Animosity intensified on the set of “It Ends With Us” for months. Things got even more heated when famous lawsuits filled with drama exploded between celebrity Blake Lively and actor Justin Baldoni. Heretofore unsealed text messages from the filming reveal Lively’s mounting exasperation on set. This tension soon turned into ugly allegations of sexual harassment and retaliatory harassment. This newly emerging series of events has captured the media’s attention, as new documents have been released.
In May 2023, Lively responded to a journalist’s text message. These communications are both an indication of the emotional distress she was under while producing the film. In one of her messages, she wrote, “I returned home and cried,” pointing to the challenging climate that she encountered on set. Lively opened up to actress Jenny Slate — who herself had a traumatic on-set experience — about her time on the film, highlighting the aggressive production’s pressure.
Hundreds of documents recently unsealed just before a hearing was scheduled on the matter reveal new evidence in the heated courtroom fight. Those letters and emails are filled with personal stories. They include testimonies from dozens of women who opened up about their distressing experiences creating the set.
In December 2024, Lively moved forward by filing an official complaint against Baldoni. She charged him with sexual harassment with the new California Civil Rights Department. She further alleged that Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, started a “social manipulation” campaign. Even if they couldn’t take down her candidacy, their intent was clearly to smear and attack her character. This accusation, though, introduces a second layer of charged narrative—one starkly familiar to those embroiled in issues of power and representation in the entertainment space.
That falling out just got nuclear when Baldoni, the plaintiff in the original case, filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and other defendants. He sued them for harassment, extortion, and defamation. He claimed that Lively had effectively “thieved” from him the ability to control the project and thus his reputation in doing so.
“She had the nuclear bomb. If she doesn’t promote the movie she can leak that I’m a bad person or that she felt unsafe with me and ‘all the stuff’ she has on me. Then she’s the victim.” – Justin Baldoni
Since baldoni’s accusation, Lively has pushed back. She is suing him for close to $500 million in damages, alleging that he retaliated for practices she uncovered through her complaints. The accusations lodged at him have reverberated across his industry, calling attention to the wider mistreatment of women in Hollywood.
Lively made her early thoughts about Baldoni known in a beautiful Instagram post. She later reflected, “I felt a feeling I didn’t like the energy and I ignored it. Never again! Lesson learned.” Her admission shows that she recognized Baldoni’s predatory behavior from the very start. Even with her concerns, she was intimidated into continuing to work with him.
While both parties continue to wrangle in court, last June, a federal judge dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuit. That counterclaim was officially settled in October when Baldoni did not refile an amended complaint. Lively’s legal counsel said in a statement, “Our clients chose not to re-file their complaint in order to preserve their rights of appeal. For now, we are focusing our efforts on the claims brought by Ms. Lively.”
Taken as a whole, the newly unsealed evidence paints a deeply disturbing picture. It sheds light on the toxic culture fostered on the set of It Ends With Us. The testimonials and messages in almost unequivocally favor Lively’s testimony. They shed light on the daily battles that countless women are still fighting in the world of entertainment.
“This 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.” – Legal Expert
As this case proceeds, regardless of the outcome, it will likely set important precedents about how allegations of sexual misconduct should be dealt with in Hollywood. Each of these stars, however, have found themselves caught up in a story that showcases the societal forces at play with respect to power, abuse, and accountability.
“In his TedTalk to promote his brand as an advocate for women, Justin Baldoni said we must ‘listen to the women’…even if what they are saying is against you.” – Source
