Who is Steve Sarowitz? Blake Lively's lawsuit alleges co-founder of Justin Baldoni's studio compared her and Ryan Reynolds with Hamas
Blake Lively filed an amended complaint in New York federal court on February 18, 2025, alleging that Steve Sarowitz, co-founder and co-chairman of Wayfarer Studios, made threats against her and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
The lawsuit, as reported by People on February 19, claims that Sarowitz, an executive producer on the 2024 film It Ends With Us, compared the couple to the terrorist organization Hamas and suggested severe consequences if they "ever cross the line."
Steve Sarowitz is an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Paylocity, an online payroll and human resources solutions provider, and co-founder of Wayfarer Studios with actor-director Justin Baldoni. According to Forbes, his net worth is estimated at $2.7 billion, as of February 2025.
Blake Lively's lawsuit accuses Steve Sarowitz of making threats
According to the complaint obtained by People on February 19, Sarowitz allegedly told a witness that he would:
"protect the studio like Israel protected itself from Hamas." He reportedly continued, "There were 39,000 dead bodies. There will be two dead bodies when I'm done. Minimum." He later clarified, "Not dead, but 'you're dead to me.' So that kind of dead. But dead to a lot of people."
During the New York premiere of It Ends With Us on August 6, 2024, Steve Sarowitz allegedly disclosed to another individual that he would spend $100 million to harm Blake Lively along with her relatives.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal dispute in brief
The legal dispute between Blake Lively and Baldoni started in December 2024 after Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni accusing him of se*ual harassment as well as retaliation breach of contract and defamation. On February 18, 2025, the plaintiff supplemented her complaint through the addition of new argument evidence and testimony of witnesses.
Baldoni has denied the allegations and counter-sued Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, their publicist, and The New York Times, alleging defamation and breach of contract. His lawsuit, filed in January 2025, claims that Lively's accusations are part of a "duplicitous attempt to destroy" him, as stated by People.
Allegations against Sarowitz and Baldoni have gained attention in Hollywood. Blake Lively's spokesperson noted that more women have come forward with similar concerns. Judge Lewis J. Liman warned that media disputes could speed up the trial.
Ryan Reynolds made a reference to the situation during the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special, jokingly asking, "Great! Why, what have you heard?" With both sides opting out of mediation, the case will proceed to trial in March 2026.
The upcoming thriller Proxy will introduce Lively to moviegoers when it releases in late 2025 while she also works as a producer on Seconds. Through her creative work, Lively directs and produces Seconds while adapting the comic book Seconds created by Bryan Lee O'Malley.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Seconds is currently in development with an anticipated release date in 2025. According to Box Office Mojo, her most recent project, It Ends With Us, was a commercial success, grossing over $350 million globally.
