Each day seems to bring a new development in the feud between It Ends With Us stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. After Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation on the set of the Collen Hoover novel-turned-film in a bombshell New York Times report, Baldoni’s legal team quickly fired back, suing the Gossip Girl actress, her husband Ryan Reynolds and the Times for defamation, extortion and more. In several media appearances, Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman promised to release “every single text message” between Lively and Baldoni. On February 1, Baldoni’s legal team seemed to follow up on that promise by releasing a website, thelawsuitinfo.com, filled with “evidence” to prove Baldoni’s innocence. The website includes Baldoni’s full amended complaint, as well as a timeline of relevant events. But does the website actually clear Baldoni’s name? Read on for a recap of what we’ve learned from Justin Baldoni’s new website.
A Bromance Gone Bitter
The It Ends With Us drama has focused largely on the apparent dislike between Baldoni and Reynolds. Their feud seemingly stemmed from an incident in which Baldoni allegedly asked a personal trainer Lively’s weight in preparation for a scene in which he lifts her. According to Baldoni’s team, this caused Reynolds to berate Baldoni and accuse him of fat-shaming Lively. Baldoni’s amended suit even alleges that Reynolds parodied Baldoni in Deadpool & Wolverine through the character Nicepool, using the film to poke fun at Baldoni’s feminist persona.
However, in his timeline of relevant events on the website, Baldoni includes early text messages between him and Reynolds, showing that the pair had a cordial relationship at the onset of filming. On February 28, 2023, Baldoni sent a lengthy message to Reynolds introducing himself and stating that he would “like to be friends.” In response, Reynolds called Baldoni’s message “generous and loving” and claimed that he and Lively were “big fans” of Baldoni. In addition to asking for Baldoni to potentially move up filming by two weeks, Reynolds ended his message with, “I happen to adore you, Justin.”
Positive Cast Connections
It’s been difficult to ascertain where the other cast members of the film lie in this drama. In the days after Lively’s initial complaint against Baldoni became public, several It Ends With Us cast members spoke out in support of the actress. She also had their public support throughout the film’s press tour, especially as she received online backlash for seemingly avoiding discussions of domestic violence. However, on his website, Baldoni is working to prove goodwill between him and other members of the cast who have not spoken out in his defense.
For example, Baldoni’s team published an alleged text message from Isabela Ferrer, the actress who plays the younger version of Lively’s character. Baldoni’s team claims the message is from July of 2023, around two weeks after the film wrapped production, and shows the young actress thanking Baldoni for an “incredible experience” on her first film set. “You created such a comfortable, safe space for me to feet like I could fully step into this role,” the message continues. “I couldn’t have asked for a more welcoming environment.”
A Controversial Statement
In mid-August of 2024, the backlash against Lively reached a peak. At that time, Baldoni’s team alleges that Lively and Reynolds pushed for Baldoni and his production studio to take responsibility for the negative press surrounding the film. In his timeline of events, Baldoni includes a statement allegedly drafted by Lively and Reynolds for Baldoni, his studio and lead producer to release. “IT ENDS WITH US was a troubled production which we take full accountability for,” the statement begins. “We are very sorry to everyone we caused upset to privately and publicly.”
The statement then specifically addresses the criticism Lively was receiving and the gap in marketing styles between the film’s two co-stars. “Blake Lively, Colleen Hoover, the entire cast and crew led with professionalism every step of the way,” it continued. “We mutually agreed that the cast would be promoting the film separately and understood why.”
According to Baldoni’s legal team, Lively and Reynolds threatened retaliation if Baldoni did not comply. After reviewing the document, Baldoni’s team did not let him release the statement and urged their client to retain legal counsel.
So, Is Justin Baldoni Innocent?
Just as with any celebrity-centered drama, the court of public opinion has weighed in fiercely on the It Ends With Us feud. Some believe that the backlash against Lively is rooted in misogyny and an inability to believe women who speak out against sexual harassment.
Others think that Baldoni’s abundance of documentation, particularly with the updates on his website, prove that he was the victim of a bullying campaign by Lively and Reynolds.
Whether these arguments will hold up in court remains to be seen–and fans will have to wait a while for the outcome. The stars are currently set to go to trial on March 9, 2026, as ordered by a New York judge in late January.
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