047877329072_n_0.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Lively](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1762348214_961_newFile.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"Flaa](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/newFile-1.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"Lively](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Justin-Baldoni-Blake-Lively.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Sklenar](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1762348216_462_newFile-5.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"Ferra,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1762348217_353_newFile-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Justin](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/newFile-3.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Baldoni](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1762348218_678_Untitled-design.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Justin](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/MixCollage-16-Jan-2025-09-59-AM-3448.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Justin](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/it-ends-with-us-043024-6-c1a3768b5cc24e79bdeab683bec4d3bb.jpg\")
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