The short answer is yes. Blake Lively officially sued her costar and director, Justin Baldoni, in December 2024. If you’ve been scrolling through TikTok or X over the last year, you probably saw the rumors before the legal papers even hit the desk. What started as "why aren't they standing together on the red carpet?" spiraled into a multi-million dollar legal war involving sexual harassment claims, a $250 million defamation suit, and even a weirdly specific list of "no-gos" for the film set.
Honestly, it's a mess.
The drama revolves around their 2024 film It Ends With Us. While audiences were watching Lily Bloom navigate a cycle of abuse on screen, the people making the movie were apparently living through their own nightmare behind the scenes. Lively’s lawsuit isn't just against Baldoni either; she’s gone after his production company, Wayfarer Studios, and several PR executives she claims helped orchestrate a "smear campaign" against her.
The Lawsuit That Shook Hollywood
Lively filed her formal complaint in late 2024, seeking $160 million in damages. That’s not a small number. The filing alleges sexual harassment, retaliation, and a "hostile work environment." According to documents that surfaced in the California Civil Rights Department, Lively claimed that Baldoni and his team made her life miserable during production.
She says there was "inappropriate" behavior on set, including Baldoni allegedly lingering too long during kissing scenes and making comments about her weight shortly after she gave birth. There’s also the "nude video" allegation. Lively claimed that she and her staff were shown images or videos of naked women—specifically a video of a producer's wife giving birth—without their consent.
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Baldoni, for his part, has called these claims "false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious." He didn't just sit back. He fired back with a massive $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist.
What Happened to Justin Baldoni’s Counter-Lawsuit?
If you’re looking for a winner, the courts haven't fully decided yet, but Baldoni took a major hit in June 2025. A U.S. District Court judge dismissed his $400 million lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds. The judge ruled that Baldoni couldn't sue Lively for defamation over her legal claims because, basically, you’re allowed to say whatever you want in a lawsuit without it being considered libel.
Baldoni had also accused Lively of "creative hijacking"—essentially saying she and Ryan Reynolds took over the editing room and forced their own cut of the movie. The judge wasn't buying it. He ruled that those actions didn't meet the legal definition of "extortion" under California law.
The Secret "17 Protections" List
One of the wildest parts of this whole saga is a document that came to light during discovery. Before Lively would even finish filming after the 2023 strikes, she demanded a list of "protections." It sounds like something out of a spy novel.
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There were 17 specific rules Baldoni had to follow. Some of them included:
- No more descriptions of his own genitalia to Lively or her staff.
- No more mentions of Baldoni’s previous "pornography addiction."
- No more talking about personal sexual experiences on set.
- No more claiming he was "speaking to" Lively’s late father.
When these leaked, the internet went into a tailspin. Baldoni’s team argued these were "cherry-picked" and "manipulated" to make him look bad. He even claimed in recently unsealed texts from late 2023 that Lively was "setting him up for a trap" by refusing to use a body double for sex scenes while demanding he use one. He called the production a "gigantic clusterf***."
The "Smear Campaign" and the New York Times
Lively’s lawsuit also targets how she was perceived by the public. Remember when everyone was calling her "tone-deaf" for promoting her hair care line (Blake Brown) while talking about a movie about domestic violence? Lively says that wasn't just a PR blunder. She claims Baldoni’s PR team, led by crisis manager Melissa Nathan, purposely fueled that fire to "bury" her.
She actually subpoenaed texts where PR reps allegedly said they could "bury anyone" and discussed ways to make the public turn on her. It sort of worked for a while—Lively’s hair care sales reportedly plummeted by nearly 80% during the height of the backlash.
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Where Does the Case Stand Now?
We aren't done yet. While Baldoni’s countersuit was tossed, Lively’s original lawsuit against him and his associates is still alive.
As of early 2026, here is the current status:
- Trial Date: The trial is currently scheduled for May 18, 2026.
- Evidence: Thousands of pages of texts and emails have been unsealed, showing a complete breakdown of professional boundaries on both sides.
- Witnesses: Big names like Ryan Reynolds and even potentially Taylor Swift (who was reportedly present during an on-set confrontation) could be called to testify.
- The NYT Lawsuit: Baldoni’s separate $250 million suit against The New York Times for their coverage was also dismissed in 2025, with the court citing the protections of the First Amendment and responsible journalism.
Actionable Insights: What This Means for You
If you’re following this because you’re a fan or just curious about Hollywood legalities, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Don't Believe Every Headline: This case is a prime example of "litigation by PR." Both sides have spent millions trying to win the court of public opinion before the actual trial starts.
- Watch the Court Filings, Not TikTok: Much of what went viral was based on "leaked" snippets. The full 179-page documents (like the one filed by Baldoni's team) tell a much more nuanced, albeit uglier, story of two powerful people clashing over creative control.
- Check the Trial Status: The May 2026 date is the big one. If a settlement doesn't happen before then, expect some of the biggest names in Hollywood to be deposed under oath, which will likely be even more explosive than the rumors.
The "It Ends With Us" drama proved that sometimes the most toxic relationships aren't the ones in the script—they're the ones behind the camera. Stay tuned for the May trial dates, as that's when the "he-said, she-said" finally hits a jury.