Fact vs. Fiction: Unpacking the 'It Ends with Us' Controversy by Hannah Burnham

Beneath the film’s soft, floral branding lies a bitter legal showdown between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Allegations, lawsuits, and conflicting evidence—who’s telling the truth? This case isn’t just about them; it’s a reflection of Hollywood’s ongoing struggle with power, reputation, and justice.

Photo via: https://people.com/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-legal-drama-timeline-8785868

4 minute read

Sensitive content warning: If you are sensitive to mentions of sexual harassment and misconduct, please skip reading this week’s article. 

The 2024 film It Ends with Us centres around much darker subject matter than its audience might be able to infer from the fun, fluffy, and floral branding hung up around a Cineplex near you. Co-starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, the lovey-dovey promotionals might be just convincing enough to fool you into thinking that these stars share an amicable relationship. However, in light of recent news, most audience members know this is not true. Amongst strong allegations from either side, it can be hard to know what to believe. In this article, I will attempt to outline the objective facts of the case and what kinds of legal mechanisms are available to address this case and others like it within the entertainment industry.  

Case Background

In December 2024, after production had long come to a close, Blake Lively took legal action by filing a complaint against Justin Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department. Not only did Baldoni co-star alongside Lively as her love interest; Ryle Kincaid, but he also directed the film. She accused him of creating a toxic and inappropriate work environment in the form of verbal comments and unwanted physical contact during filming. According to Lively, Baldoni and his team launched a ‘smear campaign’ to damage her reputation when she spoke up about the issue. Eventually, her claims escalated into a federal lawsuit; naming Baldoni, his production company (Wayfarer Studios), and key members of his PR team as the defendants.

Baldoni responds to Lively’s Allegations

Baldoni strongly denied the allegations against him and fought back with a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her entourage; husband, Ryan Reynolds and publicist, Leslie Sloane. He claimed they engaged in civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy, stating that Lively was trying to “take over creative control of the film” despite having no authority to do so. Baldoni maintains that when she didn’t get her way, she allegedly fabricated harassment claims in order to shift the focus away from her own questionable behaviour throughout production.

Legal Claims and Counterclaims

Lively's lawsuit centres on claims of sexual harassment, retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She alleges that Baldoni's actions violated workplace safety and anti-harassment laws, leading to significant emotional and professional harm. Conversely, Baldoni's counterclaims focus on defamation and civil extortion, arguing that Lively's allegations were strategically designed to damage his reputation and coerce him into acquiescing to her demands. 

Evidence

With both sides presenting compelling documentation to support their claims, it is difficult to deduce credibility or to know what to believe in light of the serious nature of the allegations. Text messages, emails, and behind-the-scenes footage from the It Ends with Us film set have all become key evidence in this case. Baldoni’s legal team has released unedited footage to push back against Lively’s accusations, insisting that their on-set interactions were strictly professional and in line with the normal working relationship between a director and actor. They argue that the clips show no clear signs of inappropriate behaviour and emphasize that context is crucial in assessing workplace dynamics. They’ve also pointed to text exchanges between Lively and Baldoni, suggesting that she didn’t express discomfort at the time.

Releasing untouched footage to push back against Lively’s initial accusations, Baldoni’s team consistently insists that the on-set interactions between the two remained strictly within the professional sphere, in-line with a normal conception of a working relationship between actor and director. They argue that the clips show no clear signs of inappropriate behaviour and emphasize that context is crucial in assessing workplace dynamics. The additional point that has been brought up is that even in text exchanges to Baldoni, Lively never once expressed her discomfort with the situation. Lively’s team, however, views the footage through a completely different lens… They argue that certain moments caught on camera clearly show a pattern of inappropriate behaviour, with Baldoni allegedly crossing personal boundaries while tactfully framing it as part of his ‘role as director.’ They also push back against the idea that friendly text exchanges or emails prove anything, emphasizing that power dynamics in Hollywood often make it difficult (especially for women!) to speak up in the moment. The appearance of someone being cordial or cooperative in messages does not mean they felt comfortable or safe behind the scenes.

At the heart of the case lies the challenge of interpreting evidence that can be viewed in multiple ways. With Legal teams on either side shaping their own narratives around the same material, the ultimate decision may come down to how a court, and the public, chooses to read between the lines of what really happened.

Legal and Entertainment Industry Implications

It is no secret that allegations of misconduct within the entertainment industry are prominent, and unfortunately, inappropriate behaviour and harassment do happen on sets quite often. When it comes to the Lively v. Baldoni case in particular, the challenges in addressing these sorts of legal battles become increasingly clear with the addition of factors such as the role of public relations in disputes, as well as the career ramifications for high-profile celebrities that must be considered. This case is a call to action to address the urgent need for Hollywood to enforce clear workplace boundaries, ensuring that problematic behaviour from cast and crew is addressed swiftly and effectively before it escalates to this level.

Works Cited

"Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's Legal Battle, Explained." Vulture, 13 Feb. 2025, https://www.vulture.com/article/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-lawsuit-it-ends-with-us.html.

"Blake Lively Subpoenas Justin Baldoni's Text Messages in Ongoing 'It Ends With Us' Legal Battle." Page Six, 13 Feb. 2025, https://pagesix.com/2025/02/13/celebrity-news/blake-lively-subpoenas-justin-baldonis-text-messages-in-ongoing-it-ends-with-us-legal-battle/.

"Inside Lively-Baldoni Legal Battle: Texts, Raw Footage and a 2am Apology." The Times, 3 Feb. 2025, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/blake-lively-texts-justin-baldoni-video-gj5t050px.

"Blake Lively's Lawyers Take Dig at Justin Baldoni's Website, Say Receipts are 'Nowhere to Be Found' on It." People, 13 Feb. 2025, https://people.com/blake-lively-lawyers-swipe-justin-baldoni-website-receipts-nowhere-11679227.

"Blake Lively Subpoenas Justin Baldoni's Phone Records for 'Critical' Evidence of Alleged Smear Campaign." New York Post, 13 Feb. 2025, https://nypost.com/2025/02/13/entertainment/blake-lively-subpoenas-justin-baldonis-phone-records-for-alleged-smear-campaign/.