Will You Choose a Side?
“It Ends With Us” is a New York Times best selling book released by Colleen Hoover
about love, domestic violence, and personal growth that was turned into a movie starring Blake
Lively and Justin Baldoni. The movie was released in August of 2024 and there was a question
that everyone was asking, “Why hasn't star and director Justin Baldoni not been photographed
with the rest of the cast?”. People assumed that it was because of the ways the movie was being
promoted, but the film’s success has since been overshadowed by a heated legal battle between
the two stars.
The movie is a story of Lily Bloom, a florist that falls for a charming neurosurgeon, Ryle.
Soon, their relationship starts to turn into a cycle of violence that she grew up with. She
remembers what her mother went through whenever she stayed with her abusive husband and
doesn’t want to go through that herself. As she meets again the love of her life from when she
was a teen, things start to change.
People started to notice cast appearances and events. At the movie premiere people
noticed that Blake Lively and the rest of the cast were taking pictures together, but Justin Baldoni
was the only one from the cast that wasn’t seen with the rest of them. He was only seen with his
family and friends. Rumors began circulating about tensions between Lively and Baldoni. In
December of 2024, the rumors turned into formal accusations when Blake filed a complaint with
the California Civil Rights Department, alleging that Justin had created a hostile work
environment through inappropriate sexual comments and boundary violations during the film’s
production.
She claimed that Baldoni crossed professional boundaries by improvising an unwanted
kiss in one scene and making uninvited visits to her trailer. Blake also alleged that Baldoni and a
producer attempted to ruin Blake’s reputation by spreading false narratives through the media on
how she was choosing to promote the movie. It didn’t take long for Justin to respond back about
these accusations. “He filed his own complaint last week against Lively and her husband Ryan
Reynolds, seeking at least $400 million in damages”(McClintock and Thomas 2025)
Baldoni denied the accusations and fought back at first filing a $250 million lawsuit
against the New York Times for what he claims was unfair and incomplete for helping Lively
release her lawsuit publicly. He argued that they presented Lively’s claims without proper
evidence, painting him as guilty before he had a chance to defend himself. The situation
escalated quickly in early 2025, when Baldoni filed a $400 million lawsuit against Blake, her
husband Ryan Reynoalds, and her publicist. He accused them of defamation and civil extortion,
claiming Lively orchestrated the allegations to damage his reputation and career. He argued that
her actions were an attempt to shift blame after disagreements over creative control during the
production process.
As lawsuits unfolded, the situation left fans divided. Some supported Lively and others
supported Baldoni. As of January 2025, the legal proceedings remain ongoing. Both Blake
Lively and Justin Baldoni remain firm in their respective positions, with fans and media closely
watching how this contentious situation develops.
Works Cited
Nicolaou, Elena. “What’s Going on with the Cast of ‘It Ends with Us’?” TODAY.Com,
TODAY, 23 Dec. 2024,
www.today.com/popculture/movies/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-it-ends-with-us-controversy-
drama-rcna165897.
McClintock, Pamela, and Carly Thomas. “‘It Ends With Us’ Legal Feud Takes New Turn as
Both Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Say Leaked Footage Proves Their Point.” MSN, 21
Jan. 2025,
www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/celebrities/it-ends-with-us-legal-feud-takes-new-turn-a
s-both-blake-lively-and-justin-baldoni-say-leaked-footage-proves-their-point/ar-AA1xD5vr?
ocid=BingNewsSerp.
Holaday, Carsen. “Justin Baldoni ‘sues Blake Lively for $400m’ and Claims She Made Him
‘Villain.’” The US Sun, The US Sun, 17 Jan. 2025,
www.the-sun.com/entertainment/13311897/justin-baldoni-blake-lively-lawsuit/.
