Justin Baldoni files $400 million defamation case against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds over It Ends With Us controversy
Actor and director Justin Baldoni has filed a $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and publicist Leslie Sloane in the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit, filed on January 16, 2025, accuses the trio of defamation, extortion, and various other allegations stemming from controversies surrounding their collaboration on the film It Ends With Us, as reported by People.
According to the 179-page lawsuit, Baldoni alleges that Blake Lively, 37, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and publicist Leslie Sloane orchestrated a smear campaign to damage Baldoni's personal and professional reputation. The lawsuit also names Baldoni's company, Wayfarer Studios, producer Jamey Heath, and publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel as co-plaintiffs.
Justin Baldoni's legal team claims that Lively and her associates sought to "hijack" the movie's premiere and destroy the plaintiffs' livelihoods, as per a Forbes report dated January 16, 2025.
The suit accuses Lively of conspiring with The New York Times to publish a defamatory article about Baldoni and his representatives. Baldoni claims the December 2024 article, which alleged a coordinated smear campaign against Lively, was based on "grossly edited and doctored information."
In response, Baldoni filed a separate libel lawsuit against The New York Times on December 31, 2024, asserting that the publication used "cherry-picked and misleading communications" to misrepresent the situation, as per People.
He further alleges that Ryan Reynolds approached an executive at WME, Baldoni's former talent agency, and falsely labeled him a "s*xual predator," pressuring the agency to sever ties with him. The lawsuit also claims Lively intentionally excluded Baldoni from promotional events for It Ends With Us and removed him from the film's marketing materials, exacerbating tensions between the co-stars.
Background of the dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni
This lawsuit comes less than a month after Blake Lively's December 20, 2024, complaint accusing Justin Baldoni of s*xual harassment and retaliation during the production and promotion of It Ends With Us. Her allegations included claims of "grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety" caused by Baldoni's alleged behavior, as per People.
Blake Lively also accused her former co-star of orchestrating a smear campaign to discredit her after she spoke out about the alleged misconduct.
As per a report by People, Justin Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, issued a strong statement, describing the lawsuit as "a legal action based on an overwhelming amount of untampered evidence." Freedman claimed that Lively's team manipulated the media with fabricated narratives and that the truth would vindicate Baldoni.
He emphasized that his client has provided complete text messages, emails, and video footage to substantiate his claims. Lively's team has not publicly responded to the latest lawsuit, and representatives for Ryan Reynolds and Leslie Sloane have also declined to comment.
The lawsuit lists several causes of action, including defamation, civil extortion, false light invasion of privacy, and intentional interference with contractual relations. Baldoni and his co-plaintiffs are seeking $400 million in damages, citing the financial and reputational harm they have allegedly suffered.
Justin Baldoni also accuses Blake Lively of prioritizing her personal business ventures, such as promoting her haircare and alcoholic beverage brands, over the film's focus on raising awareness for domestic violence survivors. He contends that the negative press surrounding Lively was a result of her own actions, not a smear campaign orchestrated by his team.
The legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively began escalating in late 2024. In addition to suing Lively, Baldoni filed a libel lawsuit against The New York Times, claiming that its article, titled We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine, misrepresented the facts. The New York Times defended its reporting, describing the article as "meticulously and responsibly reported."
Blake Lively's statement within the article expressed hope that her legal action would expose the "sinister retaliatory tactics" used to silence individuals who speak out about misconduct. Meanwhile, Justin Baldoni's attorney has repeatedly emphasized his client's intention to "set the record straight."
The legal dispute has cast a shadow over It Ends With Us, a film that initially garnered significant attention for its adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel.
